 Açailândia is part of the Carajas Development Corridor and the city houses many of the workers who produce charcoal in the area.Açailândia's origins are recent, lying in the construction of the Belém-Brasília highway in 1958, when the fertile lands in the vicinity of the Açailândia Creek came to the attention of those engaged in building the highway.For some time, Açailândia was considered a district of the city of Imperatriz, the second largest city in the state of Maranhão.