Ilha de Itamaracá is a tropical island and municipality in

Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. Itamaracá means "stone shaker" in Tupi, from the words ''itá'' ("stone") and ''mbara'ká'' ("shaker"). It is separated from the mainland by the Canal de Santa Cruz, a salt water channel both mouths of which are on the Atlantic Ocean, and is connected to the mainland by a long road bridge. Itamaracá has a total area of and had an estimated population of 26,672 inhabitants in 2020 according to

IBGE The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. IBGE performs a decennial national cen ...

. This is up from 16,000 in 2007, and reflects the increasing popularity of the island as a residential (rather than touristic) destination. It is located in the metropolitan area of

Recife Recife ( , ) is the Federative units of Brazil, state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil, on the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of South America. It is the largest urban area within both the North Region, Brazil, North and the Northeast R ...

, the capital city of Pernambuco state, about an hour from Recife International Airport. The main activities of the population are fishing and, increasingly, tourism. Recife is located about to the south whereas

Olinda Olinda () is a historic city in Pernambuco, Brazil, in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. It is located on the country's northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, in the Recife metropolitan area, Metropolitan Region of Recife, the state ca ...

, another important town of Pernambuco and also

UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by int ...

, is to the south. It was awarded city status on 1 January 1959. About two thirds of the island is covered in protected natural rain forest ('Mata Atlantica'), with most human occupation and development occupying a narrow strip along the ocean front white sandy beaches, that stretch for around 12 km (7.5 miles) along the eastern coast. These beaches are protected by a reef 3 km (2 miles) off the coast, that encircles the island on the ocean side, making the island waters shallow, safe, and warm. Year round temperatures typically vary in a narrow range of 26-31C (79-88F), with the rainy season (occasional heavy rains, not monsoon) in May to July. Building regulations since 1995 have limited the number of floors in buildings to 2, resulting in a complete absence of high-rise apartment complexes, and no industry is allowed on the island.

Geography

* State -

* Region - RMR (

) * Boundaries -

Goiana Goiana () is a city in Brazil in the northeast of the state of Pernambuco, roughly 65 km north of the city of Recife, 51 km from the capital of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Paraíba and 2,187 km from Brasília. Its historic center was ...

(N), Igarassu (S), Itapissuma (W),

(E) * Area - * Elevation - * Hydrography - Small coast rivers, most only running in the winter, lakes * Vegetation - Atlantic forest, numerous fruit trees (incl mango, avocado, coconut, cashew, and many others), mangrove * Climate - Hot tropical and dry * Annual average temperature - 29C (84F) * Main roads - BR 101 (mainland), PE 35 and PE 01 * Distance to

- 38 km

History

In the early 1500s before Portuguese colonization, when under Dutch control, the island was the site of a trading post for furs and other native goods, and transhipment depot for

Brazilwood ''Paubrasilia echinata'' is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. It is a Brazilian timber tree commonly known as Pernambuco wood or brazilwood (, ; Tupi: ) and is the na ...

. In 1516, was founded the first sugar cane mill in Portuguese America - the oldest still-inhabited, Portuguese settlement in America. The island at that time was occupied by various loosely related tribes of Tupi-Guarani native South American peoples. Later, the island became part of the Captaincy of Itamaracá (most of which today is occupied by the state of Paraiba) which took its name from the island, established by King John III of Portugal in 1534. The chief economic activity in the following century and a half was sugar cane processing, in ''engenhos'' (sugar mills), and coconut production. While Itamaracá was administratively separate, it operated as a political and economic subdivision of

. With the rise of the gold economy in the late 17th century, Itamaracá became economically isolated. Itamaracá is reputed for having one of the first, if not the first,

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community in the Americas. In the Yosef Goldman Collection, there is a book titled ''Sefer Shefa Tal'', a kabbalistic volume that was printed in Hanau, Germany, in 1612. It contains a handwritten statement of ownership by

Rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

Jacob Lagarto of a congregation in Tamarica, Brazil. Rabbi Lagarto came to Brazil as a young man and was the author of a volume of

aphorisms An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by tra ...

(copies of which, evidently, no longer exist). The book is the only known physical link to this Jewish community, since there are no other known artifacts from it.

Tourist attractions

* Beaches and water sports * Forte Orange, first built by the Dutch in 1631 and rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1654 * Vila Velha, seat of the former Itamaracá Hereditary Captaincy (Church of Our Lady of the Conception, colonial houses) * São João and Amparo "engenhos" (historic sugar mill and plantation complexes) * Ibama's centre of sea mammals (

Trichechus manatus The West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus''), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the Eastern United States to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it ...

) * Nossa Senhora da Conceição: Second oldest church in

People

The Ciranda singer/songwriter Lia de Itamaraca comes from here.

Culture

Ilha de Itamaracá is renowned as the birthplace of one of

’s most iconic dances, the ''ciranda''. This dance is characterized by a large circle formed by participants holding hands, moving to a slow, repetitive rhythm. The ''ciranda'' was created by fishermen’s wives, who, while waiting for their husbands to return from the sea, kept themselves entertained with these movements.

Economy

The main economic activities in Itamaraca are based in tourism, fishing and local commerce.

Economic indicators

Economy by Sector 2006

Health indicators

PE State site - City by city profile
/ref>

Penal Facilities

Like many islands around the world, prisons were built there many years ago, (as many people could not swim at that time). Itamaracá island still has two prisons, which are nearing the end of a long term relocation program to a new facility being built near Itaquitinga on the mainland. The prisons are located on the leeward side of the island, away from the tourist areas, and have little impact other than the psychological awareness of their existence.

Gallery

File:Forte Orange looking out to sea.jpg, Forte Orange looking out to sea File:Coroa de Aviao beach.jpg, Coroa de Aviao beach looking out to sea File:Pilar and beach.jpg, Pilar and beach File:Bridge to the island.jpg, Bridge and causeway to the island File:Forte Orange area looking towards Coroa.jpg, Forte Orange area looking towards Coroa File:Rio Ambar beach.jpg, Rio Ambar beach File:Itamaraca.jpg, Forte Orange beach looking towards the Coroa islet File:Estuary Itamaracá.jpg, Estuary of river Jaguaribe File:Forte Orange entrance (before restoration work).jpg, Forte Orange entrance (before restoration work) File:Fort Orange.jpg, Fort Orange internal File:Pilar Church.jpg, Pilar church File:Party time!.jpg, Party time! File:Messing about in boats round the island!.jpg, Messing about in boats round the island!

References

External links

Itamaracá island
{{DEFAULTSORT:Itamaraca Atlantic islands of Brazil Populated coastal places in Pernambuco Former Portuguese colonies Municipalities in Pernambuco Beaches of Brazil