| Pernambuco - Brasil |
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Brasil is the country of South America that occupies half the continent's landmass and it is the fifth largest nation in the world. Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. From East to West, the State is about 800km wide and from North to South, it´s about 200km long. Pernambuco is physically divided into three regions: The coastal zone, called "Zona da Mata" has a tropical climate, with a wet season (from April through August). Soil is fertile, proper for the cultures of sugarcane, which have been cultivated since the 1500s. Most of population is concentrated here, as well as the industrial zones of the State. The middle zone, called the "Agreste Region", has a drier climate. The interior part, called "Sertão" has a semi-arid climate and rains are scarce and irregular. The biggest city is the capital, Recife (1,500,000 inhabitants). Other important city is Olinda. Olinda was the first capital of Pernambuco. It is considered one of the cradles of Brazilian culture. This fact and its architecture, so typical of the colonial period, led Unesco to list it as a World Heritage Site. The Pernambuco coastline is 187km long. Here are some of the best beaches: • Fernando de Noronha Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago with 21 volcanic islands 525km from Recife (a little over an hour by plane). The main islands are the visible parts of a range of submerged mountains, islets and rocks which rise up from the depths of a sea which is 4,000 metres deep. • Ilha de Itamaracá Separated from the mainland by the Jaguaribe River, it has several beaches. • Boa Viagem Boa Viagem is the most important and frequented beach in Recife metropolitan area. It is protected by a long reef wall. Along its seven kilometers of beautiful and calm sea, there are skyscraper, bars, restaurants and hotels. • Cabo de Santo Agostinho A little city with many beaches (Gaibu, Calhetas, Paraiso) and panoramic points from where one can have a vision of a large part of the coast, from Recife to the Port of Suape. • Porto de Galinhas It is one of the most beautiful beaches of the Brazilian coast, due to its landscape with warm clear water pools, mangroves and coconut trees. The beach line is 18km long. During the lower tide, the water trapped by the reefs forms several natural pools large enough to accommodate twenty swimmers; tourists can swim, dive and feed the fishes. There are small sailboats, called jangadas, that ferry people out to the pools for a standard price of R$8 per person (R$1 = €0.40 = $0.60). The origin of the name is well known. Porto de Galinhas means "Port of Chickens" in Portuguese. In the year 1888, the Brazilian government imposed restrictions to the commerce of slaves, which were widely used as manpower in the sugarcane farms. To circumvent the prohibition, when a ship arrived in the harbour, as it was prohibited to mention slavery, the word spread as "there are new chickens in town"; hence, the place gained its name Porto de Galinhas. • Maracaípe To the South of Porto de Galinhas, Maracaípe is a wide bay with big waves. Highly frequented by surfers hosts a phase of the Brazilian Surf Tournament. It is a quiet place. Further south the "Recanto do Cavalho Marino", is a protected area for seahorse breeding reaching with a jangada (price R$8 per person). • Ilha de Santo Aleixo Paradisiac volcanic island located near the Rio Serinhaém estuary. • Praia dos Carneiros Beautiful beach near Tamandaré on Rio Formoso estuary. |
