Captaincy of Pernambuco

The Captaincy of Pernambuco or New Lusitania (Portuguese: Nova Lusitânia) was a hereditary land grant and administrative subdivision of northern Portuguese Brazil during the colonial period from the early sixteenth century until Brazilian independence. At the time of the Independence of Brazil, it became a province of United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Captaincies were originally horizontal tracts of land 50 leagues wide extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Torsedillas meridian.

At the time of colonial Brazil, the Captaincy of Pernambuco was one of only two prosperous captaincies (the other being Captaincy of São Vicente), thanks to growing sugar cane. During the early colonial period, it grew by acquisition of failed captaincies to the north. At its height, the Captaincy of Pernambuco included the territories of the modern states of Pernambuco, Paraiba, Alagoas, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and the western portion of Bahia (north and west of the São Francisco River) having thus its southern border with Minas Gerais. In the years just before Brazilian independence, the captaincy was reduced by repartitioning of several previously merged captaincies, until today's state with the same name was left.

The name pernambuco is a Tupi Indian name for the coastal reefs found along the region's Atlantic shoreline.

According to the charter grant passed by D. João III on March 10, 1534, the donee of Pernambuco was Duarte Coelho Pereira, who was a distinguished gentleman in the Portuguese campaigns in India. The captaincy of width 60 leagues stretched between the Igaraçu River (a tributary of Canal de Santa Cruz southern portion) and the São Francisco River. He called it New Lusitania.

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