Pernambuco in the context of "List of Brazilian states by area"

The first arrival of European explorers to the territory of present-day Brazil is often credited to Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral, who sighted the land later named Island of Vera Cruz, near Monte Pascoal, on 22 April 1500 while leading an expedition to India. Cabral's voyage is part of the so-called Portuguese discoveries.

Although used almost exclusively in relation to Pedro Álvares Cabral's voyage, the term "discovery of Brazil" can also refer to the arrival in late 1499 of part of the expedition led by Alonso de Ojeda, in which Amerigo Vespucci took part, and also to the expedition led by Spanish navigator and explorer Vicente Yáñez Pinzón. He reached the Cape of Santo Agostinho [pt], a promontory located in the current state of Pernambuco, on 26 January 1500. This is the oldest confirmed European landing in Brazilian territory.

The São Francisco River (Portuguese: Rio São Francisco, pronounced [ˈʁiu sɐ̃w fɾɐ̃ˈsisku]), known in English as the San Francisco River, is a large river in Brazil. With a length of 2,914 kilometres (1,811 mi), it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon, the Paraná and the Madeira). It is also locally known as the Velho Chico (pronounced [ˈvɛʎu ˈtʃiku]; lit. 'Old Chico'), and was once known as the Opara by the Indigenous people before colonization.

The São Francisco originates in the Canastra mountain range in the central-western part of the state of Minas Gerais. It runs generally north in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, behind the coastal range, draining an area of over 630,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi), before turning east to form the border between Bahia on the right bank and the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas on the left one. After that, it ends on the boundaries between the states of Alagoas and Sergipe and washes into the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the five states which the São Francisco directly traverses or borders, its drainage basin also includes tributaries from the state of Goiás and the Federal District.

The Confederation of the Equator (Portuguese: Confederação do Equador) was a short-lived rebellion that occurred in the northeastern region of the Empire of Brazil in 1824, in the early years of the country's independence from Portugal. The secessionist movement was led by liberals who opposed the authoritarian and centralist policies of the nation's first leader, Emperor Pedro I. The fight occurred in the provinces of Pernambuco, Ceará and Paraíba.

The Brazilian sugar cycle, also referred to as the sugar boom or sugarcane cycle, was a period in the history of colonial Brazil from the mid-16th century to the mid-18th century. Sugar represented Brazil's first great agricultural and industrial wealth and, for a long time, was the basis of the colonial economy.

The cycle began in 1530, when sugarcane was introduced on the island of Itamaracá, off the coast of Pernambuco, by the colonial administrator Pero Capico. With the creation of the hereditary captaincies, Pernambuco and São Vicente rose to prominence in sugar production, the latter being overtaken by Bahia after the establishment of the general government. In 1549, Pernambuco already had thirty sugar mills; Bahia, eighteen; and São Vicente, two. Sugarcane farming was prosperous and, half a century later, the distribution of the engenhos totaled 256.

Fernando de Noronha (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [feʁˈnɐ̃du dʒi noˈɾoɲɐ]), officially the State District of Fernando de Noronha (Portuguese: Distrito Estadual de Fernando de Noronha) and formerly known as the Federal Territory of Fernando de Noronha (Território Federal de Fernando de Noronha) until 1988, is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, and located 354 km (191 nmi; 220 mi) off the Brazilian coast.

Fernando de Noronha consists of 21 islands and islets, extending over an area of 26 km (10 sq mi). Only the eponymous main island is inhabited; it has an area of 18.4 km (7.1 sq mi) and a population estimated at 3,101 in 2020. While most of the archipelago is relatively low-lying, there are parts reaching more than 100 m (328 ft) in elevation.

The Zona da Mata ([ˈzõnɐ da ˈmatɐ], "Forest Belt") is the narrow coastal plain between the Atlantic Ocean and the dry agreste and sertão regions in the northeastern Brazilian states of Maranhão, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia.

The zona da mata consists of a narrow plain, generally about 50–100 km (31–62 mi) wide and very flat and low (below 100 m (330 ft) in elevation), below the northeastern edge of the Brazilian Highlands. The climate is tropical hot and wet (humid), with most rain coming from the southeasterly winds between April and July. Annual rainfall generally totals 1,300–2,000 mm (51–79 in), with averages in June as high as 300 mm (12 in).

The Canastra Mountains (Serra da Canastra)are a range of hills in the Minas Gerais state of southeastern Brazil. The headwaters of the São Francisco River begin at this range and it is the location of the Serra da Canastra National Park and the Casca d'Anta waterfall. The altitude ranges from 900 m to 1,496 m. Kimberlite sites in this range have proven to be a rich source of diamonds.

The São Francisco River also is the 4th longest river in South America, passing through tons of states like Pernambuco, Bahia, etc..

Alagoas (Brazilian Portuguese: [alaˈɡoɐs] ; English: /ˌæləˈɡoʊəs/ AL-ə-GOH-əs ) is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders Pernambuco to the north, Sergipe to the south, Bahia to the southwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Its capital city is Maceió. It is made up of 102 municipalities and its most populous cities are Maceió, Arapiraca, Palmeira dos Índios, Rio Largo, Penedo, União dos Palmares, São Miguel dos Campos, Santana do Ipanema, Delmiro Gouveia, Coruripe, and Campo Alegre.

It is the second smallest Brazilian state in area (larger only than Sergipe) and it is 16th in population. It has 1.6% of the Brazilian population and produces 0.8% of the Brazilian GDP. Alagoas is one of the largest producers of sugarcane, coconuts, and natural gas in the country, and has ongoing oil exploration mostly consisting of onshore deposits.

Paraíba (/ˌpærəˈiːbə/ PARR-ə-EE-bə, Brazilian Portuguese: [paɾaˈibɐ] ; Tupinambá: pa'ra a'íba) is a state in Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Northeast, and it is bordered by Rio Grande do Norte to the north, Ceará to the west, Pernambuco to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Paraíba is the third most densely populated state of the Northeast; João Pessoa, the coastal state capital, and Campina Grande, in the countryside, rank among the fifteen largest municipalities in the Northeast of Brazil. The state is home to 1.9% of the Brazilian population and produces 0.9% of the Brazilian GDP and it is divided into 223 municipalities.

Paraíba is mostly populated along the Atlantic coast, which extends as far as Ponta do Seixas, the easternmost point of the mainland Americas. The state is a tourist and industrial hotspot; it is known for its cultural heritage, amenable climate and geographical features, ranging from the seaside beaches to the Borborema Plateau. It is named after the Paraíba river.