Nordeste covers 1 million km² and accounts for 12% of the own territory. The eight states of Nordeste (Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Large C Norte, Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão) count a population of thirty million inhabitants, i.e. 23% of the Brazilian total.
By its geographical situation, the state of Bahia with its 10 million and half of inhabitants, fact part of Nordeste, but it is very different from its neighbors because of its African roots.
Nordeste knew a short economic expansion founded on sugar. Its plantations were the principal source of income. The decline of Nordeste was felt from the very start of the 18 3rd century, and continued until the modern time. Today, Nordeste is synonymous with poverty and famine, similar in that to the poorest nations of Africa. The problems of Nordete have all the same origin: a ground unable to nourish its inhabitants. Except the long fertile strip of land which borders the coast of Bahia in Rio Grande C Norte, the area is a vast semi-arid, populated steppe trees rabougris and cactées. The valley of the river São Francisco is one of the rare fertile zones of all Nordeste. The fertile littoral shelters many cities, of which Recife and Fortaleza, the two urban centres most important of the area. The beaches of Nordeste count among most beautiful and most wild of all Brazil. They attract more and more visitors, the softness of the climate and the beauty of the landscapes, the relaxation of the life style and the vestiges historical, the kitchen containing fish, of shrimps and lobsters will contribute to make appreciate the area.

Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco, is a metropolis of less than one million and half of inhabitants. At this place, like a little everywhere in Nordeste, the littoral is characterized by broad coral reefs on which vaguenesses break coming from broad.
Recife, "Venice of Brazil", which was formerly a vast marsh strewn with islands, was mainly cleansed. Today, 39 bridges span the rivers and the channels, connecting the three principal islands of the city.
Beaches of the surroundings: the beach of Pôrto de Galinhas, in the town of Ipojuca to around fifty of kilometers in the south of Recife, is one of most beautiful of the area. In the north of Recife, the most beautiful beaches are primarily on Ilha Itamaracá. A part of the island is used as open prison for the model prisoners of the penitentiary. The married prisoners have the right to live with their family, and exert a whole a profession. Small souvenir shops are held by prisoners, identified by a number on their tee-shirt. These prisoners are not dangerous, they cherish their statute more than all and would not do anything to be likely to lose it.

Olinda, the old capital of Pernambuco, which extends a such museum with sky open on the heights from Recife, is a jewel of the Baroque art and received the title of "heritage of the nature and the culture of Humanity" by UNESCO. This charming small city, located at 6 km of Recife, was founded in 1537.
To the 18 3rd century, the large sugar producers settled in Recife, détrônant Olinda in its role of capital of state. The city fell asleep then to seem today a true jewel of the Brésilienne culture.
The best way of discovering this small city is there to walk to foot. The narrow lanes are bordered of colonial houses to the colors sharp, churches, coffees and shops.

Fazenda Nova, a peaceful village which survived during years by working a not very fertile ground, inaugurated Nova Jerusalém. It acts of the largest spectacle of theatre in the open air with Brazil.
The sites of the scenes of Passion were reconstituted in a city-decoration of 7 ha, which accurately reproduce the Jerusalem of year 33 of our era. More than 500 actors, for the majority of the inhabitants of the village, take share with this superb son et lumière display.

To a hundred kilometers in the north of Recife the town of João Pessoa ( 400.000 H) is. The dozen beaches which surround it is protected by a barrier from coral, and sheltered sun by lines of coconuts it is the third older city of Brazil.
Palm trees, bougainvilleas and other tropical plants decorate its streets in abundance.
Native, Large capital of the state of Rio C Norte, is famous for the beauty of its beaches and its large sand dunes. Praia Genipabu attracts visitors of the whole world. Strong the back Reis Magos (extremely of the Magi) one of best is preserved Brazil.
In the state of Alagoas Maceió, town of 500.000 inhabitants, is practically encircled by the superb lagoon of Mundau, along which many villages of fishermen are. In Praia Pajuçara, the sea forms, while being withdrawn, a large green water swimming pool, not very deep. The city is regularly overflowed by the floods of tourists who fall down on it each summer.
Founded in 1855, Aracajú is famous for the beauty of its beaches and the hospitality of its inhabitants, and will be able to allure you by its many culinary specialities.
In São Cristóvão, founded in 1590 still remains of many colonial constructions. Between the Amazonian basin and the sertão is São Luis, which kept all its colonial atmosphere, with its tortuous streets and its old constructions with splendid the azulejus.

The state of Ceará has kilometers of beaches bordered of palm trees, dunes and lagoons of fresh water. Fortaleza, the capital with more than one million and half of inhabitants, is the third urban centre of Nordeste.
The villages of the littoral, refreshed permanently by the wind broad, still shelter lacemakers and embroidering-machines which exert their art in the respect of the tradition.
Iguape is famous for its laces and its bottles filled with coloured sand. Most beautiful of the beaches of Ceará is that of Jericoacoara. An alliance enters the fishermen and the ecologists of the area succeeded in preventing the realization of new constructions. Here the beach is bordered only of superb coconuts.
Ico preserved many very interesting historic buildings.
Chapada C Ariripe, a mountainous chain of 700m of altitude, shelters a natural reserve strewn with cascades of clear water basins, favourable with the bathe.