The history of Northeast Brazil: discover 8 interesting facts
It is impossible to talk about the history of our country without talking about the history of the Northeast.
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One of the largest regions in the country – comprising states such as Alagoas (AL), Bahia (BA), Ceará (CE), Maranhão (MA), Paraíba (PB), Pernambuco (PE), Piauí (PI) and Rio Grande do Norte (RN) and Sergipe (SE) – the Northeast has countless curiosities and interesting facts about its culture, cuisine, and history.
And since the Northeast is one of the main themes of our content throughout this week, we decided to choose this subject to be the central theme of this text.
Throughout this content, you will learn even more about the history of the Northeast.
This type of knowledge will help you better understand the historical importance that such a large region has for the whole of Brazil.
8 interesting facts about the history of Northeast Brazil
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It's time to learn a little more about some interesting facts about one of the most culturally rich areas.
It is the largest region in the country
Remember that I mentioned in the first topic that the Northeast is a region made up of 9 Brazilian states? That's right.
To accommodate so many states, a very large territorial area is necessary. And the Northeast has just that!
The region has an estimated land area of an impressive 1,550,000 km²! It's bigger than many countries out there!
And of course the number of residents is also impressive. Around 57 million people live in its almost 1,800 cities!
That's equivalent to a little over 25% of the population of all of Brazil! Isn't that impressive?
Bahia is the largest state in the entire Northeast region
Still on the subject of size, Bahia is the largest state among the 9 that exist in the northeast region.
To give you an idea, the territorial area of Bahia is so large that the state borders 8 other states, such as Alagoas, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Tocantins, Pernambuco, Piauí and Sergipe.
The Northeast was once home to the federal capital of our country
Now it's one of those curiosities that almost no one knows, but it's a very important factor when it comes to the history of our country.
Did you know that the Northeast was once home to the federal capital of Brazil for a long period?
We are talking about Salvador, the capital of Bahia. For more than 200 years – between 1549 and 1763 – the capital of Bahia was the first federal capital of our country.
In 1763, the position was transferred to Rio de Janeiro. The federal capital was the city of Rio de Janeiro until the inauguration of Brasília in 1961.
Bahia and cocoa production
Who likes chocolate? This is one of those curiosities that every 'chocoholic' would like to know!
As you may have noticed, Bahia is a state that stands out in several areas, right? And one of them is cocoa production.
The state is responsible for around 95% of all cocoa production in the entire country!
Recife stands out in the technological area
If you – like a large part of the Brazilian population – sum up the Northeast region in just tourism and beaches, this curiosity will probably make you change your mind.
That's because the largest technology park in Brazil is in Recife!
Located in the city's historic center, the technology park is called Porto Digital and is an important technology hub in Brazil.
Porto Digital brings together several major companies, such as IBM, Samsung, Microsoft and HP.
And in addition to these large multinationals, the park is also home to more than 200 technology startups!
In other words: the Northeast has many other riches besides the paradisiacal landscapes, right?
The biggest Saint John's Day in the world
In terms of festivities, the Northeast is not far behind!
Campina Grande, one of the municipalities in Paraíba, is known worldwide for hosting the largest São João festival in the world!
The festival, which attracts tourists from Brazil and other countries every year, attracts more than 2 million visitors per edition!
The largest cashew tree in the world!
Now we are going to travel to Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte.
This is where the Pirangi Cashew Tree is located. This cashew tree stands out for being the largest cashew tree in the world!
With a crown measuring 8,500 meters, the tree has already entered the Guinness Book of Records for its size! If we were to compare, its size is equivalent to more than 70 traditional cashew trees.
And the production is also impressive. This cashew tree alone produces 60 to 80 thousand cashews in each harvest!
The oldest rocks in the world
About 100 km from Natal, the municipality of Serra Caiada is located.
Despite being relatively far from the capital, Serra Caiada attracts attention for its natural beauty and for being home to the oldest rocks in all of Brazil.
This factor attracts the attention of a large number of tourists every year, who seek to explore the historic rock formations.
The most important preservation area in the country
And speaking of archaeology and rock formations, another highlight of the Northeast region is Piauí. The Serra da Capivara National Park is located there.
In this region, there are several archaeological sites and historical cave paintings that help to tell a little about the history of the primitive men who inhabited the region thousands of years ago.
Conclusion
What did you think of this historical tour we just took through the Northeast? Did you already know any of the curiosities that were here?
The truth is that diving into these historical facts and learning a little more about the history of our country is very important, even if it is not about the region where I was born.
After all, all regions of the country – North, Northeast, South, Southeast and Central-West – play extremely important roles in the construction of Brazil's history.
And knowing more about these stories is essential.
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