Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

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Ponta Negra Beach, Natal.

Natal (IPA: [na'taw]) is the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte, a north eastern state in Brazil. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 712,317.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Economics
4 Rocket launch site Centro de Lançamento de Foguetes Barreira do Inferno
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Natal is located at 5°46′S, 35°12′W, in the far east of South America. The city has a total area of 170 km². Natal lies on the Atlantic Ocean, at the mouth of the Potengi river.

[edit] History

The northeastern tip of South America, cape São Roque, 20 miles to the north of Natal, was first visited by European navigators in 1501, in the 1501-1502 Portuguese expedition led by Amerigo Vespucci, who named the spot after the saint of the day. For decades thereafter, no permanent European settlement was established in the area, inhabited by the Potiguar tribe.

In 1597, after some years during which French pirates, led by Jacques Riffault, established regular commercial activities with the native population, the ninth Portuguese Governor-General of Brazil, Francisco de Sousa, ordered the expulsion of the buccaneers. The successful expedition was led by the Captain-Major of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, Manuel de Mascarenhas Homem, with the assistance of Jerônimo de Albuquerque Maranhão.

Albuquerque Maranhão began on January 6, 1598 the construction of the Fort of the Holy Kings or of the Magi-Kings ("Forte dos Santos Reis" or "Forte dos Reis Magos"), named after the Three Wise Men, honored in the Christian feast of the Epiphany, celebrated on that day.

The Prefeitura (city hall). This building inspired the colour scheme used for the entrance to the Santuário Ecológico, in nearby Pipa.

On December 25, 1599, Natal (whose name means Nativity or Christmas in Portuguese) was established as a village outside the fort. The fort, city, and surrounding areas were occupied by Dutch forces from 1633 to 1654.

The sandy soil of Natal prevented the city from becoming a producer of sugarcane, during the colonial times. For centuries, the economy of the State was based on the raising of cattle in the dry interior lands; the cattle was sent alive to the larger centers, to be used as traction, or was turned into jerked beef, to be used as food; the most typical food of Natal, "carne de sol" (sun meat), has origins in that jerked beef.

Last century, Natal benefited from the growth of the industries of salt (the north of Rio Grande do Norte is the largest producer in Brazil) and petroleum (the largest inland Brazilian reserves are in the State). Natal grew quickly, but in a somewhat planned way (compared to other major Brazilian cities); transit flows smoothly, public services are well distributed, ecologic conscience is visible; violence levels are low. Tourists (first Brazilians, more recently foreigners) discovered the city, which became one of the major tourist destinations in Brazil.

Because of its strategic position (Natal is one of the cities in Brazil nearest to Western Europe and Africa, especially Dakar, Senegal), an American air base was built in a suburb of Natal named Parnamirim during World War II as part of the so-called Operation Rainbow (not to be confused with the anti-terrorist operation undertaken by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip in 2004); this base provided support for allied troops combating in the north of Africa. Thousands of American soldiers were sent to Natal, and their presence left traces in the culture of the city.

[edit] Economics

With its dozens of sandy, white beaches, such as Ponta Negra and its famous Morro do Careca, Tabatinga - the cliff of dolphins, Pirangi, Redinha, and Jenipabu with its famous fixed sand dunes and imported camels, tourism is the most important industry of Natal, attracting Brazilians, Europeans (many from Germany, Portugal and Italy), and Americans alike. It is also a relevant administrative center for the oil industry (Rio Grande do Norte being the second largest oil-producing state in Brazil). The fishing industry is strong (shark cartilage being a major export to Japan) as is the cultivation of tropical fruit, especially mangos, guavas, and cashews (the fruit and the nuts). In fact, the largest cashew tree in the world is located near the coast in the neighborhood of Pirangi, south of the city center. This tree has a circumference of 500 metres and occupies an area of 7,300m², making it 70 times the size of average cashew trees.

Via Costeira, Natal.

[edit] Rocket launch site Centro de Lançamento de Foguetes Barreira do Inferno

At 5°52′S, 35°23′W there is since 1965 a launch site for sounding rockets, called Centro de Lançamento de Foguetes Barreira do Inferno, from which regularly rockets of the types Nike-Cajun, Sonda, Black Brant, Super Loki, etc. are launched. In opposite to Alcântara it is just a site for launching suborbital rockets. Visiting the site is possible upon previous arrangement.