Várzea Grande is a municipality in the state of Mato Grosso in the Central-West Region of Brazil.
The "City of the Great Lowlands" arose from a donation of land grants given to the Guaná people in 1832, considered civilized by the Portuguese and known for their skills as boatmen and fishermen, by the imperial government. The city, whose name roughly translates into English as "Great Lowlands of the Guana", was a mandatory stop along the way for the herds of cattle that came from Upper Rio Rosario (now Rosario West ) that were en route to Cuiabá.
Its foundation is closely linked to the military camp - Camp Couto Magalhães - built during the Paraguayan War, near the current center of town. However, this military camp, which gave support to the state capital during the war, which was established on May 15, 1867, by general, lawyer, and diamond mining town founder, José Vieira Couto de Magalhães, was located on the left shore of the Cuiabá River, or on the other side of the river from the city of Cuiabá, near the mouth of the Rio Coxipó, the northern capital.
