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Maceió (), formerly anglicised as Maceio, is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state of
Alagoas Alagoas () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco (N and NW); Sergipe (S); Bahia (SW); and the Atlantic Ocean (E). Its capital is ...
,
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 ...
. The name "Maceió" is an Indigenous term for a spring. Most maceiós flow to the sea, but some get trapped and form lakes ("lagoas", in Portuguese). There are numerous maceiós and lakes in this part of Brazil; because of this, the city was named Maceió, and the state, Alagoas. The new Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport connects Maceió with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights. The city is home to the Federal University of Alagoas.


Etymology

The name "Maceió" has origin in the term ''tupi maçayó'' or ''maçaio-k'', that means "what it covers the swamp". The Aurélio Dictionary says that the term "maceió" means a temporary and cyclic lagoon that is located at the edge of the sea at the mouth of a watercourse small enough to be interrupted by a silicate bar until the high tide opens the way temporarily cyclically related to the season, river flow, lunar seasons, etc. Nineteenth-century shipping reports, which reported on ships bringing
cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
from Maceió, spelt it as Macaio.


History

The city began in an old sugar mill and plantation complex around the 19th century. Its development started with the arrival of ships taking wood from Jaraguá bay. With the installation of the sugar mills, Maceió started to export sugar, then tobacco, coconut, leather, and some spices. Prosperity made it possible for the settlement to become a village on December 5, 1815. Thanks to its continued growth, Maceió became the capital of the
Alagoas Alagoas () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco (N and NW); Sergipe (S); Bahia (SW); and the Atlantic Ocean (E). Its capital is ...
state on December 9, 1839. Maceió is also a port city and due to its port development about 200 years ago it changed from a village into a city.


Geography

The city is located between the
Mundaú Lagoon Mundaú Lagoon is an estuarine lagoon situated west of Maceió, capital city of Alagoas state, in Brazil. Its total area is . The lake receives the Mundaú River, and is connected to the Atlantic Ocean and Manguaba Lagoon by a network of canal ...
and the Atlantic Ocean, with a tropical climate with average temperature of . , its metropolitan area had a total population of 1,354,973 inhabitants.


Climate

Maceió has a typical
tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of or higher in the coolest month, featuring hot te ...
, specifically a
tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
: ''Am'', somewhat bordering on ''As''), with very warm to hot temperatures and high relative humidity all throughout the year. However, these conditions are relieved by a near absence of extreme temperatures and trade winds blowing from the ocean. January is the warmest month, with mean maximum of and minimum of and more sun; July experiences the coolest temperatures, with mean maximum of and minimum of accompanied by higher humidity and much more rain. The natural vegetation surrounding Maceió is
tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are dense and warm rainforests with high rainfall typically found between 10° north and south of the Equator. They are a subset of the tropical forest biome that occurs roughly within the 28° latitudes (in the torrid zo ...
. Rainforests are characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between . The soil can be poor because high rainfall tends to leach out soluble nutrients.


Economy

One substantial local industry is based on chemical products from brine pumped from deep wells on the outskirts of Maceió. Another substantial industry is the production of ethanol and sugar from sugarcane grown in the region. In the last thirty years the tourist industry has transformed the coastal areas of the city into vibrant centers of entertainment for Brazilian and foreign tourists (Americans, Italians, French, Germans, Argentinians, etc.). These coastal neighborhoods include coconut palm trees, playgrounds, squares, open-to-the-public football, volleyball, and basketball fields, residential buildings, bars, nightclubs, tourist-oriented shops, restaurants, banks, hotels, and gambling houses (slot machines and bingo only, since casino games are illegal in
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 ...
). The GDP for the city was R$23,400,000,000 (); The per capita income for the city was R$22,976.51 (). Strong point in the municipality's economy is tourism. Maceió has a great potential to attract tourists due to its natural beauties and great cultural diversity. In addition, Maceió offers several leisure options and modern spaces for business, such as the new Cultural and Exhibition Center of Maceió, in the Jaraguá District. In September 2005, the new Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport, one of the most modern in Brazil, was inaugurated. The Jaraguá neighborhood was very popular during the end of the 1990s, with large investments by the Maceió prefecture. Nowadays, the Jaraguá is a commercial district, equipped with banks, museums, pubs and colleges. Nordeste Invest, an event of tourism and real estate investments of international scope, happened in Maceió in the editions of years 2006 and 2009.


Gallery

File:Praia de Ipioca - Maceió - Alagoas (11394615784).jpg, Ipioca beach in Maceió File:Avenida Entrecoqueiros.JPG, Entrecoqueiros Avenue


Education

University level institutions include: * Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL); * Universidade Estadual de Alagoas (Uneal); * Universidade de Ciências da Saúde de Alagoas (Uncisal); * Centro de Ensino Superior de Maceió (CESMAC); * Centro Universitário Tiradentes (UNIT); * Faculdade de Alagoas (FAL); * Instituto Federal de Alagoas (IFAL); * Faculdade Maurício de Nassau * Faculdade Pitágoras de Maceió Top high schools of the city are: Maria Montessori (the best according to ENEM), Escola SEB (former INEI COC), Colégio Santa Úrsula, Colégio Intensivo, Colégio Marista de Maceió, Colégio Santa Madalena Sofia, Colégio Contato and others. (All private)


Culture

American jazz and rock and almost all Brazilian styles and dances are played all over the city in bars, pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, street festivals, concerts, private gatherings, and churches all the year round. Some classical music in concerts in the university, in the theater, and museums can also be heard. Movie theaters can be found in the Maceió Shopping, Pátio Maceió, Parque Shopping Maceió and Farol malls. Shows can be seen at the Deodoro Theatre and Gustavo Leite Theatre. Théo Brandão Museum (folk and primitive arts), Museum of the Historical and Geographical Institute of
Alagoas Alagoas () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco (N and NW); Sergipe (S); Bahia (SW); and the Atlantic Ocean (E). Its capital is ...
(fine arts and historical objects), Pierre Chalita Museum (fine arts), Museum of Image and Music (photographic, cinematographic, and sound exhibitions and archives), Museum of sport, Museum of natural history UFAL(museum which serves as the search for the Federal University of Alagoas).
Folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative art, decorative. The makers of folk art a ...
in the Théo Brandão Museum, and in outdoor markets at Pajuçara Beach and Pontal da Barra where one can buy works by local folk artists. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maceió.


Festa Junina

Festa Junina ''Festas Juninas'' (; "June Festivals/Festivities"), also known as ''festas de São João'' ("Saint John's Day") for their part in celebrating the nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24), are the annual Brazilian celebrations adapted from E ...
was introduced to Northeastern
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 ...
by the Portuguese for whom St John's day (also celebrated as
Midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest Daytime, day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of Eu ...
Day in several European countries), on June 24, is one of the oldest and most popular celebrations of the year. Differently from what happens on the European
Midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest Daytime, day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of Eu ...
Day, the festivities in Brazil do not take place during the
summer solstice The summer solstice or estival solstice occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). The summer solstice is the day with the longest peri ...
but during the southern hemisphere
winter solstice The winter solstice, or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's geographical pole, poles reaches its maximum axial tilt, tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern Hemisphere, Northern and So ...
. The festivities traditionally begin after June 12, on the eve of St Anthony's day, and last until the 29th, which is Saint Peter's day. During these fifteen days, there are bonfires,
fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...
, and folk dancing in the streets (step names are in French, which shows the mutual influences between court life and peasant culture in the 17th, 18th, and 19th-century Europe). Typical refreshments and dishes are served. Like during Carnival, these festivities involve costumes-wearing (in this case, peasant costumes), dancing, heavy drinking, and visual spectacles (fireworks display and folk dancing). Like what happens on
Midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest Daytime, day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of Eu ...
and St John's Day in Europe, bonfires are a central part of these festivities in Brazil. This is a typical Alagoas revelry that resulted from the union of Reisado (an Epiphany celebration), Auto dos Caboclinhos (Caboclinhos' Play), Chegança (public folk play depicting a naval battle) and Pastoril (outdoor folk play). Its choreography and costumes with colored ribbons and beads reproduce the cathedral's façades on the
monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
al hats covered with mirrors. This is a
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
tic dance motivated by the sea. It tells the sea adventures of the first navigators in its songs accompanied by guitar and ukulele. Boi do Carnaval is a popular culture display derived from Bumba-Meu-Boi. It is always presented together with La Ursa (The Bear), Vaqueiro (
Cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
) and a percussion band whose rhythm captivates everyone that hears it. Gogó da Ema was a famous
palm tree The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially c ...
with a crooked trunk roughly shaped like a curvilinear letter ''N''. The tree fell on July 27, 1955, at 2:20 in the afternoon."Praça Gogó da Ema"
from ''Coisas de Maceió: O portal dos alagoanos'' (''Things from Maceió: The port of the Alagoans)'' (website) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2008-02-05.
It has become a symbol for Maceian culture and tourism, and there is a beach named after the celebrated tree. The tree also appears in folkloric art and music throughout northeastern Brazil.


Main sights

Maceió is home to numerous beaches, the color of sea varying from emerald green to blue; the water is always clear. The sand is white and there are many coconut plantations. The Maceió sea has natural pools and reefs a few meters off the coast, that can be accessed by boat or raft sailings. The Mundaú lake is another option for sailing and bathing in transparent water. Historical buildings include the Cathedral of Our Lady of Pleasures (1840), the Deodoro Theatre, the Municipal Market, the Historical Institute Museum and the Floriano Peixoto Palace, seat of Alagoas State government.


Food

Gastronomy include fishes, shrimps, crabs and lobsters are some of Maceió's specialties. Fresh seafood is prepared from local recipes, such as tapioca, acaraje, carne-de-sol, cuscuz de tapioca. A kind of mollusk, the sururu, is appreciated in the city and is incorporated in many typical dishes.


Transportation


Public Transportation

Maceió is served by Maceió Urban Rail, a light rail system.


International Airport

Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport located outside Maceió serves the area with international connections to
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
in Portugal and
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
in Argentina, as well as cities throughout
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 ...
. In 2021 the airport handled 1,893,812 passengers.


Port

The Port of Jaraguá is a Brazilian port located in Maceió. The commercial and economic development of the Port of Jaraguá, next to the margins of the Mundaú lagoon, was responsible for the emergence of an important settlement that received the name of Maceió and later became the present capital of Alagoas. The Port of Jaraguá is situated in a natural port area that facilitates the ships docking. During the Brazilian colonial period, the most important products exported from there port were sugar, tobacco, coconut and spices. The Biggest Cruise Ship to attract at port was MSC Seashore in 2022.


Highways

Maceió is connected to the main cities of
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 ...
by the BR-104,
BR-101 The BR-101 (also called ''Translitorânea'' (transcoastal), officially named ''Rodovia Governador Mário Covas''.BR-316 and AL-101 highways. The distances to other Brazilian cities are shown below: *
Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...
: 2010 km (1249 mi); *
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 ...
: 270 km (168 mi); *
Aracaju Aracaju () is the capital of the state of Sergipe, Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country on the coast, about 350 km (217 mi) north of Salvador, Bahia, Salvador. According to the 2020 estimate, the city has 664,908 inha ...
: 290 km (180 mi); * Salvador: 610 km (379 mi).


Twin towns – sister cities

*
Aracaju Aracaju () is the capital of the state of Sergipe, Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country on the coast, about 350 km (217 mi) north of Salvador, Bahia, Salvador. According to the 2020 estimate, the city has 664,908 inha ...
,
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 ...
* João Pessoa,
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 ...
*
Gwangju Gwangju (; ), formerly romanized as Kwangju, is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated Special cities of South Korea, metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
*
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...


Neighbourhoods

There are today about 50 districts in Maceió: *Antares *Barro Duro *Bebedouro *Benedito Bentes *Bom Parto *Canaã *Centro de Maceió (Downtown) *Chã de Bebedouro *Chã da Jaqueira *Cidade Universitária *Clima Bom *Cruz das Almas *Farol *Feitosa *Fernão Velho *Garça Torta *Gruta de Lourdes * Guaxuma * Ipioca *Jacarecica *Jacintinho *Jaraguá *Jardim Petrópolis * Jatiúca *Levada *Mangabeiras *Mutange *Ouro Preto * Pajuçara *Pescaria *Pinheiro *Pitanguinha *Poço *Ponta da Terra *Ponta Grossa * Ponta Verde *Pontal da Barra *Prado *Petrópolis *Riacho Doce *Rio Novo *Santa Amélia *Santo Amaro *Santos Dumont *São Jorge *Serraria * Tabuleiro do Martins * Trapiche da Barra *Vergel do Lago.


Surrounding highlights

* Praia do Francês (French's Beach) * Barra Nova (New Waterway) * Dunas de Marapé (Dunes of Marapé) * Nove Ilhas (Nine Islands) * Massagüera (or Massagueira) * Barra de São Miguel (San Miguel Waterway) * Praia do Gunga (Gunga's Beach) * Sonho Verde (Green Dream) * Barra de Santo Antônio (Santo Antonio Waterway) * Maragogi * Murici * Japaratinga * Pontal do Coruripe * Statue of Liberty replica in front of ''Museu da Imagem e do Som de Alagoas'' (Museum of Image and Sound of Alagoas)


Notable people

* Arthur Lira, president of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil. * Bruna Tenório, fashion model. * Bruno de Barros, Brazilian sprinter, Olympic medallist. * Maurício Borges, Brazilian volleyball player, Olympic champion. *
Djavan Djavan Caetano Viana (; born 27 January 1949) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers in Brazilian history. Early life and career Djavan was born in Maceió, Brazil to a whit ...
, singer and musician. *
Fernando Collor de Mello Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello (; born 12 August 1949) is a Brazilian politician who served as the 32nd president of Brazil from 1990 to 1992, when he resigned in a failed attempt to stop his impeachment trial by the Brazilian Senate. Collor ...
, Brazilian president from 1990 - 1992. *
Floriano Peixoto Floriano Vieira Peixoto (; 30 April 1839 – 29 June 1895) was a Brazilian military and politician, a veteran of the Paraguayan War and several other conflicts, and the second president of Brazil. Born in (today a district of the city of ...
, second president of the Brazilian republic. * Graciliano Ramos, Brazilian writer and journalist. * Tiago Fernandes, former Brazilian tennis player, champion of the 2010 Australian Open at Boys Singles * Zagallo (Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo),
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
coach. * Maria Eduarda Arakaki, considered the best Brazilian rhythmic gymnast of all time. * Yohansson Nascimento, athlete, paralympic champion. * Nise da Silveira, psychiatrist. * Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira aka 'Pepe', footballer. *
Adriano Gabiru Carlos Adriano de Souza Vieira or simply Adriano Gabiru (born 11 August 1977 in Maceió), is a retired Brazilian attacking midfielder. He was member of the Brazil national team in qualifying at the 2000 Summer Olympics and 2003 FIFA Confedera ...
, football player, winner of the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup playing for
Sport Club Internacional Sport Club Internacional (), commonly known as Internacional, Inter de Porto Alegre, a cidade do Grêmio or simply Inter, is a Brazilian professional Association football, football club based in Porto Alegre. They play in the Campeonato Bras ...
. * Roberto Firmino, footballer. * Roberval Davino,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
coach. * Sandra Suruagy, volleyball player, Olympic medallist * Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca, First Brazilian President * Yuri de Souza, footballer.


See also

* Historic and Geographic Institute of Alagoas * History of Alagoas


References


External links

*
Tourism Maceió
*
AboutBrasil/Maceió
*
City Tour
*
Only Maceió
*
Neighborhoods of Maceió
*
Events in Maceió
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maceio Populated coastal places in Alagoas Municipalities in Alagoas 1815 establishments in Brazil State capitals in Brazil