Tocantins is officially the most modern state of Brazil and has a good growth in the development of public infrastructure and private investment. The whole area was once part of the State of Goiás, but if not officially classified as such, the separation has taken place since the 17th Century because of the problems of accessibility have been exacerbated by political tensions between the residents. domestic political pressure led the federal government officially separating the two countries in 1988.

The state has the largest pool in South America and also some unique features of the Amazon, has completed the largest open pastures in the country average by irrigation (since many rivers to cross, condition). Other interesting features of the region southwest Ilha do Bananal – the largest river island in the world, massive tracts of the floodplain – the Araguaia – and a great variety of vegetation (grass fields Palm babaçu thick bark). States dry season occurs from May to October and average annual rainfall 1000mm.

Today Tocantins is one of the states, the strongest growth in Brazil, with an economy that focus heavily on agriculture and services in connection with the trade and industry (with the latter on the chemical production, textile, wood processing, non-metallic minerals , information technology, software production, etc.). UNICA, the national professional association of sugar cane, reported a natural gentrification of the industry in the region because of cheaper land and fertile soil (the majority of sugarcane plants Brazil are currently in São Paulo, and the states of Goias) and several leading organizations are exploring with the environment and test new breeds of more efficient production methods.

The state has become an increasingly important source of financing favored American Development Bank (IDB) to provide for the expansion of irrigation and drainage infrastructure (dams, canals, sewage treatment plants, pumps), infrastructure (roads, electricity, gas and water subsidies) and to promote grants and loans to the industry while increasing agricultural employment and improve well-being of people in the regions. This development has not always faced with open arms – especially environmentalists. For example, the Cana Brava Dam in 2002 to flooding of the Tocantins LED completely move people Avas Canoeiros – despite feasibility studies to the fact that such events never happen. None of the affected by the floods, balanced, and proposed the shift to 300 from 1,000 families. While developers and government officials anxious to highlight the positive economic effects, this particular case was as a precedent for the potential impact of dam construction on the environment and local people used throughout Brazil.

The management of the region has been praised nationally and Tocantins was one of the highest recipients of CAP subsidies government grant (Programa do Aceleração crescimento). After Governo do Tocantins (the local government body), the case was with a deficit of more than 86,000 at the end of 2009 this number will increase to more immigration occurs. Together with National Housing programs such as “Minha Casa, Minha Vida” and improved lending, an increased presence of property developers is clear.

There are three airports, which are the state with the most “modern” Palmas complex, which has a total area of 370,000 square meters and passengers currently has more than 50,000 passengers per month. Tocantins is one of the major intersections of the Ferrovia Norte-Sul (of North to the South Train Line National), an unprecedented national project in 2008 brought into being. There are a handful of large national universities in the region, including the Universidade Federal do Tocantins (Federal University of Tocantins UFT) to do Fundação Universidade Tocantins (Foundation of University of Tocantins, UNITINS) and the Escola Técnica Federal de Palmas (Palmas Techical School, ETF).