Joao Pessoa

João Pessoa, sometimes called the city where the sun comes first, is a Brazilian city and the easternmost city in the Americas at 34º47'38"W, 7º9'28"S. Local residents call its easternmost point Ponta do Seixas. It is also considered "the second greenest city in the world". The city has more than 7 square kilometres of forested land, losing only to Paris. It gained this distinction in 1992, after a survey of urban centres in various countries carried out by the United Nations (source: Embassy of Brazil in the UK). The city is characterized by the juxtaposition of tropical beaches, modern architecture and historic buildings from colonial periods.

João Pessoa is the capital of Paraíba, a state in the northeast region of Brazil and home to some of the most noted Brazilian poets and writers such as Augusto dos Anjos (1884-1908), José Américo de Almeida (1887-1980), José Lins do Rego (1901-1957) and Pedro Américo (1843-1905) (mostly known for his historical paintings) . It is the state's largest and most important city, with a population of about 672,000 (about one sixth of the state's population - 2006 estimate). Its metropolitan area comprises eight other satellite cities (Bayeux, Cabedelo, Conde, Lucena, and Santa Rita) and about 384,000 people, reaching more than 1 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area.

Founded in 1585 as Filipéia, João Pessoa is the third oldest city in Brazil. It fell under Dutch occupation from 1634 to 1654, and was called Friederstadt. Portugal then reclaimed it and called it Paraíba. An important fortress was built in the north, in present day Cabedelo, which is inside the `Greater João Pessoa` area and is a port city. In 1930 the capital assumed its current name, after the assassination of the eponymous politician.

Tourism is one of João Pessoa's chief economic activities, together with construction, food, metalworking, and other industries. Sugar cane agriculture and related industries are also important.

Worldpress.org notes that "João Pessoa is full of preserved natural forests, squares and gardens, which is why it is considered one of the cities with the highest index of green area per inhabitant in the world. Another beauty of the city is the Ponta do Seixas, the easternmost point of South America, which can be seen from the majestic Farol do Cabo Branco (Cabo Branco Lighthouse)" and "natural pools of Picãozinho on the island Areia Vermelha."

João Pessoa has approximately 40 km of beaches (both residential and savage) and it has a big amount of small natural islands. The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism (BMT) notes that "on the outskirts of the capital are the most popular beaches in the State, such as Tambaú and Manaíra. Nearby it is possible to find one of the few Brazilian nudist beaches (naturism) that is officially recognized, Tambaba." In addition, BMT enphasizes that it is "full of parks and avenues packed with fruit and ornamental trees, João Pessoa has many forest reserves, including the coconut trees and various species of trees which constitute the maritime margin landscape – attracting thousands of tourists every year."

João Pessoa has many green areas scattered among its avenues, parks, and residential neighborhoods, which all make it very pleasant and allegedly "the second greenest city in the world" with more than 7 square kilometres of forested land, second only to Paris. It was considered thus in 1992, after a survey of urban centres in various countries carried out by the United Nations (source: Embassy of Brazil in the UK).

João Pessoa mixes modern buildings with historic ones from colonial times, and hosts important museums and cultural institutions. The Church of San Francisco and the Convent Santo Antônio are located in an historic center and are landmarks of Brazilian baroque architecture, dating back to the XVIII century. The Church of San Francisco has a museum that exhibits a vast collection of sacred (pt.: sacra) and popular art.

A project entitled ESTAÇÃO CIÊNCIA, CULTURA e ARTES (in Portuguese) by world renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer is being developed at Ponta do Seixas.