Recife - Culture

Recife was built as a port city along tropical, white-sand beaches lined with palm trees. It is the capital of the north-eastern state of Pernambuco . Recife is a fast-growing urban area that has been called the "Venice of Brazil" because it is dissected by numerous waterways and connected by many bridges. The city got its name from the coral reefs that line the coast. Local fishermen go out into the high seas in jangadas , crude log rafts with beautiful sails unique to the area, that require expert navigational skills to manoeuver. Recife exports great quantities of the hinterland's products, including sugar, cotton, and coffee. Its population is around 1,500,000

Recife, also Pernambuco, city and seaport in north-eastern Brazil, capital of the state of Pernambuco, on the Atlantic Ocean, near the easternmost tip of South America. The city, one of the largest in Brazil, is divided by waterways into separate districts. Major districts include Sγo Josι, a commercial and financial district on a peninsula; Boa Vista, a business and residential district on the mainland; and Santo Antτnio, a governmental district on Antτnio Vaz Island.
Its principal industries are importing and exporting, sugar refining, cotton milling, iron working, pineapple canning, tomato preserving, and the manufacturing of cement, asbestos, paper, roofing, and leather goods.

Recife is the fourth-largest city in Brazil, it is less modern and cosmopolitan than its more famous counterparts. Recife and its environs have only recently become a tourist destination, so visitors are often a novelty for its inhabitants, especially those of the neighbouring fishing villages.

Recife's name was derived from the Portuguese word for reef, referring simply to the city's situation behind a long and protective coastal reef. Recife is a major port city, and much of its energy and culture has its source in the constant influx and outflow of trade. High rises, colonial churches, and markets quilt the city with a mix of old and new. Often called the Venice of Brazil for its many canals, bridges, and tiny one-way streets, Recife is a wonderful city in which to wander about, letting chance provide a memorable discovery or two

The wealthy Boa Viagem district provides a good home base. This waterfront area is Recife's real center, possessing both the city's finest beach and a wealth of fine restaurants. Much of Recife's nightlife is here, as well as in Gracas. From there, the old city can be explored as well. Beginning at the Praca da Republica, one can visit the impressive, 19th-century Teatro Santa Isabel and proceed to the Catedral de Sao Pedro dos Clerigos. After passing through the colourful Mercado do Sao Jose (Saint John's Market), visitors can wind up a walking tour of the old city at the Basilica de NS da Penha.

Recife's deep cultural roots are notable, and its traditional cultural activities should not be overlooked. Recife is one of Brazil's richest places to explore folk art and craft, including music, dance, sculpture, and painting. Its traditional handicrafts include clay figurines, wood sculptures, leather goods, and woven straw, all to be found at festivals and markets around the city as well as at the Casa da Cultura de Recife (Recife Cultural Centre).

Local fishermen go out into the high seas in jangadas, crude log rafts with beautiful sails unique to the area, that require expert navigational skills to manoeuver.