Tocantins

—  State  —
Flag Coat of arms
Location of State of Tocantins in Brazil
Country	Brazil
Capital and Largest City	Palmas
Government
- Governor	Carlos Henrique Gaguim[1] (PMDB)
Area
- Total	277,620.91 km2 (107,190 sq mi)
Area rank	10th
Population (2005 census)
- Total	1,307,818
- Estimate (2006)	1,332,441
- Rank	24th
- Density	4.7/km2 (12.2/sq mi)
- Density rank	22nd
Demonym	Tocantinense
GDP
- Year	2006 estimate
- Total	R$ 9,607,000,000 (24th)
- Per capita	R$ 7,210 (17th)
HDI
- Year	2005
- Category	0.756 – medium (14th)
Time zone	BRT (UTC-3)
- Summer (DST)	BRST (UTC-2)
Postal Code	77000-000 to 77990-000
ISO 3166 code	BR-TO
Website	to.gov.br

Tocantins (Tupi: Bico de Tucano or Toucan Beak) (Portuguese pronunciation: [tokɐ̃ˈtʃĩs]^[2]) is one of the states of Brazil. The state was formed in 1988 out of the northern part of Goiás, and construction began on the capital, Palmas, in 1989, in contrast to most of the other cities in the state which date back to the Portuguese colonial period. It is the newest Brazilian state and, because it is still very young, it is developing slowly, building on its most important resources: the rivers Araguaia and Tocantins, the largest hydro basin entirely inside Brazilian territory. Because it is in the central zone of the country, it has characteristics of the Amazon, but also has open pastures.
The Ilha do Bananal, in the southwest of the State, is the largest fluvial island in the world. Tocantins is also home to the National Park of Araguaia and the Carajás Indian reservations. Another highlight is the Jalapão, about 250 kilometers from the capital, Palmas. There, the rivers create true oases in the dry landscape, attracting many ecotourists to the region.