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129-611: Chiefly known as Nordeste ("Northeast") in Brazil, this region was the first to be colonized by the Portuguese and other European peoples, playing a crucial role in the country's history . Nordeste' s dialects and rich culture, including its folklore, cuisines, music and literature, became the most easily distinguishable across the country. To this day, Nordeste is known for its history and culture, as well as for its natural environment and its hot weather. Nordeste stretches from

258-688: A nobility , which played a key social and political role during the Middle Ages . It was under the Visigoths that the Church began to play an important part within the state. As the Visigoths did not learn Latin from the local people, they had to rely on bishops to continue the Roman system of governance. The laws were made by councils of bishops, and the clergy emerged as a high-ranking class. Today's continental Portugal, along with most of modern Spain,

387-631: A transcontinental nation and not a colonial empire. Pro-Indian residents of Dadra and Nagar Haveli , separated those territories from Portuguese rule in 1954. In 1961, Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá 's annexation by the Republic of Dahomey was the start of a process that led to the dissolution of the centuries-old Portuguese Empire. Another forcible retreat occurred in 1961 when Portugal refused to relinquish Goa . The Portuguese were involved in armed conflict in Portuguese India against

516-795: A career as the Portuguese Ambassador in London, later in Vienna. King Joseph I was crowned in 1750 and made him his Minister of Foreign Affairs. As the King's confidence in Carvalho e Melo increased, he entrusted him with more control of the state. By 1755, Carvalho e Melo was made prime minister. Impressed by British economic success witnessed as Ambassador, he successfully implemented similar economic policies in Portugal. In 1761, during

645-490: A distinct capital and governor. The main cities were in the southern half of the country: Beja , Silves , Alcácer do Sal , Santarém and Lisbon . The Muslim population consisted mainly of native Iberian converts to Islam and Berbers . The Arabs (mainly noblemen from Syria ) although a minority, constituted the elite. The Berbers who joined them, were nomads from the Rif Mountains of North Africa. Invasions from

774-683: A federation contract with Emperor Honorius , many of these people settled in Hispania . An important group was made up of the Suebi and Vandals in Gallaecia , who founded a Suebi Kingdom with its capital in Braga . They came to dominate Aeminium ( Coimbra ) as well, and there were Visigoths to the south. The Suebi and the Visigoths were the Germanic tribes who had the most lasting presence in

903-541: A group of municipalities. These regions were created by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics for statistical purposes and do not, therefore, constitute an administrative area. Municipalities are analogous to counties in states of the United States; a city is the urban area of the municipality, and always has the same name as the municipality. A municipality may include cities other than

1032-600: A line west of the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa. In 1498 Vasco da Gama became the first European to reach India by sea, bringing economic prosperity to Portugal and helping to start the Portuguese Renaissance . In 1500, the Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real reached what is now Canada and founded the town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's , one of many Portuguese colonies of

1161-627: A long stretch of coast that was most accessible to Europe without, however, penetrating the interior. The colonists of the Dutch West India Company (WIC) in Brazil were under constant siege despite the presence in Recife of John Maurice of Nassau as governor. To help fight the Portuguese, the WIC sought the support of native peoples. By 1635, the majority of Tupi, mostly from Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba , had given their support to

1290-699: A period marked by a civil war between liberals and absolutists from 1828 to 1834. The monarchy was overthrown in the 1910 revolution, which led to the establishment of the Portuguese First Republic . A phase of unrest ultimately led to the rise of authoritarian regimes of the Ditadura Nacional and the Estado Novo . Democracy was finally restored following the Carnation Revolution of 1974 , and brought an end to

1419-755: A process of industrialization around Salvador, Fortaleza, and Recife, as well as a burgeoning agriculture industry around the São Francisco river . The regions of Brazil do not have their own governmental or administrative bodies, but they are well defined. Their boundaries and constituent states are part of the recognized geopolitical structure of the country. The Northeast Region is composed of nine states, with 1793 municipalities and two special municipalities, Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago; there are no unincorporated areas. Brazilian states are divided into Mesoregions, and Mesoregions into Microregions, each region representing

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1548-580: A single railway. The government of Portugal quietly accepted the ultimatum and withdrew their forces from the disputed area, leading to a widespread backlash among the Portuguese public, who viewed acceptance of the British demands as a humiliation. On 5 October 1910, a coup d'état overthrew the near 800 year-old Monarchy and the Republic was proclaimed. During World War I, Portugal helped the Allies fight

1677-417: A so-called indústria da seca (drought industry). The term, coined by Antônio Callado , describes the phenomenon wherein local politicians use droughts as a tool to increase their electoral chances, effectively "trading drought relief for votes." This misappropriation of funds often benefits the wealthy—especially private landowners—to the detriment of the rural poor. Meio-Norte is a transition area between

1806-405: A total of 17.6 million tons in 2018. Maranhão was the 7th largest producer in the country, with 681 thousand tons. Ceará was 9th, with 622 thousand tons. Bahia was 10th with 610 thousand tons. In total, the northeast produced 3,5 million tons. Regarding oranges , Bahia was the 4th largest producer in Brazil in 2018, with a total of 604 thousand tons. Sergipe was 6th, with 354 thousand tons. Alagoas

1935-756: A value of R$ 254 million. In vanadium , it produced 358 thousand tons, at a value of R$ 91 million. In the extraction of precious and semi-precious stones, Bahia has small or medium scale productions of amethyst, agate, diamond, emerald, garnet, opal, ruby, tourmaline and turquoise. There is also aquamarine production in Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Alagoas and Paraíba; grenades in Paraíba, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte; opal in Piauí and Ceará; tourmaline in Ceará and Tourmaline Paraíba in Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte. In 2017,

2064-419: A “polygon of drought.” Due to global warming , more frequent, more severe and longer droughts are estimated to hit the region over the next 90 years. Despite the increasing severity of the droughts, Brazil has become increasingly able to mitigate the negative social impacts associated with drought. While generally successful in helping those enduring drought, drought relief programs have historically resulted in

2193-473: Is carried out almost exclusively in the Northeast. The area occupied by cashew trees in Brazil in 2017 was estimated at 505,500 ha; of this total, 99.5% is located in the Northeast. The main producers in this region are Ceará (61.6% of the national area), Rio Grande do Norte and Piauí. However, Brazil, which in 2011 was the fifth largest world producer of cashew nuts, in 2016, fell to 14th position, with 1.5% of

2322-927: Is in 4th place among the 5 regions, behind the Midwest, South and Southeast. None of the states in the Northeast Region of Brazil has a percentage of GDP production above its percentage of inhabitants in the country, therefore, being in deficit – with this, the Federal Government of Brazil is obliged to redirect taxes extracted in the Southeast and South to the Northeast Region. The region is a major producer of cashew nuts , sugar cane , cocoa , cotton and tropical fruits in general (mainly coconut , papaya , melon , banana , mango , pineapple and guarana ). It also has relevant productions of soy , maize , bean , cassava and oranges . The region

2451-407: Is in second place in cocoa almond, atemoia, cupuaçu, lime and lemon, and third in banana, carambola, guava, papaya, watermelon, melon, cherry, pomegranate and table grapes. In all, 34 products from Bahia's fruit culture have an important participation in the national economy. Rio Grande do Norte is the largest producer of melon in the country. In 2017 it produced 354 thousand tons, distributed between

2580-554: Is no longer enough rainfall to support tropical rainforest, especially since the rainfall is extremely erratic from year to year. This transitional zone is known as the agreste and because it is located on the steep escarpment, was not generally used whilst flatter land was abundant. Today, with irrigation water available, however, the agreste , as its name suggest, is a major farming region. Despite containing no major city, it contains well developed medium large cities such as Caruaru , Campina Grande and Arapiraca . In Portuguese ,

2709-555: Is out of reach of the Intertropical Convergence Zone . The easterly trade winds blow across the region and bring abundant rainfall to the coast but producing clear, dry conditions inland where the escarpment blocks moisture flow. This gives rise to four distinct regions, the zona da mata on the coast, the agreste on the escarpment, sertão beyond and the Mid north. Before the arrival of Europeans, Nordeste

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2838-501: Is practically three times larger than that of Pará, but Pará's productivity is practically three times greater. Some factors that explain this are: the crops in Bahia are more extractivist, and those in Pará have a more modern and commercial style, in addition to paraenses using more productive and resistant seeds, and their region providing resistance to Witch's broom . In 2018, the Northeast

2967-622: Is subject to prolonged dry spells that are worse in El Niño years. This causes a periodic rural exodus . Government responses include dams and the transfer of the São Francisco River . The worst recent droughts were in 1993, 1998 and 1999. The latter was the worst in fifty years. In 2017, the Northeast Region was the largest producer of coconut in the country, with 74.0% of national production. Bahia produced 351 million fruits, Sergipe, 234 million, and Ceará 187 million. However,

3096-692: Is unclear. The mainstream explanation is an ethnonym derived from the Callaeci, also known as the Gallaeci peoples, who occupied the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula . One theory proposes Cale is a derivation of the Celtic word for 'port'. Another is that Cala was a Celtic goddess. Some French scholars believe it may have come from Portus Gallus , the port of the Gauls. Around 200 BC,

3225-880: The Age of Discovery under the sponsorship of Prince Henry the Navigator . Portugal explored the Atlantic, encountering the Azores , Madeira , and Portuguese Cape Verde , which led to the first colonization movements. The Portuguese explored the Indian Ocean , established trade routes in most of southern Asia, and sent the first direct European maritime trade and diplomatic missions to China ( Jorge Álvares ) and Japan ( Nanban trade ). In 1415, Portugal acquired its first colonies by conquering Ceuta , in North Africa. Throughout

3354-675: The Atlantic seaboard in the northeast and southeast, northwest and west to the Amazon Basin and south through the Espinhaço highlands in southern Bahia . It encloses the São Francisco River and drainage basin , which were instrumental in the exploration, settlement and economic development of the region. The region lies entirely within the earth's tropical zone and encompasses Caatinga , Atlantic Forest and part of

3483-452: The Battle of São Mamede , in the outskirts of Guimarães , in 1128, Afonso Henriques , Count of Portugal, defeated his mother Countess Teresa and her lover Fernão Peres de Trava , establishing himself as sole leader of the county . Afonso continued his father Henry of Burgundy's Reconquista wars. His campaigns were successful and in 1139, he obtained a victory in the Battle of Ourique , so

3612-485: The British government delivered an ultimatum to Portugal, demanding the withdrawal of Portuguese forces from the area between Portugal's colonies of Mozambique and Angola . The area had been claimed by Portugal as part of its colonialist Pink Map project, but Britain disputed these claims, mostly due to Cecil Rhodes ' aspirations to create a Cape to Cairo Railway , which was intended to link all British colonies via

3741-508: The Cave of Aroeira in 2014. Later Neanderthals roamed the northern Iberian peninsula and a tooth has been found at Nova da Columbeira cave in Estremadura . Homo sapiens sapiens arrived in Portugal around 35,000 years ago and spread rapidly. Pre-Celtic tribes inhabited Portugal. The Cynetes developed a written language, leaving stelae , which are mainly found in the south. Early in

3870-846: The Central Powers ; however the war hurt its weak economy. Political instability and economic weaknesses were fertile ground for chaos and unrest during the First Portuguese Republic . These conditions led to the failed Monarchy of the North , 28 May 1926 coup d'état , and creation of the National Dictatorship ( Ditadura Nacional ). This in turn led to the right-wing dictatorship of the Estado Novo (New State), under António de Oliveira Salazar in 1933. Portugal remained neutral in World War II . From

3999-651: The Cerrado ecoregions . The climate is hot and semi-arid , varying from xeric in Caatinga, to mesic in Cerrado and hydric in the Atlantic Forest. The Northeast Region represents 18% of Brazilian territory, has a population of 57 million people, 28% of the total population of the country, and contributes 14.2% (2020) of Brazil's GDP. Nearly three quarters of the population live in urban areas clustered along

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4128-473: The Companhia Geral de Pernambuco e Paraíba - whose main activity was the trafficking of slaves, mostly Africans, to Brazilian lands. He reorganized the army and navy and ended legal discrimination against different Christian sects. He created companies and guilds to regulate commercial activity and one of the first appellation systems by demarcating the region for production of Port to ensure

4257-660: The Continental System of embargo against the United Kingdom; a French invasion under General Junot followed, and Lisbon was captured in 1807. British intervention in the Peninsular War helped maintain Portuguese independence; the last French troops were expelled in 1812. Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was the Portuguese capital between 1808 and 1821. In 1820, constitutionalist insurrections took place at Porto and Lisbon. Lisbon regained its status as

4386-689: The European Union  (green) Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country in the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe . Featuring the westernmost point in continental Europe , to its north and east is Spain, with which it shares the longest uninterrupted border in the European Union ; to the south and the west is the North Atlantic Ocean ; and to the west and southwest lie

4515-740: The Indian Armed Forces . The operations resulted in the defeat and loss of the remaining Portuguese territories in the Indian subcontinent . The Portuguese regime refused to recognize Indian sovereignty over the annexed territories, which continued to be represented in the National Assembly until the coup of 1974. Also in the early 1960s the independence movements in the Portuguese provinces of Portuguese Angola , Portuguese Mozambique , and Portuguese Guinea in Africa, resulted in

4644-459: The Jesuits were suppressed and expelled . This crushed opposition by publicly demonstrating even the aristocracy was powerless before Pombal. Further titled "Marquês de Pombal" in 1770, he ruled Portugal until Joseph I's death in 1777. The new ruler, Queen Maria I of Portugal , disliked Pombal because of his excesses, and upon her accession to the throne, withdrew all his political offices. Pombal

4773-557: The Macaronesian archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , which are two autonomous regions of Portugal . Lisbon is the capital and largest city , followed by Porto , which is the only other metropolitan area . The western part of the Iberian Peninsula has been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times , with the earliest signs of settlement dating to 5500 BCE . Celtic and Iberian peoples arrived in

4902-628: The Moluccas . Although it was believed the Dutch were the first Europeans to arrive in Australia, there is evidence the Portuguese may have discovered it in 1521. Between 1519 and 1522 Ferdinand Magellan organized a Spanish expedition to the East Indies which resulted in the first circumnavigation of the globe. The Treaty of Zaragoza , signed in 1529 between Portugal and Spain, divided

5031-546: The Portuguese Colonial War (lasting from 1961 till 1974). The war mobilized around 1.4 million men for military or for civilian support service, and led to large casualties. Throughout the colonial war period Portugal dealt with increasing dissent, arms embargoes and other punitive sanctions imposed by the international community. The authoritarian and conservative Estado Novo regime, first governed by Salazar and from 1968 by Marcelo Caetano , tried to preserve

5160-543: The Portuguese Restoration War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake , which destroyed the city and damaged the empire's economy. The Napoleonic Wars motivated the Portuguese royal family to relocate to Brazil in 1807. This event reshaped the relationship between Portugal and Brazil, culminating in Brazilian independence in 1822 . Following the liberation during the Peninsular War , Portugal endured

5289-420: The Romans took Iberia from the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War . In the process they conquered Cale, renaming it Portus Cale ('Port of Cale') and incorporating it into the province of Gallaecia . During the Middle Ages , the region around Portus Cale became known by the Suebi and Visigoths as Portucale . The name Portucale changed into Portugale during the 7th and 8th centuries, and by

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5418-416: The Schengen Area , and the Council of Europe , as well as a founding members of NATO , the eurozone , the OECD , and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries . The word Portugal derives from the combined Roman - Celtic place name Portus Cale (present-day's conurbation of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia ). Porto stems from the Latin for port , portus ; Cale ' s meaning and origin

5547-406: The Sertão consists mainly of low uplands that form part of the Brazilian Highlands . Most parts of the sertão are between 200 and 500 meters above sea level, with higher elevations found on the eastern edge in the Planalto da Borborema , where it merges into a sub-humid region known as agreste , in the Serra da Ibiapaba in western Ceará and in the Serro do Periquito of central Pernambuco . In

5676-401: The South Atlantic and Indian Ocean coasts. Portuguese explorers and merchants were instrumental in establishing trading posts and colonies that enabled control over spices and slave trades. While Portugal expanded its influence globally, its political and military power faced internal and external challenges towards the end of the 16th century. The dynastic crisis marked the beginning of

5805-399: The automotive sector represents close to 22% of industrial GDP. Bahia had a Ford factory. It was created in Camaçari (2001). The Bahian automotive sector, led by Ford was in 2005 the third largest contributor (14.6%) to the Bahian GDP . Currently the state is trying to replace Ford, which stopped producing in Brazil. The state also has a petrochemical complex in Camaçari. In Pernambuco,

5934-402: The "absolutist" faction of landowners and the church to proclaim Miguel king in February 1828. This led to the Liberal Wars , also known as the War of the Two Brothers or the Portuguese Civil War , in which Pedro forced Miguel to abdicate and go into exile in 1834 and place his daughter on the throne as Queen Maria II of Portugal . After 1815 the Portuguese expanded their trading ports along

6063-442: The 15th century, Portuguese explorers sailed the coast of Africa, establishing trading posts for commodities , ranging from gold to slavery . Portugal sailed the Portuguese India Armadas to Goa via the Cape of Good Hope . The Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 was intended to resolve a dispute created following the return of Christopher Columbus and divided the newly located lands outside Europe between Portugal and Spain along

6192-421: The 1940s to 1960s, Portugal was a founding member of NATO , OECD , the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and joined the United Nations in 1955. New economic development projects and relocation of mainland Portuguese citizens into the overseas provinces in Africa were initiated, with Angola and Mozambique being the main targets of those initiatives. These actions were used to affirm Portugal's status as

6321-459: The 9th century, it was used to refer to the region between the rivers Douro and Minho . By the 11th and 12th centuries, Portugale , Portugallia , Portvgallo or Portvgalliae was already referred to as Portugal . The region has been inhabited by humans since circa 400,000 years ago, when Homo heidelbergensis entered the area. The oldest human fossil found in Portugal is the 400,000-year-old Aroeira 3 H. Heidelbergensis skull discovered in

6450-440: The African coast, moving inland to take control of Angola and Mozambique. The slave trade was abolished in 1836. In Portuguese India , trade flourished in the colony of Goa , with its subsidiary colonies of Macau , near Hong Kong, and Timor , north of Australia. The Portuguese successfully introduced Catholicism and the Portuguese language into their colonies, while most settlers continued to head to Brazil. On 11 January 1890,

6579-440: The Americas . In 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral landed on Brazil and claimed it for Portugal. Ten years later, Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa in India, Muscat and Ormuz in the Persian Strait , and Malacca , now in Malaysia. Thus, the Portuguese empire held dominion over commerce in the Indian Ocean and South Atlantic. Portuguese sailors set out to reach Eastern Asia, landing in Taiwan , Japan, Timor , Flores , and

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6708-424: The Atlantic coast and about 15 million people live in the hinterland. It is an impoverished region: 43.5% of the population lives in poverty, defined as less than $ 2/day. The capital of each state including the states of Salvador , Recife , Fortaleza and São Luís is its largest city; those four capitals are coastal cities with a population of more than one million. Nordeste has nine international airports, and

6837-419: The Borborema. The Borborema Plateau is part of a huge anastomosing shear zone . The plateau is composed primarily of igneous and metamorphic rock. This Paraíba , Brazil location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Pernambuco , Brazil location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Rio Grande do Norte , Brazil location article

6966-422: The Christian kingdoms of the north. Most of present-day Portugal fell into the hands of the Taifa of Badajoz of the Aftasid Dynasty , and in 1022 the Taifa of Seville of the Abbadids poets. The Taifa period ended with the conquest of the Almoravids in 1086, then by the Almohads in 1147. Al-Andaluz was divided into districts called Kura . Gharb Al-Andalus at its largest consisted of ten kuras, each with

7095-413: The Dutch, as they viewed the Portuguese as more brutal and believed that they would be better off if the Dutch remained in Brazil. The military aid provided by the Tupi population proved to be useful in 1645, when Portuguese colonists who had remained in Dutch-controlled territory began to revolt. Tupi mediators such as Poty and Paraupaba were instrumental in maintaining strong Dutch-Tupi relations during

7224-411: The Far East, resulting in the loss of Portugal's Indian sea trade monopoly. In 1640 John IV of Portugal spearheaded an uprising backed by disgruntled nobles and was proclaimed king. The Portuguese Restoration War ended the 60-year period of the Iberian Union under the House of Habsburg . This was the beginning of the House of Braganza , which reigned until 1910. John V saw a reign characterized by

7353-427: The Moors. In 1249, the Reconquista ended with the capture of the Algarve and expulsion of the last Moorish settlements. With minor readjustments, Portugal's territorial borders have remained the same, making it one of the oldest established nations in Europe. After a conflict with the kingdom of Castile , Denis of Portugal signed the Treaty of Alcañices in 1297 with Ferdinand IV of Castile. This treaty established

7482-416: The North also occurred in this period, with Viking incursions raiding the coast between the 9th and 11th centuries, including Lisbon. This resulted in the establishment of small Norse settlements in the coastline between Douro and Minho . The Reconquista was a period when Christians reconquered the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish domination. An Asturian Visigothic noble named Pelagius of Asturias

7611-603: The Northeast Region had close to 13% of the country's industrial GDP. Bahia has 4.4% of the national industrial GDP, Pernambuco 2.7%, Ceará 1.9%, Maranhão 1.1%, Rio Grande do Norte 0.9%, Paraíba 0.7%, Sergipe 0.6%, Alagoas 0.5% and Piauí 0.4%,. It is the least industrialized region of the country, in proportion per inhabitant. The states that have some relevant industrial level are Bahia, Pernambuco and Ceará. Bahian industry have automobile and tyre industries, footwear and textiles, furniture, food and beverages, cosmetics and perfumes, information technology and naval sectors. In Brazil,

7740-408: The Northeast produced close to 10.7 million tons, or 9% of the Brazilian total. The largest producers in the Northeast were Bahia (5.3 million tons), Maranhão (3 million tons) and Piauí (2.4 million tons). In the production of maize , in 2018 Brazil was the 3rd largest producer in the world, with 82 million tons. The Northeast produced about 8.4% of the country's total. Bahia was the largest producer in

7869-472: The Northeast, with 2.2 million tons. Piauí was the 2nd largest producer in the Northeast, with 1.5 million tons, and Maranhão was the 3rd largest, with 1.3 million tons. In 2018, the South Region was the main producer of beans with 26.4% of the total, followed by the Midwest (25.4%), Southeast Region (25.1%), Northeast (20.6%) and North (2.5%). The largest producers in the Northeast were Ceará, Bahia, Piauí and Pernambuco. In cassava production, Brazil produced

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7998-403: The Pacific Ocean between Spain and Portugal. Portugal voluntarily entered a dynastic union (1580–1640) because the last two kings of the House of Aviz died without heirs, resulting in the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580 . Philip II of Spain claimed the throne and was accepted as Philip I of Portugal. Portugal did not lose its formal independence, forming a union of kingdoms. But

8127-412: The Portuguese Colonial War, allowing the last of Portugal’s African territories to achieve independence. Portugal's imperial history has left a cultural legacy , with around 300 million Portuguese speakers around the world. Today, it is a developed country with an advanced economy relying chiefly upon services, industry, and tourism. Portugal is a member of the United Nations , the European Union,

8256-409: The Portuguese colonials for several decades, it was finally taken and destroyed and its leader Zumbi dos Palmares was captured and beheaded. His head was then displayed in a public plaza in Recife. Although the king of Portugal had abolished the enslavement of native peoples in 1570, it continued until the Marquis of Pombal declared them to be 'free men' in 1755. However, by that time the practice

8385-519: The Roman conquest. In southern Portugal, some small, semi-permanent commercial coastal settlements were also founded by Phoenician-Carthaginians. Romans first invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 219 BC. The Carthaginians, Rome's adversary in the Punic Wars , were expelled from their coastal colonies. During Julius Caesar 's rule, almost the entire peninsula was annexed to Rome. The conquest took two hundred years and many died, including those sentenced to work in slave mines or sold as slaves to other parts of

8514-506: The Treaty of Tordesillas, plundered Nordeste' s coast, sacked Bahia in 1604, and even temporarily captured Salvador , which had been Brazil's first capital and general seat of government since 1549. However, the Portuguese soon regained control of Salvador, and the Dutch were unable to recapture it, despite repeated attempts. In 1630, the Dutch captured Pernambuco and made Recife ( Dutch : Mauritsstad ) their capital. By 1640, they had set up more permanently in Nordeste and controlled

8643-429: The border between the kingdoms of Portugal and Leon. The reigns of Denis, Afonso IV , and Peter I mostly saw peace with the other kingdoms of Iberia. In 1348-49 Portugal, as with the rest of Europe, was devastated by the Black Death . In 1373, Portugal made an alliance with England , the oldest standing alliance in the world. In 1383 John I of Castile , Beatrice of Portugal , and Ferdinand I of Portugal claimed

8772-531: The capital of Portugal when Brazil declared its independence in 1822. The death of King John VI in 1826 led to a crisis of royal succession. His eldest son, Pedro I of Brazil , briefly became Pedro IV of Portugal , but neither the Portuguese nor Brazilians wanted a unified monarchy; consequently, Pedro abdicated the Portuguese crown in favor of his 7-year-old daughter, Maria da Glória , on the condition that when she came of age she would marry his brother, Miguel . Dissatisfaction at Pedro's constitutional reforms led

8901-415: The center of the African slave trade in Brazil, the center of the sugar industry in Brazil, and Brazil's main seaport. During the Old Republic, the interior of the Northeast was under the dominion of local oligarchs called coronéis , who enforced their power through violence and fear. Two notable examples of responses to this oppression were the messianic community of Canudos, in the interior of Bahia, which

9030-411: The cities of Mossoró, Tibau and Apodi. The Northeast region accounted for 95.8% of the country's production in 2007. In addition to Rio Grande do Norte, which in 2005 produced 45.4% of the country's total, the other 3 largest in the country were Ceará, Bahia and Pernambuco. In the production of papaya , in 2018 Bahia was the 2nd largest producer state in Brazil, almost equaling with Espírito Santo. Ceará

9159-405: The cities of the northeastern countryside. These fairs gave rise to cities like Campina Grande, Feira de Santana and Caruaru. The Northeast region housed 93.2% of the goat herd (8,944,461 heads) and 64.2% of the sheep herd (11,544,939 heads) in Brazil in 2017. Bahia concentrated 30.9% of the goat herd and 20.9% of the national sheep herd. Casa Nova (BA) took first place in the municipal ranking with

9288-469: The country's political decline that led to the Iberian Union (1580-1640), a period in which Portugal was united under Spanish rule. While maintaining a degree of self-governance, the union strained Portugal’s autonomy and drew it into conflicts with European powers which targeted Portuguese territories and trade routes. Portugal's prior opulence was further exacerbated by a series of events, such as

9417-538: The country, namely the extraction and export of pau Brasil, or brazilwood . Indigenous peoples helped Europeans with the extraction of brazilwood in exchange for spices. They also engaged in an exchange of goods ( Portuguese : escambo ), trading things like animal skins for knives and other valuables. Brazilwood was highly valued in Europe where it was used to make violin bows (especially the Pau de Pernambuco variety) and for

9546-729: The decline of the indigenous population, which intensified as colonization, commercial interest, and disease escalated in the region. After resistance from indigenous peoples and opposition to their enslavement from the Jesuits , the Portuguese colonials began importing black African slaves in 1530, largely to Bahia. In 1552, the seat of the first Catholic bishop of Brazil was established in Nordeste. French colonists not only tried to settle in present-day Rio de Janeiro , from 1555 to 1567 (the so-called France Antarctique episode), but also in present-day São Luís , from 1612 to 1614 (the so-called France Equinoxiale ). The Dutch , also opposed to

9675-460: The earthquake, Joseph I gave his prime minister more power, and Carvalho de Melo became an enlightened despot . In 1758 Joseph I was wounded in an attempted assassination. The Marquis of Távora , several members of his family and even servants were tortured and executed in public with extreme brutality (even by the standards of the time), as alleged part of the Távora affair . The following year,

9804-680: The empire. Planalto da Borborema The Borborema Plateau ( Portuguese Planalto da Borborema , also known as the Serra da Borborema ) is a plateau in northeastern Brazil which extends across the states of Pernambuco , Paraíba , and Rio Grande do Norte . The plateau is the northeasternmost portion of the Brazilian Highlands and is the most relevant watershed of its region. It ranges approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi) from north to south and 200 kilometres (120 mi) from east to west. More than 100 rivers originate from

9933-408: The empire. Roman occupation suffered a setback in 155 BC, when a rebellion began in the north. The Lusitanians and other native tribes, under the leadership of Viriathus , wrested control of all of western Iberia. Rome sent legions to quell the rebellion but were unsuccessful. Roman leaders bribed Viriathus's allies to kill him in 139 BC; he was replaced by Tautalus . In 27 BC, Lusitania gained

10062-473: The fact that the soil in Bahia is more favorable, in addition to the absence of diseases in the region. The most famous users of the product, however, acquire 90% to 100% of their guarana from the Amazon region, such as AMBEV and Coca-Cola . Bahian guarana prices are well below those of other states, but Sudam's tax exemptions lead the beverage industry to prefer to purchase seeds in the North, which helps maintain

10191-603: The first cities he founded is Vimaranes, known today as Guimarães – "birthplace of the Portuguese nation" or the "cradle city". After annexing the County of Portugal into one of the counties that made up the Kingdom of Asturias , King Alfonso III of Asturias knighted Vímara Peres, in 868, as the First Count of Portus Cale (Portugal). The region became known as Portucale , Portugale , and simultaneously Portugália . With

10320-408: The first millennium BC, several waves of Celts invaded Portugal from Central Europe and intermarried with the local populations to form several different ethnic groups. The Celtic presence is patent in archaeological and linguistic evidence. They dominated most of northern and central Portugal, while the south maintained its older character (believed non-Indo-European, likely related to Basque ) until

10449-548: The first millennium BCE , with Phoenician and later Punic influence reaching the south during the same period. The region came under Roman control in the second century BCE, followed by a succession of Germanic peoples and the Alans from the fifth to eighth centuries CE. Muslims conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century CE, but were gradually expelled by the Christian Reconquista over

10578-458: The forced abdication of Alfonso III in 910, the Kingdom of Asturias split into three separate kingdoms; they were reunited in 924 under the crown of León . In 1093 Alfonso VI of León bestowed the county to Henry of Burgundy and married him to his daughter, Teresa of León . Henry thus became Henry, Count of Portugal and based his newly formed county from Bracara Augusta (modern Braga ). At

10707-598: The giant cashew trees, which are the majority in the Region, are exploited in an almost extractive manner, with low use of technology. In the production of cocoa , for a long time, Bahia led the Brazilian production. Today, it is disputing the leadership of national production with the state of Pará. In 2017 Pará obtained the leadership for the first time. In 2019, people from Pará harvested 135 thousand tons of cocoa, and Bahians harvested 130 thousand tons. Bahia's cocoa area

10836-567: The high rainfalls region of Amazon rainforest and the semi arid region of Sertão (hot and drought) covering the state of Maranhão and half of Piauí . The Northeast region comprises the drainage basins of the São Francisco , Canindé , and Parnaíba Rivers . Geographically, Nordeste consists chiefly of an eroded continental craton with many low hills and small ranges. The highest peaks are around 1,850 metres (6,070 ft) in Bahia, while further north there are no peaks above 1,123 metres (3,684 ft). On its northern and western side,

10965-399: The highest added value of Amazonian guarana. The pharmaceutical industries and importers, on the other hand, buy more guarana from Bahia, due to the price. In 2017, the Northeast had 12.9% of the Brazilian cattle herd. In the sertão, producers often suffer losses due to constant droughts. There are also goat breeds, which are more resistant, pigs, sheep and birds. Livestock fairs are common in

11094-503: The influx of gold into the royal treasury, supplied largely by the royal fifth (tax on precious metals) from the Portuguese colonies of Brazil and Maranhão . Most estimates place the number of Portuguese migrants to Colonial Brazil during the gold rush of the 18th century at 600,000. This represented one of the largest movements of European populations to their colonies, during colonial times. In 1738 Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo , later ennobled as 1st Marquis of Pombal , began

11223-435: The installed capacity for processing cashew nuts in the Northeast, however, the Region only managed to produce around a quarter of that quantity. Among the main world producers, Brazil has the lowest productivity. Several factors are pointed out as the cause of the low productivity and the fall in the Brazilian production of cashew nuts. One reason is that most orchards are in a phase of natural decline in production. In addition,

11352-694: The joining of the two crowns deprived Portugal of an independent foreign policy, and led to its involvement in the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Netherlands. War led to a deterioration of relations with Portugal's oldest ally, England , and the loss of Hormuz , a strategic trading post located between Iran and Oman . From 1595 to 1663 the Dutch-Portuguese War primarily involved Dutch companies invading Portuguese colonies and commercial interests in Brazil, Africa, India and

11481-403: The largest numbers of both species. Regarding pork, Brazil had almost 42 million hogs in 2017. The Northeast had 13% of the total (5.4 million). In poultry farming, Brazil had a total of 1.4 billion chickens in 2017. The Northeast had 11.6% of the total (164 million). In milk production, Brazil produced 33.5 billion liters in 2017. The Northeast produced 11.6% of the total (3.9 billion liters). In

11610-647: The local inhabitants. St. Martin of Braga was a particularly influential evangelist. In 429, the Visigoths moved south to expel the Alans and Vandals and founded a kingdom with its capital in Toledo . From 470, conflict between the Suebi and Visigoths increased. In 585, the Visigothic King Liuvigild conquered Braga and annexed Gallaecia; the Iberian Peninsula was unified under a Visigothic Kingdom . A new class emerged, unknown in Roman times:

11739-745: The naval, automobile, chemical, metallurgical, flat glass, electro-electronic, non-metallic minerals, textile and food industries stand out. Currently, the Suape Industrial and Port Complex, located in the area of the homonymous port, Metropolitan Region of Recife, is the main industrial pole of Pernambuco. The state capital is home to Porto Digital, a technology park with more than 200 companies, including multinationals such as Accenture, Oracle, ThoughtWorks, Ogilvy, IBM and Microsoft, accounting for 3.9% of Pernambuco's GDP. Portugal – in Europe  (green & dark grey) – in

11868-532: The next several centuries. Modern Portugal began taking shape during this period, initially as a county of the Christian Kingdom of León in 868, and ultimately as an independent Kingdom with the Treaty of Zamora in 1143. During the Age of Discovery , the Kingdom of Portugal established itself as a major economic and political power, largely through its maritime empire, which extended mostly along

11997-486: The north, the Sertão extends to the northern coastal plains of Rio Grande do Norte state, whilst in the south it fades out in the northern fringe of Minas Gerais . Because the Sertão lies close to the equator, temperatures remain nearly uniform throughout the year and are typically tropical, often extremely hot in the west. However, the sertão is distinctive in its low rainfall compared to other areas of Brazil. Because of

12126-592: The one which gives it its name. The largest state of the Northeast region in terms of area, population and economic output is Bahia; its capital Salvador is the largest city of Nordeste . In 2016, the Northeast was in 3rd place among the 5 regions of Brazil, in terms of total wealth. The Southeast comes in 1st with 53.1% of GDP, the South in 2nd with 17%, Northeast in 3rd with 14.4% and the Center-West in 4th with 10.2%. In GDP per capita (that is, GDP per inhabitant), it

12255-547: The plateau, including the Moxotó , Mundaú , Pajeú , Paraíba do Norte , Seridó , and Una . The Borborema Plateau serves as an orographic barrier, despite its relatively low elevation, against the moist easterly winds of the Atlantic Ocean . Areas west of the plateau, which make up part of the sertão , are arid and prone to drought. The Pajeú River , the largest tributary of the São Francisco River , originates from

12384-594: The plateaus fall steadily to the coast and into the basin of the Tocantins River in Maranhão, but on the eastern side it falls off quite sharply to the coast except in the valley of the São Francisco river. The steep slopes and long cliffs of the eastern coastline are known as " The Great Escarpment ". The escarpment serves an extremely important climatic function because for most of the year, Nordeste

12513-515: The population in 1775 to 27.5% in 1855. Between 1877 and 1879, a large part of the sertão was hit by the most severe drought in Brazilian history, known as the Great Drought , with Ceará being the hardest hit region. As a result, thousands of Nordestinos migrated to other parts of Brazil, especially to the Amazon , and about 200,000 people died. Before the rise of Sudeste , Nordeste was

12642-421: The production of eggs, Brazil produced 4.2 billion dozens in 2017. The Northeast produced 16.1% (683 million dozens). The Northeast was the 2nd largest honey producer in the country in 2017, losing to the South region. The total produced in the country was 41.6 thousand tons. The Northeast produced 30.7% (12.7 thousand tons). In 2017, the Northeast was the largest shrimp producer in the country. National production

12771-705: The red dye it produced. Countries like France , which disagreed with the Treaty of Tordesillas (a papal bull decreed by the Spanish-born Pope Alexander VI in 1493 which sought to divide South America between the Spanish and the Portuguese), launched many attacks on the coast to steal the wood. Soon after their arrival, Portuguese settlers began to displace native peoples and enslave them as field laborers, leading to conflicts in which many natives died. These conflicts were one contributor to

12900-503: The region has the second largest number of passengers (roughly 20%) in Brazil. The Zona da Mata comprises the rainforest zones of Nordeste (part of the Atlantic Forest or Mata Atlântica ) in the humid eastern coast, where the region's largest capital cities are also located. The forest area was much larger before suffering from centuries of deforestation and exploration. For many years, sugar cane cultivation in this region

13029-552: The reign of King José I, he banned the import of black slaves into mainland Portugal and India, not for humanitarian reasons, but because they were a necessary work force in Brazil. At the same time, he encouraged the trade of black slaves ("the pieces", in the terms of that time) to that colony, and with the support and direct involvement of the Marquis of Pombal, two companies were founded - the Companhia do Grão-Pará e Maranhão and

13158-517: The relatively cool temperatures in the South Atlantic Ocean , the Intertropical Convergence Zone remains north of the region for most of the year. Consequently, conditions are very dry for most of the year. Although annual rainfall averages between 500 and 800 millimeters over most of the sertão and 1300 millimeters on the northern coast of Fortaleza , it is confined to a short rainy season. This season extends from January to April in

13287-473: The sector has been suffering strong competition and losing market to Indonesia, the Philippines and India, the world's largest producers, who even export coconut water to Brazil. In addition to climatic problems, the low productivity of coconut palms in the Northeast Region is the result of factors related to the variety of coconut harvested and the technological level used in coastal regions. In these areas,

13416-495: The semi-extractive cultivation system still prevails, with low fertility and without the adoption of cultural management practices. The three states that have the largest production, Bahia, Sergipe and Ceará, present a yield three times lower than that of Pernambuco, which is in 5th place in the national production. This is because most of the coconut trees in these three states are located in coastal areas and cultivated in semi-extractivist systems. The production of cashew in Brazil

13545-539: The status of Roman province . Later, a northern province was separated from the province of Tarraconensis , under Emperor Diocletian 's reforms, known as Gallaecia . There are still ruins of castros ( hill forts ) and remains of the Castro culture , like Conímbriga , Mirobriga and Briteiros . In 409, with the decline of the Roman Empire , the Iberian Peninsula was occupied by Germanic tribes . In 411, with

13674-442: The struggle against the Portuguese. At the end of 1653, the Portuguese succeeded in capturing Recife, effectively ending Dutch Brazil and culminating in their surrender in 1654. Slave resistance began during the colonial era, in the 17th century, and eventually led to the formation of quilombos , or settlements of runaway and free-born African slaves. The Quilombo dos Palmares , the largest and most well-known of these settlements,

13803-669: The territories corresponding to modern Portugal. As elsewhere in Western Europe, there was a sharp decline in urban life during the Dark Ages . Roman institutions disappeared in the wake of the Germanic invasions with the exception of ecclesiastical organizations, which were fostered by the Suebi in the fifth century and adopted by the Visigoths afterwards. Although the Suebi and Visigoths were initially followers of Arianism and Priscillianism , they adopted Catholicism from

13932-520: The throne of Portugal. John of Aviz, later John I of Portugal , defeated the Castilians in the Battle of Aljubarrota , and the House of Aviz became the ruling house. The new ruling dynasty led Portugal to the limelight of European politics and culture. They created and sponsored literature, such as a history of Portugal, by Fernão Lopes . Portugal spearheaded European exploration of the world and

14061-410: The total in the region (10.3 million tons). Paraíba has 11.9% of northeastern production (5.5 million tons) and Bahia, 10.24% of production (4.7 million tons). Bahia is the 2nd largest producer of cotton in Brazil, losing only to Mato Grosso. In 2019, it harvested 1.5 million tonnes of the product. In soy , Brazil produced close to 120 million tons in 2019, being the largest world producer. In 2019,

14190-399: The total volume of nuts produced in the world. Vietnam, Nigeria, India and Côte d'Ivoire were the world's largest cashew nut producers in 2016, with 70.6% of global production. In recent years, there has been increased competition with some African countries, where government programs have driven the expansion of culture and processing capacity. It is estimated that at 295 thousand tons per year

14319-575: The vast Umayyad Caliphate's empire of Damascus , until its collapse in 750. That year the west of the empire gained its independence under Abd-ar-Rahman I with the establishment of the Emirate of Córdoba . The Emirate became the Caliphate of Córdoba in 929, until its dissolution in 1031, into 23 small kingdoms, called Taifa kingdoms. The governors of the taifas proclaimed themselves Emir of their provinces and established diplomatic relations with

14448-586: The war of Christian reconquest. At the end of the 9th century, the region of Portugal between the rivers Minho and Douro, was reconquered from the Moors by nobleman and knight Vímara Peres on the orders of King Alfonso III of Asturias . Finding many towns deserted, he decided to repopulate and rebuild them. Vímara Peres elevated the region to the status of County , naming it the County of Portugal after its major port city – Portus Cale or modern Porto . One of

14577-401: The west, but in the eastern Sertão it generally occurs from March to June. However, rainfall is extremely erratic and in some years the rains are minimal, leading to catastrophic drought . The duration of droughts has increased over the last 36 years, with the 2012–2016 drought being the longest drought in the region's history. Because of this vulnerability to the climate, Sertão is also known as

14706-437: The wine's quality. This was the first attempt to control wine quality and production in Europe. He imposed strict law upon all classes of Portuguese society, along with a widespread review of the tax system. These reforms gained him enemies in the upper classes. Lisbon was struck by a major earthquake on November 1st 1755 , magnitude estimated to have been between 7.7–9.0, with casualties ranging from 12,000 to 50,000. Following

14835-476: The word sertão ( Portuguese pronunciation: [seʁˈtɐ̃w] , meaning " backcountry " or " outback ") first referred to the vast hinterlands of Asia and South America that Lusitanian explorers encountered. In Brazil, the geographical term referred to backlands away from the Atlantic coastal regions where the Portuguese first settled in South America in the early sixteenth century. Geographically,

14964-470: Was 41 thousand tons. Rio Grande do Norte (37.7%) and Ceará (28.9%) were the largest producers. Aracati-CE was the municipality with the highest participation . In Northeast Region, Bahia stands out, with 1.68% of the national mineral participation (4th place in the country). In 2017, at gold , it produced 6.2 tons, at a value of R$ 730 million. At copper , it produced 56 thousand tons, at a value of R$ 404 million. At chrome , it produced 520 thousand tons, at

15093-435: Was 7th with 166 thousand tons. Bahia is the second largest fruit producer in the country, with more than 3.3 million tons a year, behind São Paulo. The north of Bahia is one of the main fruit suppliers in the country. The State is one of the main national producers of ten types of fruit. In 2017, Bahia led the production of cajarana, coconut, count fruit or pinecone, soursop, umbu, jackfruit, licuri, mango and passion fruit, and

15222-646: Was already rare. Salvador remained the colonial capital until 1763 when it was succeeded by Rio de Janeiro , the new economic power center of that era. In 1850, the Eusébio de Queirós Law was passed, abolishing the international slave trade in Brazil. Following the ban, some slaves from Nordeste were sold to the Southeast region of Brazil ( Portuguese : Sudeste ), primarily to the state of Rio de Janeiro . The percentage of slaves in Salvador dropped from 41.6% of

15351-441: Was banished to his estate at Pombal , where he died in 1782. Historians argue that Pombal's "enlightenment," while far-reaching, was primarily a mechanism for enhancing autocracy at the expense of individual liberty and especially an apparatus for crushing opposition, suppressing criticism, and furthering colonial exploitation and consolidating personal control, and profit. In 1807 Portugal refused Napoleon 's demand to accede to

15480-732: Was destroyed in the War of Canudos (1896–1897), and the Cangaceiros in the 1930s. During the administration of Juscelino Kubitschek (1956–61), the Superintendency for the Development of the Northeast , or Sudene , was created with the goal of promoting the development of the Northeast region. In the following decades, under the Populist Republic and the military dictatorship , the investments made by Sudene catalyzed

15609-586: Was elected leader in 718 by many of the ousted Visigoth nobles. Pelagius called for the remnants of the Christian Visigothic armies to rebel against the Moors and regroup in the unconquered northern Asturian highlands, known today as the Cantabrian Mountains , in north-west Spain. After defeating the Moors in the Battle of Covadonga in 722, Pelagius was proclaimed king, thus founding the Christian Kingdom of Asturias and starting

15738-468: Was founded around 1600 in the Serra da Barriga hills, in the present state of Alagoas . Palmares, at the height of its power, was an independent, self-sustaining republic, hosting a population of over 30,000 free African men, women and children. There were over 200 buildings in the community, a church, four smithies, and a council house. Although Palmares managed to defend itself from the Dutch military and

15867-401: Was in 3rd place among the regions that most produce sugar cane in the country. Brazil is the world's largest producer, with 672.8 million tons harvested this year. The Northeast harvested 45.7 million tons, 6.8% of national production. Alagoas is the largest producer, with 33.3% of Northeastern production (15.2 million tons). Pernambuco is the 2nd largest producer in the Northeast, with 22.7% of

15996-490: Was in 3rd place and Rio Grande do Norte in 4th place. Bahia was the largest producer of mango in the country in 2019, with production of around 281 thousand tons per year. Juazeiro (130 thousand tons per year) and Casa Nova (54 thousand tons per year) are at the top of the list of Brazilian cities that lead the cultivation of fruit. In the production of banana , in 2018 Bahia was the 2nd largest national producer. Pernambuco came in 5th place. Regarding pineapple , in 2018 Paraíba

16125-472: Was inhabited by indigenous peoples, mostly speaking languages of the Tupi–Guarani family. In the Sertão region, Tapuia tribes could also be found. It was the first area of Brazil to be colonized when roughly 1,500 Portuguese arrived on April 22, 1500, under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral at Porto Seguro , in what is now the state of Bahia . The coast of Nordeste saw the first economic activity of

16254-597: Was invaded from the South and became part of al-Andalus between 726 and 1249, following the Umayyad Caliphate conquest of the Iberian Peninsula . This rule lasted decades in the North, up to five centuries in the South. After defeating the Visigoths in a few months, the Umayyad Caliphate started expanding rapidly in the peninsula. Beginning in 726, the land that is now Portugal became part of

16383-504: Was proclaimed King of Portugal by his soldiers. This is traditionally taken as the occasion when the County of Portugal became the independent Kingdom of Portugal and, in 1129, the capital city was transferred from Guimarães to Coimbra. Afonso was recognized as the first king of Portugal in 1143 by King Alfonso VII of León , and in 1179 by Pope Alexander III as Afonso I of Portugal. Afonso Henriques and his successors, aided by military monastic orders , continued pushing southwards against

16512-474: Was the 2nd largest producer state in Brazil. Bahia is the largest Brazilian producer of guaraná . In 2017, Brazilian production was close to 3.3 million tons. Bahia harvested 2.3 million (mainly in the city of Taperoá), Amazonas 0.7 million (mainly in the city of Maués) and the rest of the country, 0.3 million. Despite the fact that the fruit originated in the Amazon, since 1989 Bahia has beaten Amazonas in terms of production volume and guarana productivity, due to

16641-419: Was the mainstay of Brazil's economy , being superseded only when coffee production developed in the late 19th century. Sugar cane is cultivated on large estates whose owners maintain tremendous political influence. Since the escarpment does not generate any further rainfall on its slopes from the lifting of the trade winds , annual rainfall decreases steadily inland. After a relatively short distance, there

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