Jijoca de Jericoacoara Jericoacoara |
|
---|---|
Nickname(s): "Jeri" | |
Location of Jijoca de Jericoacoara in Ceará |
|
Country | Brazil |
Region | Northeast |
State | Ceará |
Founded | May 6, 1991 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Sergio Herrero Gimenez (PSDB) |
Area | |
• Total | 201.858 km2 (77.938 sq mi) |
Elevation | 22 m (72 ft) |
Population (2008) | |
• Total | 16.447 |
• Density | 82.5/km2 (214/sq mi) |
Website | http://www.jijocadejericoacoara.ce.gov.br [1] |
Jijoca de Jericoacoara (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒiˈʒɔkɐ d(ʒ)i ʒɛɾikuˌakuˈaɾɐ]) is the northernmost municipality in the Brazilian state of Ceará, close to the Cruz city. It is famous for its homonymous beach and national park. As of January 2017[update], an airport is under construction to serve the municipality.
The word Jericoacoara comes from Tupi (an indigenous language) and means "house of turtles." It is a city of Ceará, a state renowned for its natural beauty, wildlife and many landscapes. Jericoacoara is a location with favorable conditions for windsurfing and sandboarding.
A fact of some historical significance is the report of Vicente Yáñez Pinzón (Captain of Nau Niña, the fleet of Christopher Columbus), which anchored in the bay of Jericoacoara in 1499. But this was not official at the time as a result of the Treaty of Tordesillas, which was signed in the same year.
Coordinates: 2°47′37″S 40°30′29″W / 2.79361°S 40.50806°W