Demographics
According to the IBGE of 2007, there were 3,051,000 people residing in the state.

The population density was 57.7 inh./km².

Urbanization: 72.4% (2006); Population growth: 1.6% (1991–2000); Houses: 832,000 (2006).

The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 1,864,000 Pardo (Brown) people (61.1%), 1,128,000 White people (37.0%) and 57,000 Black people (1.9%).

Economy
The service sector is the largest component of GDP at 50.2%, followed by the industrial sector at 44.2%. Agriculture represents 5.6% of GDP (2004). Rio Grande do Norte exports: fish and crustacean 30.5%, fruits 19.3%, woven of cotton 12.3%, petroleum 10.8%, cashew 8.5%, sugar 5.3%, chocolate 3.9%, sea salt 3.7% (2002).

Share of the Brazilian economy: 0.9% (2004).

Historically, Rio Grande do Norte has relied upon sugar and cattle for its livelihood.  However, since the 1980s, the state government has realised that tourism is a lucrative industry, and more money is being poured into the construction of tourist resorts, and restoring colonial buildings in major cities.

Fruit is also grown in Rio Grande do Norte, with the state supplying 70% of Brazil’s melons, and the state is famed for its mango and cashew fields. The world’s largest cashew tree is located in the state; it has a circumference of 500 centimetres and occupies an area of 7,300cm², making it 70 times the size of average cashew trees. Rio Grande do Norte is also one of three Brazilian states that together produce the world’s entire supply of carnauba wax.

Tags: Rio Grande do Norte

Tags: brazil beach, brazil carnival, brazil tourism, brazil travel, brazil vacation packages, flights to brazil, map, Rio Grande do Norte, travel to brazil

Tags: brazil beach, brazil carnival, brazil tourism, brazil travel, brazil vacation packages, flights to brazil, Hotels, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, travel to brazil

Tags: Castelo Zé dos Montes, Rio Grande do Norte

Situado na Zona Oeste do Estado, o Pólo Costa Branca é marcado por um incrível contraste: de um lado, a vegetação caatinga, repleta de xique-xiques e juremas. Do outro, o mar, dunas multicoloridas, falésias e quilômetros de praias praticamente desertas. A tranqüilidade da atividade rural convive em plena harmonia com a movimentação turística. Essa região é grande produtora de sal, petróleo e fruticultura. Reúne sítios arqueológicos e paleontológicos. O Pólo Cosa Branca possui uma boa infra-estrutura turística, composta por hotéis, pousadas, bares e restaurantes. Este é um lugar único, onde o mar encontra o sertão e o sertão literalmente vira mar.

(Source: Secretaria de Turismo do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte)

Tags: Costa Branca, Rio Grande do Norte

Tags: brazil beach, brazil carnival, brazil tourism, brazil travel, brazil vacation packages, flights to brazil, hotel, Natal, travel to brazil

The northeastern tip of South America, Cabo São Roque, 20 miles (32 km) to the north of Natal and the closest point to Europe from Latin America, was first visited by European navigators in 1501, in the 1501-1502 Portuguese expedition led by Amerigo Vespucci, who named the spot after the saint of the day. For decades thereafter, no permanent European settlement was established in the area, inhabited by the Potiguar tribe.

In 1597, after some years during which French pirates, led by Jacques Riffault, established regular commercial activities with the native population, the ninth Portuguese Governor-General of Brazil, Francisco de Sousa, ordered the expulsion of the buccaneers. The successful expedition was led by the Captain-Major of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, Manuel de Mascarenhas Homem, with the assistance of Jerônimo de Albuquerque Maranhão.

Albuquerque Maranhão began on January 6, 1598 the construction of the Fort of the Holy Kings or of the Magi-Kings (”Forte dos Santos Reis” or “Forte dos Reis Magos”), named after the Three Wise Men, honored in the Christian feast of the Epiphany, celebrated on that day.

On December 25, 1599, Natal (whose name means Nativity or Christmas in Portuguese) was established as a village outside the fort. The fort, city, and surrounding areas were occupied by Dutch forces from 1633 to 1654.

The sandy soil of Natal prevented the city from becoming a producer of sugarcane, during the colonial times. For centuries, the economy of the State was based on the raising of cattle in the dry interior lands; the cattle was sent alive to the larger centers, to be used as traction, or was turned into jerked beef, to be used as food; the most typical food of Natal, “carne de sol” (sun meat), has origins in that jerked beef.

 
Alberto Maranhão Theater (on the inside of it).Last century, Natal benefited from the growth of the industries of salt (the north of Rio Grande do Norte is the largest producer in Brazil) and petroleum (the largest inland Brazilian reserves are in the State). Natal grew quickly, but in a somewhat planned way (compared to other major Brazilian cities); transit flows smoothly, public services are well distributed, ecologic conscience is visible; violence levels are low. Tourists (first Brazilians, more recently foreigners) discovered the city, which became one of the major tourist destinations in Brazil.

Because of its strategic position (Natal is one of the cities in Brazil nearest to Western Europe and Africa, especially Dakar, Senegal), an American air base was built in a suburb of Natal named Parnamirim during World War II as part of the so-called Operation Rainbow; this base provided support for allied troops combating in the north of Africa. Thousands of American soldiers were sent to Natal, and their presence left traces in the culture of the city.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Tags: Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

Ponte Newton Navarro in Natal

Tags: Natal, Ponte Newton Navarro, Rio Grande do Norte

The first European to reach the region may have been the Spaniard Alonso de Ojeda in 1499. The northeastern tip of South America, Cape São Roque, 20 miles to the north of Natal, was first officially visited by European navigators in 1501, in the 1501–1502 Portuguese expedition led by Amerigo Vespucci, who named the spot after the saint of the day. The Vespucci expedition also named the Potengi (Tupi-Guarani for “River of Shrimps”) river, whose considerably large mouth contrasted with the nearby bodies of water, “Rio Grande” (Portuguese for “Great River”), after which the Captaincy, Province, and State were named. For decades thereafter, no permanent European settlement was established in the area, inhabited by the Potiguar tribe.

In the 16th century (between 1535 and 1598), it was explored by French pirates in search for brazilwood. In 1598, the Portuguese built the Forte dos Reis Magos and, in the following year, founded the city of Natal. Rasing cattle and sugarcane plantation lifted the local development and economy.

In 1633, the area became a battleground between the expansionist Portuguese, seeking to take more land for their Brazilian territories, and the Dutch, who gained a foothold in South America.

After a short period of peace and prosperity in Olinda and Recife, the sugar prices went down in the market of Amsterdam and the region entered into a serious economic crisis. The economic problems led the Portuguese settlers and native Brazilians to revolt against the Dutch in what is known today as the massacres of Cunhaú and Uruaçu.

The religious confrontations (the Portuguese-Brazilian Catholicism and the Dutch Calvinism), Portugal’s restoration of the throne in 1640 and the reconquest of Maranhão in 1643, lead the Portuguese-Brazilians to undertake the 1645 uprising, led by André Vidal de Negreiros and João Fernandes Vieira. The governor of Bahia promised new Portuguese troops, but most of the rebels were Africans and Amerindians. In 1654, the Dutch were finally cast out.

During World War II, Rio Grande do Norte was used as an Allied airbase from which to launch air raids on German-occupied North Africa.

In 1964, Latin America’s first space launch site was constructed in Rio Grande do Norte; Barreira do Inferno (Hell’s Barrier), which is often referred to as the “Brazilian NASA”.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Tags: History, Rio Grande do Norte

Hotel Morro do Careca - Ponta Negra - Natal

Tags: Brazilian beaches, Hotels, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte