Ever wondered what the literal translation of the Brazilian states were? Wonder no more. The results are in and you don’t have to fly to “River of Crabs” “Thick Bushes” of “Bad for Navigation” to find out what their names mean (literally).

Brazilian State names in Portuguese/Tupi Guarani

Brazilian State names translated literally into English

World Cup 2014 stadiums map

As the majority of the original words are from Tupi Guarani language (which does not translate easily into Portuguese or English) many of these translations are subject to dispute, however, should reflect the general consensus.

Some of these names sound suddenly even more appealing; such as “Land of Rondon” or “Toucan’s Beak” however the once exotic “Amapá” suddenly loses it’s flair when translated to “Land of Rain” fancy a holiday there now? No, neither do we!

That being said, River of Crabs, here we come! (Who’s hungry?)

Many of these names are controversial, especially in the case of Amapá, Maranhão, Acre, Ceará, Pernambuco, Goiás, and Rio de Janeiro. The most plausible or most accepted interpretations for the name were chosen.

Want to visit the thick bushes of the south? Check out container shipping costs for Brazil.