União dos Palmares Flag
*The city of União dos Palmares was founded on this date in 1831. Located in the Brazilian state of Alagoas, it is historically important to Afro Brazilians.
A Mocambo or, more recently, a Quilombo was on a nearby hill. These were centers of Black African slaves fleeing and resisting slavery. Known as the Quilombo dos Palmares, this was the largest and most organized of the many quilombos in Brazil. The most famous figure of the Quilombo dos Palmares was Zumbi dos Palmares. The quilombo reached a population of somewhere around 30,000, composed of former slaves and some Amerindian allies. Between 1672 and 1696, it withstood repeated attacks by Portuguese colonial forces until it fell to regular forces with artillery.
The city is the gateway to the Parque Memorial Quilombo dos Palmares in the Parque Nacional Serra da Barriga. It is described as "A Terra da Liberdade" (A land of liberty). Memorial celebrations attract visitors, and the park is a natural area preserving endangered Atlantic semi-deciduous forests of the Mata Atlântica. The park attracts domestic and foreign communities to tourist accommodations around the city. The park and city were given publicity by a ceremonial opening on November 20, 2003, by Brazil's president.
