|
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic
Ocean.
Geography
Pernambuco has a territory covered mostly by the dry thorny scrub vegetation called caatinga. The Rio São Francisco is the
main water source for this area. The coastal area is fertile, and was formerly covered by the Mata Atlântica. It is now place to extensive sugar
cane plantations.
History
Pernambuco was first colonized by Portuguese settlers.
In 1534, Dom João III, king of Portugal created the . Pernambuco, one of these captaincies, was granted to Duarte Coelho. The administrator of a captaincy was known as Donatario.
Duarte Coelho had arrived at Pernambuco, then known as Nova Lusitânia (New Lusitania), in 1935 and stablished his government in the area on which Olinda was to be
founded.
After bloodshed battles against the Caetê
indians, which had an alliance with the French, Duarte Coelho founded Olinda at the site of the Marin indian
village. This victory made possible to estabilize the captaincy and to start Portuguese ruling.
The village (vilas) of Olinda (first capital) and Igarassu were founded 1537.
Pernambuco was one of the two only prosperous captaincies (the other was São Vincente), mainly due to the
plantation of sugar cane and
cotton. With the support of Dutch East India Company, The sugar mills (engenho) were constructed and the sugar
industry had greatly developed. In 1612, Pernambuco produced 14,000 tons of sugar; by
1640s, more than 24,000 tons of sugar were exported to Amsterdam.
In 1630, Pernambuco, as well as many Portuguese possession in Brazil, was occupied by the
Dutch. Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen, count of Nassau, was appointed as ruler of the Nieuw Holland (Dutch colonization
enterprise in Brazil).
Nassau's government built Maritania or Mauristaad (Recife) on delta islands, which
is somewhat silimilar to Holland's topography. This moved the political focus from Olinda to Recife. The Dutch administration of
Nassau's was remarkably noted by advancements in urbanism, culture, and science. The Dutch legacy is still recognizable in
Pernambuco's people, accent, and architecture.
Portugal reconquered Pernambuco after Battle of Guararapes in 1654 and Olinda had regained its status
of political center. However, Recife remained the commercial /port city.
In 1710 the Mascate War took place in Pernambuco. This conflict put the mascates (traveling salesman) from Recife
against the establishment hosted in Olinda and led by the Senhores de Engenho (owners of the sugar mills, literally: sugar mill
lords).
Pernambuco was the home for the most important rebellions and insurrections in Brazilian history, especially in the 19th
century.
1817 was the year of the Pernambucan
Revolution, a republican separatist movement which resulted in the creation
of the Republic of Pernambuco. The main causes of the revolution was insatisfaction with the colonial administration.
The republic was declared on March 7, 1817. After military intervention, the secession ended on May 20, 1817. The current flag of
Pernambuco is actually the flag of that Republic.
As a reaction to the Emperor Dom
Pedro I dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, the Confederation
of the Equator was set on July 2, 1824. The Confederation was another separatism movement which emcompassed the provinces of
Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, and Ceará. On November 29, 1824, the Confederated forces capitulate to the imperial army.
Pernambuco was the site of the brief liberal republican Praieira Revolt in 1848, which was Brazil's response to the European year of failed liberal
revolutions. The military officer who put it down was Deodoro da
Fonseca, later briefly the first president of the Brazilian republic.
Important Cities
- Recife - State capital.
- Camaragibe
- Caruaru - Main city in the country side.
- Gravatá
- Jaboatão
dos Guararapes
- Olinda - Historical site, first capital.
- Paulista
- Petrolina - Prosperous city in the
far west of the state
Institutions
- Federal University of Pernambuco
- Pernambucan Football
Federation
External links
Pernambuco is also the name of a tropical tree used for lumber and red dye. Species Caesalpinia echinata.
It was also called brazilwood, and gave its name to the country, rather than
the other way around.
|