Recife | |||
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Municipality | |||
The Municipality of Recife | |||
From upper left: Old centre of Recife; Recife and its bridges; Aerial View of Boa Viagem Beach; Boa Viagem Beach; The Crystal Tower; Capibaribe River; The neighborhood of Boa Viagem; Agamenon Magalhães Avenue; Recife Sunset.
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Nickname(s): Veneza Brasileira (Brazilian Venice), Capital of the Northeast and Mauricéia/Mauritsstad (after the Dutch colonisation) | |||
Motto: Latin: "Ut Luceat Omnibus"' "That it may shine on all" (Matthew 5:15) |
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Location in Brazil | |||
Coordinates: 8°3′S 34°54′W / 8.050°S 34.900°WCoordinates: 8°3′S 34°54′W / 8.050°S 34.900°W | |||
Country | Brazil | ||
Region | Northeast | ||
State | Pernambuco | ||
Founded | March 12, 1537 | ||
Incorporated (as village) | 1709 | ||
Incorporated (as city) | 1823 | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Geraldo Júlio de Mello Filho (Geraldo Júlio) (PSB) | ||
Area | |||
• Municipality | 218 km2 (84.17 sq mi) | ||
• Metro | 2,768 km2 (1,068.7 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 10 m (33 ft) | ||
Population (2012) | |||
• Municipality | 1,555,039 (9th) | ||
• Density | 7,133.2/km2 (18,537.9/sq mi) | ||
• Metro | 3,743,854(6th) | ||
• Metro density | 1,352.5/km2 (3,527/sq mi) | ||
Demonym(s) | Recifense | ||
Time zone | UTC-3 (UTC-3) | ||
Postal Code | 50000-000 | ||
Area code(s) | +55 81 | ||
GDP | BR$50.688 billion 2014 | ||
GDP per capita | BR$31 513.07 | ||
Website |
www |
Recife (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁeˈsifi]) is the fourth-largest urban agglomeration in Brazil with 3,995,949 inhabitants, the largest urban agglomeration of the North/Northeast Regions, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper was 1,625,583 in 2016.
The former capital of the 17th century Dutch Brazil, Recife was founded in 1537, during the early Portuguese colonization of Brazil, as the main harbor of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, known for its large scale production of sugar cane. The city is located at the confluence of the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers before they flow into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a major port on the Atlantic Ocean. Its name is an allusion to the stone reefs that are present by the city's shores. The many rivers, small islands and over 50 bridges found in Recife city centre characterise its geography and led to the city being called the "Brazilian Venice". As of 2010[update], it is the capital city with the highest HDI in Northeast Brazil and second highest HDI in the entire North and Northeast Brazil (second only to Palmas).
The Metropolitan Region of Recife is the main industrial zone of the State of Pernambuco; major products are those derived from cane (sugar and ethanol), ships, oil platforms, electronics, software, and others. With fiscal incentives by the government, many industrial companies were started in the 1970s and 1980s. Recife has a tradition of being the most important commercial hub of the North/Northeastern region of Brazil, with more than 52,500 business enterprises in Recife plus 32,500 in the Metro Area, totaling more than 85,000.