Northeast Brazil

The Nordeste (Northeastern Brazil) is composed of the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe. The biggest cities are Salvador, Fortaleza and Recife, which are the regional metropolitan areas of the Nordeste, all with a population above a million inhabitants. The people who live there, are from there, or have family in the Brazilian Northeast, are called nordestinos.

Brazil's Northeast region can be characterized as arid for relatively long periods of time in the interior of the continent, with the coast and the southern areas having a more humid climate. Temperatures throughout the year are usually quite warm, with some cooling during the rainy seasons. The beginning and end of the different rainy seasons vary throughout the region but most last about four months.

The Northeast Brazil Shelf Marine ecoregion combines a wide continental shelf (up to 350 kilometers) and low levels of freshwater to allow for a variety of habitats including mangrove forests, fringing and barrier reefs, and the only atoll in the South Atlantic Ocean, Atol das Rocas. Whereas elegant Rio de Janeiro and cosmopolitan São Paulo may be the best-known places in Brazil, the Northeast, or Nordeste is one of the liveliest - a land of sunny beaches, colonial towns, vibrating street parties, music and friendly people.

The Northeast is the sunniest of Brazilian regions. Although this may mean long periods of drought for the mainly agricultural inland of some states (and thus crop losses and widespread poverty), the climate also provides almost year-round opportunities for beach-going and other outdoor activities. Long favoured by Brazilian holiday makers, the Northeast has also become increasingly popular with European travellers, especially from Portugal, Spain and Italy due to short travel times, a favourable exchange rate, growing tourist infrastructure and language and cultural similarities.

The Northeast of Brazil is famed for its beautiful beaches and distinct history and folklore. Known as the ‘Golden Coast’, this region contains the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe.

The north east is much drier than the rest of Brazil. It has less than 750 mm of rainfall every year. It is locally known as The Caatinga or drought zone. Northeast Brazil is home to some 25 million people living in a 1 million km2 area, and is often referred to as the most densely populated semi-arid region on earth.