Timon, Maranhão, Northeast Region, Brazil

🇧🇷 Timon is a Brazilian municipality in the State of Maranhão. The municipality is the headquarters of the Planning Region of the Middle Parnaíba.

History The occupation of Timon began with the establishment of communications between Vila da Mocha, today Oeiras, in Piauí, and Aldeias Altas, today Caxias, in Maranhão, still in the 18th century. The Santo Antônio Passage, as the crossing point on the Parnaíba River was called, was located upstream of Timon, 13km away from the headquarters. Until 1779, it was the only existing human agglomeration, inserted in the layout of the royal road that connected the two states. With the installation of Teresina, in the mid-nineteenth century, the port of São José do Parnaíba (later the Cajazeiras) gained importance, because it is located in front of the new capital of Piauí. It was then that, farmers from various regions and adventurers coming with the Jesuits who colonized the Aldeias Altas, settled along another road, open to connect Teresina to that Maranhão village.

In 1855, the president of the Province of Maranhão, Eduardo Olímpio, promulgated a law raising the village to the category of village, which was renamed São José do Parnaíba. In 1863 in response to the request of the counselors of Vil de Matões, the previous law was revoked. The following year, again in the condition of a village, it began to be called São José das Cajazeiras.

Proclaimed the Republic, in 1889, the first governor of the state of Maranhão sanctioned, on December 22, 1890, the law that elevates the village of São José das Cajazeiras to the category of village with the name of Flores.

On April 10, 1924, it was elevated to the category of city, maintaining the name of Flores, through Law No. 1,139, signed by Governor Godofredo Mendes Viana.

In 1943, due to the requirement of the IBGE that did not admit two homonymous cities, Governor Paulo Ramos issued Decree-Law No. 820, changing the name to Timon, in a tribute to the Maranhão intellectual João Francisco Lisboa, who left a work with the title Jornal de Tímon (in a reference to the famous philosopher of Ancient Greece).

Geography Located on the left bank of the Parnaíba River, with the eastern border, on the side of the state of Piauí, the city of Teresina, is part of the Integrated Development Region of Greater Teresina (Metropolitan Region of Teresina). The headquarters of the municipality of Timon is located at 5o5' of south latitude and 42o50' of west longitude, being 69 m above sea level, distant 446 km from São Luís by highway and, in a straight line, only 322 km. The city has an area of 1,764,612 km² and its population density of 89.18 inhabitants/km².

The municipality is located in the geographical microregion of Caxias, Mesoregion of the East Maranhense and the Planning Region of the Middle Parnaíba, on the left bank of the Parnaíba river, being limited to the east with Teresina capital of Piauí to the north and to the west with the municipality of Caxias, and to the south with the municipality of Matões. It is noteworthy that Timon is inserted in the "Greater Teresina" project, as the second largest municipality, thus becoming a strategic point for the development of this region. The municipality consists of two districts, the headquarters itself and the village of Buriti Cortado. This division occurs only for statistical purposes.

It was the second city in the Northeast to have a recycling plant. It has a poorly developed trade due to the proximity of the commercial centre of the neighboring city, Teresina, capital of Piauí. However, Timon has gone through a process of expansion of the urban area and commerce, especially along the BR-316 Highway, which cuts through the city in the north-south direction. Timon has recently become the fourth municipality in population of the state, surpassing Caxias. The municipality is also located on the banks of the São Luís-Teresina Railroad, which connects the city to the capital São Luís and is granted to the CFN for the transport of cargo. It is the 169th in the country, in population contingent, and the fourth in ICMS collection in the state.

The municipality has two conservation units: the Lagoa do Sambico Municipal Natural Park and the Sucupira Environmental Protection Area.

Neighborhoods and villages • Bamboo • Sandbank • Caribbean Bar • Bela Vista • Good Hope • Boa Vista • Buriti Bravo • Buriti Cortado • Ca-Açú • Cabeceira da Bacaba • Headboard of Inhuma • Campo Grande • Castle • Center • Workers' Center • Cícero Ferraz • New Town • Green Belt • Coheb • Boa Vista Set • Emílio Falcão Set • Joaquim Pedreira Set • Júlia Almeida Set • New Time Set • Padre Delfino Set • Spring Set • Fazenda Nova • Flowers • Formosa • Gameleira • Guarita • Laranjeiras • Boa Vista Allotment • Flower Reserve • Hose • Marimar • Little Mate • Monteiro • New World • Mutirão • New Jewel • Aliança Park • Parque Alvorada • Parque Piauí I • Parque Piauí II • San Francisco Park • San Francisco II Park • Parque União • Pedro Patrício • Piranhas • Formosa Plateau • Pot • Residencial Cocais • Residencial Novo Tempo • Roncador • Santa Amélia • Santa Maria • Santo Antônio • Saint Benedict • São Gonçalo • São João dos Perdidos • São José dos Cacetes • São Marcos • São Mateus • Anteater • Vila Angélica • Vila Bandeirantes • Vila do BEC • Vila União • Vila João Reis • Vila Osmar.

Economy The municipality of Timon still has an economy focused basically on small businesses, the informal sector and subsistence agriculture. The commerce and services sector is the fastest growing and already represents 60% of the municipality's economy, even presenting its population with stores of national recognition such as: Lojas Eletro Mateus,Multi Cred Empréstimos e Financiamentos,Pharmacies Pague Menos, Armazém ParaíbaLiliani,Magazine Luiza,Comercial Barroso,Lia Modas,Pizzaria Picanharia Navona The majority of the economically active population (55%) works in Teresina, which is on the other side of the Parnaíba River.

Commerce and the provision of services are the main revenue-generating activities of the municipality.

In the industrial sector, the ceramic industry, furniture and refrigerators stand out.

Tourism and agriculture are activities with great development potential.

Highlight in agriculture is the business vision of Cropterra, a John Deere brand concessionaire, an American agricultural machinery company, which recently inaugurated its facilities in the municipality.

The result of a partnership with the State Government, the Timon Business Park was implemented. It has a total area of 120 hectares, donated by Timon City Hall to the State of Maranhão. Hundreds of companies have expressed interest in installing their projects on site. The companies' investments to settle in the Timon Business Park are around half a billion reais. About 3,000 direct jobs will be generated through the installation of the park, in its first phase. The place will have a business condominium structure, offering safe space with motorized surveillance and video monitoring, basic sanitation, landscaping, public transport, power substation, bike path, event centre, parking for trucks, fiber optic internet, among others.

Shopping malls Currently the municipality of Timon has two shopping centers: Cocais Shopping: First Mall opened in the city of Timon, its design was inspired by the open model of Miami malls. It has 350 stores divided into 2 floors, food court, event square, Toys Space, in addition to 800 parking spaces.

Shopping Cidade Timon: Inspired by Teresina Shopping, located in the neighboring city of Teresina. It has parking, diversified stores and food court.

Transport The João Luis Ferreira Metal Bridge is one of the symbols and perhaps the best known postcard of Teresina. It was the first bridge built over the Parnaíba River, inaugurated on December 2, 1939, 17 years after the beginning of the work, connecting Teresina to Timon. Designed by German engineer Germano Franz, it consumed 702 tons of iron in its construction. Its completion allowed the establishment of the railway line between Teresina and São Luís, connecting by train the capitals of Piauí and Maranhão. It was declared a National Historical Heritage by IPHAN in September 2008.

The José Sarney Bridge (better known as the Friendship Bridge) is the newest communication between Teresina and Timon, inaugurated in 2002. Modern construction, with two lanes, in concrete and steel, produces an interesting contrast with the Metal Bridge, its oldest neighbor. A side effect of its conclusion was the virtual disappearance of river transport between the two cities, made for decades by small motor boats.

The Engenheiro Antônio Noronha Bridge (better known as Ponte Nova) is over the Parnaíba River. It was built for the possession of the BR-316, so that heavy vehicles such as trucks and carts did not enter the roads of downtown Teresina. It is also crossed by BR 226 in the west-east direction, and at its two extremes there are inspection posts of the Federal Highway Police.

The public transport companies Dois Irmãos and Timon City, operate in the urban area of the municipality, also making routes to the villages of the rural area and to Teresina, integrated with the public transport of the capital of Piauí. Since 1976, the semi-urban lines to Teresina were regulated by the National Land Transport Agency, since they were interstate routes between Maranhão and Piauí. In 2016, the competence over them was passed on to the Intermunicipal Consortium of Urban Mobility Teresina-Timon (CIMU).

The city is also crossed by the São Luís-Teresina Railroad, which connects the city to the capital of São Luís and the capital of Piauí, Teresina. Currently, the railway is granted to Transnordestina Logística, which operates the transport of fuels (alcohol, gasoline and diesel oil) to the Port of Itaqui, in the capital of Maranhão and to the city of Teresina, although it also transported cement, corrective limestone and containers at some times. The long-distance passenger trains that connected the city to the two capitals have not traveled on the railway since 1991.

Health According to IBGE, until 2015, the municipality had 49 health establishments. Despite this, the population seeks service in the neighboring Capital of Piauí, Teresina, which has more specialties and is better equipped.

Timon has a state hospital: "Alarico Nunes Pacheco", Basic Health Units (UBS),UPAs,CAPS,NASF,a private hospital "Hospital Vitória",policlinica, and several private clinics.

The municipality is also served by the Mobile Emergency Care System (SAMU).

Education Timon has the following educational institutions: • São José College (FSJ): It is regarded as a prestigious college within the city of Timon. Their law classes are on average formed by almost 70% of Teresina residents. It also offers a course in Administration and Accounting Sciences. • State University of Maranhão (UEMA): Offers courses in Pedagogy, Letters, Administration and Countable Sciences. The centre also offers distance courses through the "UEMA NET" program. • Institute of Multiple Higher Education (IESM): Offers courses in: Pedagogy, Accounting Sciences, Letters Languages - Portuguese and English, Nursing, Physical Education, Administration and stands out for being the only college in eastern Maranhão to offer the Zootechnics course. • Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA): Offers so far the higher education course in Biological Sciences. It offers integrated high school courses in Electromechanics, Electroelectronics, Administration and Buildings. • State Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IEMA): Where students enrolled in integrated high school have access to courses: biomedical equipment, legal services and biomedical informatics

Media and communication Since it is conurbated with Teresina, the vast majority of the city's media are based in the capital of Piauí and at the same time that the coverage of the facts takes place within Piauí, they also cover those that occurred in the city and it is very common that one of the blocks of the local newscasts of Teresina is dedicated to Timon.

The Meio Norte de Comunicação Group, based in Teresina since 1995, had its origin in Timon ten years earlier, when TV Timon (now TV Meio Norte) was inaugurated, and in addition to TV, two other radio stations belonging to the group (Meio Norte FM and Rádio Jornal Meio Norte) have their grants in the city of Maranhão. The 95 FM radio (currently leased to Happy FM) is maintained by the Nagib Haickel Foundation, and community radios operate using the frequency 87.9 MHz.

Tourim The city of Timon has several artistic segments, cultural associations and a very large number of artists in literature, music, fine arts, dance and theater. In this last segment, in recent years there has been remarkable progress. The Theater Proposal Group (created in 1990), for example, recently participated in the ENTEPOLA - Encontro de Teatro Popular Latino Americano, which took place in Colatina-ES and was attended by groups from Spain, Argentina and several states in Brazil, with the Theater Proposal Group being the only one from Maranhão to participate in the

There are about 55 resorts in the municipality of Timon, one of the strengths in relation to tourism, as they have a strong potential for attraction. Cooking is also another strong point.

Sports and Leisure In Timon there are several amateur football clubs, but few professionals. In football, Timon Esporte Clube stands out, which is in the second division of the Maranhão championship, and Esporte Clube Timon, which competes, for the first time, in the first division of the Piauiense championship. In amateur sport, there is the Associação dos Peladeiros do Parque Alvorada, a club that in addition to sport, promotes several social actions in the region of Parque Alvorada and its Surroundings. In amateur futsal, Futebol Clube Barceloninha even makes several friendlies outside the city throughout the year.

Timon Youth Center - Inaugurated by the late Former Governor Jackson Lago on 03/31/2009 The Youth Center has an amphitheater, multi-sport court, skate park, auditorium, music room, several important events have already passed such as the 1st Miniramp Circuit of Piauí and the most recent that took place on May 1 the arm wrestling championship.