▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁coast line ▁east ▁of ▁Ba ía ▁de ▁São ▁José ▁is ▁less ▁ind ented ▁and ▁character ized ▁by ▁sand ▁d unes , ▁including ▁the ▁stark ▁d une ▁fields ▁of ▁the ▁Len ç ó is ▁Mar anh enses ▁National ▁Park , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁rest ing a ▁for ests ▁that ▁form ▁on ▁stabil ized ▁d unes . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁et ym ology ▁of ▁Mar anh ão ▁is ▁uncertain ; ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁from ▁T up i , ▁meaning ▁" running ▁sea ", ▁or ▁an ▁augment ative ▁of ▁Portuguese ▁mar ▁(" se a "). ▁The ▁word ▁was ▁first ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁Amazon ▁River . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁known ▁European ▁to ▁explore ▁Mar anh ão ▁was ▁the ▁Spanish ▁expl orer ▁Vic ente ▁Y á ñ ez ▁Pin z ón ▁in ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁granted ▁to ▁João ▁de ▁Bar ros ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 4 ▁as ▁a ▁Portuguese ▁her edit ary ▁captain cy . ▁The ▁first ▁European ▁settlement , ▁however , ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁a ▁French ▁trad ing ▁expedition ▁under ▁Jacques ▁R iff ault , ▁of ▁Die ppe , ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 4 , ▁who ▁lost ▁two ▁of ▁his ▁three ▁vessels ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁São ▁Lu ís ▁Island , ▁and ▁left ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁men ▁on ▁that ▁island ▁when ▁he ▁returned ▁home . ▁Sub sequently , ▁Daniel ▁de ▁La ▁T ou che , ▁Se igneur ▁de ▁La ▁R ivid ière ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁report ▁on ▁the ▁place