Pernambuco
For the pernambuco tree, see Brazilwood.Pernambuco (
pron. IPA: //
[The presented pronunciation is in Brazilian Portuguese. The European Portuguese pronunciation is: //.]) is a
state of
Brazil, located in the
Brazilian Northeast. To the north are the states of
ParaÃba and
Ceará, to the west is
PiauÃ, to the south are
Alagoas and
Bahia, and to the east is the
Atlantic Ocean.
Pernambuco has a territory covered mostly by the dry thorny scrub vegetation called
caatinga. The
Rio São Francisco is the main water source for this area. The coastal area is fertile, and was formerly covered by the
Mata Atlântica. It is now place to extensive
sugar cane plantations.
The climate is more bland in the countryside of the state because of the
Borborema plateau ("Planalto da Borborema", popularly known as "Serra das Russas"). Some towns are located more than 1000 meters above sea level, and the temperatures there can reach about 10°C 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.
Pernambuco was first colonized by
Portuguese settlers.
In
1534 King
John III of Portugal created the
Hereditary Captaincies. Pernambuco, one of these captaincies, was granted to
Duarte Coelho. The hereditary lord of a captaincy was known as
Capitão-Mor.
Duarte Coelho had arrived at Pernambuco, then known as
Nova Lusitânia (New Lusitania), in
1535 and established his government in the area on which
Olinda was to be founded.
After bloodshed battles against the
Caetê Indians, which had an alliance with the
French,
Duarte Coelho founded
Olinda at the site of the Marin Indian village. This victory made possible to estabilize the captaincy and to start Portuguese rule.
The village (
vilas) of
Olinda (first capital) and
Igarassu were founded 1537.
Pernambuco was one of the two only prosperous captaincies (the other was
São Vincente), mainly due to the
plantation of
sugar cane and
cotton.With the support of
Dutch East India Company, the sugar mills (
engenho) were constructed and the sugar industry had greatly developed. In
1612, Pernambuco produced 14,000 tons of sugar; by
1640s, more than 24,000 tons of sugar were exported to Amsterdam.
In
1630, Pernambuco, as well as many Portuguese possessions in Brazil, was occupied by the
Dutch.
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 Mauristaad (
Recife) on delta islands, which is somewhat similar to Holland's topography. This moved the political focus from Olinda to Recife. The 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.
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 home to 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 separatism movement which encompassed the provinces of Pernambuco,
ParaÃba,
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. The military officer who put it down was
Deodoro da Fonseca, later briefly the first president of the Brazilian republic.
*
Aliança*
Arcoverde*
Bom Conselho*
Cabo de Santo Agostinho - Where the important Suape port is situated.
*
Camaragibe*
Carpina*
Caruaru - Main city in the country side.
*
Condado - Condado is located at the
Zona da Mata region of the state, it's also called by ''Princesinha da *
Exu*
Floresta*
Garanhuns - Highland city, pleasant climate.
*
Goiana*
Gravatá - Another highland city with bland climate, known as the "Brazilian-northern Swiss" because of its weather and European-influenced architecture with Alpine-style buildings.
*
Ipojuca - It includes Porto de Galinhas beach.
*
Jaboatão dos Guararapes*
Limoeiro*
Nazaré da Mata - Capital of the Maracatu
*
Olinda - Historical site, first capital.
*
Ouricuri*
Palmares*
Paulista*
Pesqueira*
Petrolândia*
Petrolina*
Recife - State capital.
*
Serra Talhada*
Sertânia*
Surubim*
Triunfo*
TimbaúbaSee also:
*
List of cities in Brazil (all cities and municipalities)
*
Polytechnic School, Pernambuco University [
1]
*
Federal University of Pernambuco*
Federal Rural University of Pernambuco www.ufrpe.br
*
Pernambucan Football Federation*
Official Website*
Tourism Official Website:
Pernambuco is also the name of a tropical
tree used for
lumber and red
dye. Species
Caesalpinia echinata. It was also called
brazilwood (in
Portuguese,
pau-brasil), and gave its name to the country, rather than the other way around.
