Recife
From Freepedia
Meaning "reef" in Portuguese; Recife, population 1.3 million, 3.5 million in the metropolitan area, is the second largest city in the Northeastern Region of Brazil and the largest metropolitan area. It is the 5th largest metropolitan area in Brazil and the capital of Pernambuco. Recife is also where the Beberibe River meets the Capibaribe River to flow into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a major port on the Atlantic Ocean.
It is situated at 8°4′ S 34°52′ W. Surrounded by rivers and crossed by bridges, Recife is full of islands and mangroves that magnify its geography. It is known as the American Venice, thanks to its fluvial resemblance with the european city, and is considered one of Brazil's cultural capitals.
Recife is the birthplace of poets and writers Manoel Bandeira, Carlos Pena Filho, Sebastião Uchoa Leite, Nelson Rodrigues, Gilberto Freyre, Paulo Freire and João Cabral de Melo Neto; and of such composers as Lenine, Fred Zero Quatro, Otto, Pochyua Andrade, Don Tronxo, Valença Brothers, Antônio Nóbrega, Naná Vasconcelos, Jorge du Peixe, Paulo Diniz, Fernando Lobo, Antônio Maria and Chico Science. Canadian ice hockey player Robyn Regehr was also born in Recife.
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History
The settlement was established by the Portuguese in 1537, as a suburb of the now historic city of Olinda and remained Portuguese until the independence of Brazil, with the exception of a brief period of Dutch occupation in the 17th century between 1630 and 1654. During this period, the first synagogue of the Americas was founded in the city, and for this brief time Recife became one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world. The inhabitants fought on their own to expel the Dutch, being helped by the involvement of the Dutch in the First Anglo-Dutch War. This was known as the Insurreição Pernambucana (Pernambucan Insurrection). Most of the Jews fled to North America, starting the first Jewish community of New Amsterdam (currently known as New York City).
During the 19th century, riots spread throughout the city, in which the rich farmers of Olinda and the traders from Recife clashed. Recife had a clear adventage in relation to Olinda: Olinda has no harbour, while Recife's Harbor is one of the best on the Atlantic. This was a decisive factor for Recife's growth. Recife is now a large city whereas Olinda is a small historical town.
Images
Geography
Within its metropolitan area are the cities of Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Olinda, Paulista, Abreu e Lima, Igarassu, Camaragibe, Cabo de Santo Agostinho, and São Lourenço da Mata.
Tourism and recreation
Among Recife's main tourist attractions are:
- Churches and historical monuments
- Francisco Brennand's atelier of ceramic art
- Ancient Recife buildings: Forte Orange
- Boa Viagem Beach (the city's most important beach)
- Olinda - a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Casa da Cultura: souvenir shops
- The Carnival at Recife Antigo
- [do Capibaribe], a mix of Cuban and Brazilian culture in a charming restaurant & dancing club at Paço Alfândega (In Portuguese)
There are many beaches surrounding Recife, such as:
- Porto de Galinhas, Ipojuca, Pernambuco (60 km to the south)
- Maracaípe, Ipojuca, Pernambuco (65 km to the south)
- Serrambi, Ipojuca, Pernambuco (70 km to the south)
- Tamandaré, Barreiros, Pernambuco (110 km to the south)
- Itamaracá, Pernambuco (40 km to the north)
- Maragogi, Alagoas (150 km to the south)
- Praia de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte (280 km to the north)
- Tambaba, Conde, Paraíba (115 km to the north)
Local Music
Main Neighborhoods
- Torre
- Ipsep
- Boa Viagem
- Boa Vista
- Bongi
- Brasília Teimosa
- Cidade Universitária
- Cordeiro
- Aflitos
- Casa Forte
- Derby
- Tamarineira
- Espinheiro
- Graças
- Ibura
- Ilha do Leite
- Iputinga
- Pina
- Recife Antigo
- Santo Amaro
- Santo Antônio
- Setúbal
- Várzea
- Beberibe
- Casa Amarela
- Afogados
- Imbiribeira
- Muribeca
- Estância
External Links
- http://www.recife.pe.gov.br (Recife Official Site)
| Capitals of Brazilian States | Image:Flag of Brazil.svg |
|---|---|
| Aracaju | Belo Horizonte | Belém | Boa Vista | Brasília | Campo Grande | Cuiabá | Curitiba | Florianópolis | Fortaleza | Goiânia | João Pessoa | Macapá | Maceió | Manaus | Natal | Palmas | Porto Alegre | Porto Velho | Recife | Rio Branco | Rio de Janeiro | Salvador | São Paulo | São Luís | Teresina | Vitória | |
