The Basics
and ethanol), electronics, food, and
Recife is the 4th-largest Metropolitan
area in Brazil with 4,136,506
inhabitants, the largest metropolitan
area of the North/Northeast Regions,
the 4th-largest metropolitan influence
area in Brazil, and the capital of the
state of Pernambuco. The population
of the city proper was 1,561,659[2]
in 2009. Recife is located where the
Beberibe River meets the Capibaribe
River to flow into the Atlantic Ocean.
It is a major port on the Atlantic
Ocean. The name Recife means “reef ”
in Portuguese, in allusion to the coral
reefs that are present by the city’s
shores. The many rivers, small islands
and over 50 bridges found in Recife
city center characterize its geography
and gives it the moniker of the
“Brazilian Venice.”
Industries
The Metropolitan Region of Recife is
the main industrial zone of the State
of Pernambuco; most relevant products
are those derived from cane (sugar
has drawn many tourists.[7] Recife’s
others; thanks to the fiscal incentives
of government, many industrial
enterprises were started in the 1970s
and 1980s. Recife has a tradition of
being the most important commercial
center of the North/Northeastern
region of Brazil with more than 52,500
business enterprises in Recife itself
plus 32,500 in the Metro Area which
will total more than 85,000.[3]
Infrastructure
A combination of a large supply
of labor and significant private
investments turned Recife into
Brazil’s second largest medical center,
(second only to São Paulo);[4]
modern hospitals with state-of-the-
art equipment receive patients from
several neighboring States.[5][6]
Like all other cities in the Northeast,
Recife is developing its tourist sector.
The beach of Porto de Galinhas, 60
kilometers (37 miles) south of the
city, has been repeatedly awarded
the title of best beach in Brazil and
infrastructure is among the most
developed in Brazil for travellers and
business people, though there is wide
room for improvement.[8]
Education & Culture
The city is also a renowned educational
center, and home to the Federal
University of Pernambuco, the largest
university in Pernambuco. Several
Brazilian historical figures, such
as the poet and abolitionist Castro
Alves, moved to Recife to attain their
education.
Recife is served by the Gilberto
Freyre/Guararapes International
Airport which connects Recife to
several Brazilian destinations as well
as major international cities in Europe,
the United States and South America.
Also, together with Natal these are the
only Brazilian cities with direct flights
to the paradise islands of Fernando de
Noronha, World Heritage Site since
2001.
Olinda
During the 18th century, riots
spread throughout the city, in which
the rich farmers of Olinda and the
traders from Recife clashed. Recife
had a clear advantage in relation
to Olinda: Olinda has no harbour,
while Recife’s Harbor is one of the
largest on the Atlantic Ocean. Recife’s
victory asserted the supremacy of
its bourgeoisie over the decadent
sugar aristocrats of Olinda. This
was a decisive factor for Recife’s
growth. Recife is now a large city
whereas Olinda is a small historical
town. Recife is an historical city,
distinguished by the opulence of its
colonial buildings, with its colonization
rooted in different nations; Portugal,
the Netherlands, France, England.
http://www.recifeguide.com
 historic town center considered a world
heritage site by Unesco and became
famous for expressing his enchantment
with the beauty of the place, giving the
name to the city).
Welcome to
Sugarcane Industry
Pernambuco prospered from the
sugarcane industry (beet sugar was not
industrially produced in Europe until
Recife PE
,

the beginning of the 19th century).

History
The area around Recife was one of
the first in Brazil to be settled by the
Portuguese Crown. In 1537, John
III of Portugal divided Brazil into
Hereditary Captaincies (Capitanias
Hereditárias, in Portuguese); the
Portuguese realized that they had no
human or financial resources to invest
in such a large and distant colony, and
decided to assign this task to private
entrepreneurs, called Donatários (this
system had already been successful
in the settlement of the Portuguese
colonies in Africa).
Because of several problems (the most
obvious being the lack of support
from the Portuguese metropolis),
most Captaincies failed. One of the
few to prosper was the Captaincy
of Pernambuco, which was assigned
to Duarte Coelho Pereira (the man
who founded Olinda which has its
At the time, in Europe, sugarcane
plantations could be grown only in
Andalusia and the Algarve; in the
1420s,[dubious – discuss] sugarcane
was carried to the Canary Islands,
Madeira and the Azores; the sugar
from Brazil was very much appreciated
in Europe. Duarte Coelho found in
Pernambuco plenty of fertile land and
an excellent climate for the cultivation
of cane; all he needed was labor
to work the crops and to keep the
“engenhos” (rustic wooden machinery)
moving.
At first, the Portuguese tried to use
the indigenous peoples of Brazil,
but since Portugal was the country
with the strongest black slave market
because of their previous expeditions
to Africa, using black slaves would not
only be easier to handle, but it would
be cheaper as well; from the 16th to
the 19th century, Pernambuco received
many slaves, making it one of the
Brazilian States where black culture
has the most visible traces (in dance,
music, culinary, etc.).
Recife, capital city of the State of
Pernambuco, is one of the largest cities
in Brazil (it’s the 9th city by population,
with over 1,500,000 inhabitants)..
The Boa Viagem beach in Recife is one
of the most famous urban beaches in
Brazil. Visitors get enchanted by the
sandy beaches with warm green waters
and also by the complete infrastructure
of hotels, restaurants and services which
surrounds it.
Looking for quieter beaches? The entire
coastline of Pernambuco is dotted with
beaches for all tastes, such as Maria
Farinha, for nautic sports practioners,
and Porto de Galinhas, elected by
specialized magazines as the best beach
in Brazil.
http://www.recifeguide.com