Everything about Pernambuco totally explained
Pernambuco is a
state of
Brazil, located in the
Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of
Paraíba and
Ceará, to the west is
Piauí, to the south are
Alagoas and
Bahia, and to the east is the
Atlantic Ocean. The hospitable ways of the pernambucano, the natural beauties and the strong
culture make the State full of attractions. There are about 185 kilometers (114 miles)of
beaches, some of most beautiful of the country, as Porto de Galinhas, Carneiros and Calhetas. The capital,
Recife, has one of most beautiful urban areas of the country:
Boa Viagem. Together with its neighbor city of
Olinda, is one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the northeastern part of Brazil. Both have
Portuguese architecture, with secular casarões and
churches, and kilometers of beaches and much
culture. Pernambuco also has the most beautiful archipelago of
Brazil,
Fernando de Noronha. The proximity of the Equator guarantees an entire year of
sun, with average temperatures of 26°C (78.8°F).
Geography
Pernambuco comprises a comparatively narrow coastal zone, a high inland plateau, and an intermediate zone formed by the terraces and slopes between the two.
Its surface is much broken by the remains of the ancient plateau which has been worn down by erosion, leaving escarpments and ranges of flat-topped mountains, called
chapadas, capped in places by horizontal layers of sandstone. Ranges of these chapadas form the boundary lines with three states–the
Serra dos Irmaos and
Serra Vermelha with
Piauí, the
Serra do Araripe with
Ceará, and the
Serra dos Cariris Velhos with
Paraíba.
The coastal area is fertile, and was formerly covered by the humid
Pernambuco coastal forests, the northern extension of the
Atlantic Forests (Mata Atlântica) of eastern Brazil. It is now place to extensive
sugar cane plantations. It has a hot, humid climate, relieved to some extent by the south-east trade winds.
The middle zone, called the agreste region, has a drier climate and lighter vegetation, including the semi-deciduous
Pernambuco interior forests, where many trees lose their leaves in the dry season.
The inland region, called the
sertão is high, stony, and dry, and frequently devastated by prolonged droughts (secas). The climate is characterized by hot days and cool nights. There are two clearly defined seasons, a rainy season from March to June, and a dry season for the remaining months. The interior of the state is covered mostly by the dry thorny scrub vegetation called
caatinga. The
Rio São Francisco is the main water source for this area.
The climate is more mild in the countryside of the state because of the
Borborema Plateau ("Planalto da Borborema", popularly known as "Serra das Russas" or "Russians' Mountain"). Some towns are located more than 1000 meters above sea level, and the temperatures there can descend to 10°C (50°F) and even 5°C (41°F) in some cities (for example,
Triunfo) during the winter.
The island of
Fernando de Noronha in the
Atlantic Ocean, 535 km northeast of
Recife, has been part of Pernambuco since 1988.
The rivers of the state include a number of small plateau streams flowing southward to the
São Francisco River, and several large streams in the eastern part flowing eastward to the Atlantic. The former are the
Moxotó,
Ema,
Pajeú,
Terra Nova, Brigida, Boa Vista and Pontai, and are dry channels the greater part of the year.
The largest of the coastal rivers are the
Goiana River, which is formed by the confluence of the Tracunhaem and Capibaribe-mirim, and drains a rich agricultural region in the north-east part of the state; the
Capibaribe, which has its source in the
Serra de Jacarara and flows eastward to the Atlantic at
Recife with a course of nearly 300 miles; the
Ipojuca, which rises in the
Serra de Aldeia Velha and reaches the coast south of Recife; the Serinhaen; and the
Uná. A large tributary of the Uná, the Rio Jacuhipe, forms part of the boundary line with
Alagoas.
History
Originally inhabited by various indigenous peoples, Pernambuco was first settled by the
Portuguese in the 16th century. Shortly after King
João III of Portugal created the
Hereditary Captaincies in 1534, Pernambuco was granted to
Duarte Coelho, who arrived in
Nova Lusitânia (or "New Lusitania", as the area was then known) in 1535. Duarte directed military actions against the French-allied
Caetê Indians and upon their defeat in 1537 established a settlement at the site of a former Marin Indian village, henceforth known as Olinda, as well as another village at
Igarassu.
Due to the cultivation of
sugar and
cotton, Pernambuco was one of the few prosperous captaincies (the other notable one being
São Vincente). With the support of the
Dutch East India Company, sugar mills (
engenho) were built and a sugar-based economy developed. In 1612, Pernambuco produced 14,000 tons of sugar; in the 1640s, more than 24,000 tons of sugar were exported to
Amsterdam alone. While the sugar industry relied at first on the labor of indigenous peoples, especially the
Tupis and
Tapuyas, high mortality and economic growth led to the importation of African slaves from the late 1600s. Some of these slaves escaped the sugar-producing coastal regions and formed independent inland communities called
mocambos, including
Palmares.
In 1630, Pernambuco, as well as many Portuguese possessions in Brazil, was occupied by the Dutch. The occupation was strongly resisted and the Dutch conquest was only partially successful. In the interim, thousands of the enslaved Africans had fled to Palmares, and soon the mocambos there had grown into two significant states. The Dutch, who allowed sugar production to remain in Portuguese hands, regarded suppression of Palmares important, but they were unsuccessful.
Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen, count of Nassau, was appointed as ruler of the
Nieuw Holland (Dutch colonization enterprise in Brazil).
Nassau's government built Maritania or Mauritsstad (
Recife) on delta islands, which have similarities to Holland's topography. This moved the political focus from Olinda to Recife. Nassau's Dutch administration was noted for advancements in urbanism, culture, and science. The Dutch legacy is still recognizable in Pernambuco's people, accent and architecture.
Portugal reconquered Recife in 1654 and Olinda regained its status of political center. However, Recife remained the commercial /port city. If the Dutch were gone, however, the threat of the now unified quilombo of Palmares remained. In spite of a treaty negotiated in 1678 with its ruler
Ganga Zumba, a war between the two remained.
Zumbi who became ruler following the peace treaty and later repudiated it, fought the Portuguese government until 1694 when soldiers brought from the south eventually defeated him.
In 1710 the
Mascate War took place in Pernambuco. This conflict set the
mascates (traveling salesman) from Recife against the establishment hosted in Olinda and led by the
Senhores de Engenho (owners of the sugar mills, literally: sugar mill lords).
Pernambuco was the site of the most important rebellions and insurrections in
Brazilian history, especially in the 19th century.
1817 was the year of the
Pernambucan Revolution, a republican
separatist movement which resulted in the creation of the
Republic of Pernambuco. The main cause of the revolution was dissatisfaction with the colonial administration. The republic was declared on
March 7,
1817. After military intervention, the secession ended on
May 20,
1817. The current flag of Pernambuco is actually the flag of that Republic.
As a reaction to the
Emperor Dom Pedro I dissolution of the
Constituent Assembly, the
Confederation of the Equator was set up on
July 2,
1824. The Confederation was another separatist movement which encompassed the provinces of Pernambuco,
Paraíba,
Rio Grande do Norte, and
Ceará. On
November 29,
1824, the Confederated forces capitulated to the Imperial army.
Pernambuco was the site of the brief liberal republican
Praieira revolt in 1848, which was Brazil's response to the
European year of failed liberal revolutions.
Deodoro da Fonseca, the marshal who crushed the revolt, much later overthrew Emperor
Pedro II, and served as the first president of the Brazilian republic.
Demographics
According to the
IBGE of
2007, there were 8,518,000 people residing in the state. The population density was 86.5 inh./km².
Urbanization: 76.8% (
2006);
Population growth: 1.2% (
1991-
2000);
Houses: 2,348,000 (
2006).
The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 4,707,000
Brown people (57.7%), 3,151,000
White people (37.0%), 417,000
Black people (4.9%), 34,000
Asian or
Amerindian people (0.4%).
Mixed-race (those of mixed
African and
Portuguese ancestry) predominate in the coast.
Mamelucos (those of mixed
Amerindian and Portuguese ancestry) predominate in the interior (
Sertão).
Whites of colonial Portuguese descent are a
plurality in some towns.
Interesting facts
Vehicles: 1,170,068 (March/
2007);
Mobile phones: 4.5 million (April/
2007);
Telephones: 1.2 million (April/
2007);
Cities: 185 (
2007).
Economy
The
service sector is the largest component of
GDP at 57.4%, followed by the
industrial sector at 33.1%.
Agriculture represents 9.5% of
GDP (
2004). Pernambuco exports:
sugar 35.6%,
fruit and
juice 12.6%,
fish and
crustacean 12.3%, electric products 11.1%,
chemicals 7.1%,
woven 5.6% (
2002).
Share of the Brazilian economy: 2.7% (
2004).
The economy is based on
agriculture (sugarcane, manioc), livestock farming and creations, as well as
industry (alimentary, chemical, metallurgical, electronic, textile).
The state has the second biggest
industrial output of the Northeast, just behind
Bahia. In the period of October
2005 to October
2006, the industrial growth of the state was the second biggest in
Brazil - 6.3%, more than double the national average in the same period (2.3%). Another segment that deserves to be highlighted is mineral extration. The pole gesseiro of Araripina is the supplier from 95% of the plaster consumed in
Brazil. The pole of data processing of the Recife - Digital Port - despite having started in 2001, is one of the five biggest in
Brazil. It employs around three thousand persons, and has 3.5% the PIB of the state.
Alcohol in Pernambuco State (Clean Air)
Pernambuco State has the 5th highest
sugarcane Brazilian production.
Brazil is by far the largest producer of alcohol fuel in the world, typically fermenting ethanol from
sugarcane and
sugar beets. The country produces a total of 18 billion liters annually, of which 3.5 billion are exported, 2 billion of them to the
US. Alcohol-fueled cars started in the Brazilian market in
1978 and became quite popular because of heavy subsidy, but in the 80s prices rose and gasoline regained the leading market share.
But from
2004 on, alcohol is rapidly increasing its market share once again because of new technologies involving
hybrid fuel car engines called "Flex" by all major car manufacturers (
Volkswagen,
General Motors,
Ford,
Peugeot,
Honda,
Citroën,
Fiat, etc.). "Flex" engines work with gasoline, alcohol or any mixture of both fuels. As of February
2007, approximately 80% of new vehicles sold in Brazil are hybrid fuel. Because of the Brazilian leading production and technology, many countries became very interested in importing alcohol fuel and adopting the "Flex" vehicle concept. On
March 7,
2007, US president
George W. Bush visited the city of
São Paulo to sign agreements with Brazilian president
Lula on importing alcohol and its technology as an alternative fuel.
Education
Portuguese is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But
English and
Spanish are part of the official
high school curriculum.
Educational institutions
The main educational installations of the state are concentrated in the capital, including the seventh best federal university of the country. Pernambuco had main universities and colleges founded in the 19th and 20th century. Some of them are known nationally. The
Faculdade de Direito do Recife, or Recife's Law College, was founded in August, 11, 1827, was the first higher education institute in Brazil.
Castro Alves and
Joaquim Nabuco, two important people in Brazilian history, studied there.
Others important institutions are:
Festivals
Carnival in Pernambuco
The four-day period before
Lent leading up to
Ash Wednesday is
carnival time in
Brazil. Rich and poor alike forget their cares as they party in the streets. Pernambuco has large Carnival celebrations, including the
frevo, typical Pernambuco music. Another famous carnaval music style from Pernambuco is
maracatu.
The cities of Recife and Olinda hold the most authentic and democratic carnaval celebrations in Brazil. The largest carnaval parade in all of Brazil is
Galo da Madrugada, which takes place in downtown Recife in the Saturday of carnival. Another famous event is the
Noite dos Tambores Silenciosos.
Recife’s joyous Carnaval is nationally known and admired, attracting thousands of people every year. The party starts a week before the official date, with electric trios “shaking” the Boa Viagem district.
On Friday, people take to the streets to enjoy themselves to the sound of frevo and to dance with maracatu, ciranda, caboclinhos, afoxé, reggae and manguebeat (cultural movement created in Recife during the 90s) groups. There are still many other entertainment centres around the city, featuring local and national artists.
One of the highlights is Saturday when more than one million people follow the Galo da Madrugada group. From Sunday to Monday, there's the Night of the Silent Drums, on the Pátio do Terço, where Maracatus honor slaves that died in prisons.
Saint John's Day
Festa Junina was introduced to Northeastern
Brazil by the
Portuguese, for whom Saint John's day (also celebrated as
Midsummer Day in several
European countries), on the 24th of June, is one of the oldest and most popular celebrations of the year. Differently, of course, from what happens on the European
Midsummer Day, the festivities in Brazil don't take place during the
summer solstice, but during the tropical
winter solstice. The festivities traditionally begin after the 12th of June, on the eve of Saint Anthony's day, and last until the 29th, which is Saint Peter's day. During these fifteen days, there are
bonfires,
fireworks, and folk dancing in the streets. Once exclusively a rural festival, today, in Brazil, it's largely a city festival during which people joyfully and theatrically mimic peasant stereotypes and clichés in a spirit of jokes and good times. Typical refreshments and dishes are served, including
canjica and
pamonha. It should be noted that, like during Carnival, these festivities involve costume-wearing (in this case, peasant costumes), dancing, heavy drinking, and visual spectacles (fireworks display and folk dancing). Like what happens on
Midsummer and Saint John's Day in Europe,
bonfires are a central part of these festivities in Brazil.
Saint John's Day is celebrated throughout Pernambuco. Nonetheless, the festivities in
Caruaru are by far the largest in the state (claimed to be the largest in Brazil). Saint John's festivals in
Gravatá and
Carpina are also very popular.
Winter Festival
In the hilly areas of the interior - mainly in areas with a micro-climate of altitude - temperatures that can reach 8°C in the winter. Every winter, when the weather is milder, tourists from neighboring states and other parts of Pernambuco visit cities such as
Garanhuns,
Gravatá,
Triunfo and
Taquaritinga do Norte.
The city of Garanhuns holds an annual Winter Festival, in the month of July. The main attractions are concerts, dances,
rural tourism, culinary and the low temparatures.
Infrastructure
International Airport
Guararapes International Airport. The new Recife/Guararapes –
Gilberto Freyre International Airport has been open since July 2004 and has 52 thousand square meters of area. The second largest
airport in the
North and Northeast regions, Guararapes had its capacity expanded from 1.5 million to 5 million passengers a year. Now there are 64 check-in counters, versus the former terminal’s 24. The shopping and leisure area was also totally remodeled, within the “Aeroshopping” concept, which transforms an airport into a center for business, comfort and high-quality products and services. The commercial spaces will be occupied in steps and the final total will be 142 shops. Since 2000, Recife has had the longest runway in the Northeast, at 3,305 meters. Its extension permits operations with jumbo jets, such as the Boeing 747-400, which can carry 290 passengers and 62 tons of cargo, with endurance to fly nonstop to anywhere in
South and
Central America, Africa and parts of Europe, the
United States and
Canada.
Port
Suape
port. Suape serves ships 365 days a year without any restrictions in regards to tide schedules. To assist in the docking operation of the ships, the port offers a monitoring system and laser ship docking system that enables effective, secure control and upholds the same technical standards as the most important ports across the globe. The port moves over 5 million tons of cargo a year. The liquid granary (petroleum by-products, chemical products, alcohols, vegetable oils, etc.) constitutes more than 80% of the movement. The port can serve ships of up to 170,000 tpb and operational draft of 14.50m. With 27km² of backport, the internal and external ports offer the necessary conditions for serving large ships. The access canal has 5,000m of extension, 300m in width and 16.5m in length.
Suape has started in the 21th century to be Pernambuco's motive power toward developoment. Huge nationals and internationals investments are being attract by its logistics qualities which, until 2010, more then US$ 10 billion dollars are expected, at least.
Tourism and recreation
Fernando de Noronha » Fernando de Noronha is an isolated group of 21 volcanic islands approximately 340 miles from Recife. The main islands are the visible parts of a range of submerged mountains, islets and rocks. The Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha hosts ecological sites ideal for exuberant marine animal life, due to its geographic location far from the continent and well within the path of the Southern Equatorial Currents, as well as the nature of its climate.
How to get there: by plane from Recife (545km) or from Natal (360). An environmental preservation fee is charged from tourists upon arrival.
Porto de Galinhas » It's famous for being one of the most beautiful beaches of the Brazilian coast, due to its landscape. Warm clear water pools scattered around its coral reefs, estuaries, mangroves, coconut trees and a number of other samples of abundant nature richness make Porto de Galinhas a place not to be missed or forgotten.
How to get there: can be reached through Highways BR-101 Sul, PE-060, PE-038 and PE-09.
Boa Viagem » If you're looking for a good beach but don't want to take a long journey to get there, Boa Viagem is the best choice. Located in the privileged southern Recife metropolitan area, Boa Viagem is the most important and frequented beach in town. It is protected by a long reef wall and has an extensive coastline.
How to get there: Boa Viagem, Recife.
Ilha de Itamaracá » Separated from the mainland by the Jaguaribe River, it has several highly frequented beaches. Among them are Forte Orange, Praia do Sossego and Pontal da Ilha. On the island you can visit the Marine Manatee Preservation Center.
How to get there: you can reach the island through Highway BR-101 Norte, going past Igarassu, Itapissuma, and reaching Itamaracá at km 34.
Maracaípe » Beach with big waves. Maracaípe hosts a phase of the Brazilian Surf Tournament. Highly frequented by surfers and neighbor to Porto de Galinhas, Maracaípe.
How to get there: can be reached through Highways BR-101 Sul, PE-060, PE-038 and PE-09.
Tamandaré » Small waves and fine sand can be found there. Considered by many as the best beach for bathing and swimming in Pernambuco. Easy to reach from Recife.
How to get there: through Highway BR-101 Sul, PE-060 and PE-076.
Calhetas » Small bay of difficult access. Searched for by many for diving.
How to get there: you can reach Calhetas through BR-101 Sul and PE-060.
Coroa do Avião » Famous small island, in the middle of the Jaguaribe River delta, which can be reached only by boat or raft, from Recife or Itamaracá.
How to get there: from Itamaracá only by boat or raft.
Main Cities
List of the 20 largest cities in Pernambuco
>
Ranking |
City |
Population |
| 1 | Recife |
1,533,580
|
| 2 | Jaboatão dos Guararapes |
665,387
|
| 3 | Olinda |
391,433
|
| 4 | Paulista |
307,284
|
| 5 | Caruaru |
289,086
|
| 6 | Petrolina |
268,339
|
| 7 | Cabo de Santo Agostinho |
163,139
|
| 8 | Camaragibe |
136,381
|
| 9 | Garanhuns |
124,996
|
| 10 | Vitória de Santo Antão |
121,233
|
| 11 | São Lourenço da Mata |
95,304
|
| 12 | Igarassu |
93,748
|
| 13 | Abreu e Lima |
92,217
|
| 14 | Serra Talhada |
76,168
|
| 15 | Araripina |
75,878
|
| 16 | Santa Cruz do Capibaribe |
73,680
|
| 17 | Goiana |
71,796
|
| 18 | Gravatá |
71,570
|
| 19 | Belo Jardim |
70,963
|
| 20 | Ipojuca |
70,070
|
Other main cities include:
Arcoverde
Bonito
Brejo da Madre de Deus
Buíque
Carpina
Catende
Condado
Escada
Exu
Floresta
Limoeiro
Moreno
Nazaré da Mata
Ouricuri
Paudalho
Palmares
Pesqueira
Petrolândia
Santa Maria da Boa Vista
São Bento do Una
Salgueiro
Sertânia
Surubim
Taquaritinga do Norte
Timbaúba
Triunfo
See also:
List of cities in Brazil (all cities and municipalities)
Sports
Soccer was introduced in Pernambuco in 1902, when English and Dutch sailors disembarked in Recife and played a game of soccer in the beach. The novelty awoke the interest of the people of Pernambuco, that soon adhered to the game. Recife provides visitors and residents with various sport activities, The city has the main soccer teams in the state of Pernambuco. There are several soccer clubs based in Recife, such as Sport (1987 national soccer champion), Santa Cruz FC, and Náutico.
Recife is one of the 18 remaining candidates to host games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Pernambuco'.
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