Fortaleza

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Fortaleza
Mucuripe Beach in Fortaleza
Flag Seal
Nickname: Fortal
Motto: "Fortitudine"
Location in the state of Ceará and Brazil
Country	Brazil
Region	Northeast
State	Ceará
Founded	April 13, 1726 (officially)
Government
- Mayor	Luizianne Lins (PT)
Area
- City	313.8 km² (121.1 sq mi)
Elevation	21 m (68.9 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
- City	2,416,920
- Density	7,587.68/km² (19,611/sq mi)
- Metro	3,415,455 (93th)
- Demonym	Fortalezense
Time zone	UTC-3 (UTC-3)
HDI (2000)	0.786 – medium
Website: Fortaleza, Ceará

Fortaleza (Portuguese for fortress, pronounced [foxtaˈlezɐ]) is the state capital of Ceará, located in northeastern Brazil. With a population of over 3.4 million (metropolitan area), Fortaleza has an area of 313 km². To the north of the city lies the Atlantic Ocean; to the south are the cities of Pacatuba, Eusébio, Maracanaú and Itaitinga; to the east is the county of Aquiraz and the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west is the city of Caucaia. Residents of the city are known as Fortalezenses. The current mayor is Luizianne Lins.

The Pinto Martins International Airport connects Fortaleza with Brazilian cities and also operates international flights.

The city is home to the Federal University of Ceará.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 2.2 Vegetation 3 Demographics 4 Curiosity 5 Economy 6 Education 6.1 Colleges and Universities 7 Culture 7.1 Landmarks 8 Tourism and recreation 9 Infrastructure 9.1 International Airport 9.2 Highways 9.3 Metro 9.4 Port 10 Sports 11 Famous Fortalezenses 12 Sister cities 13 References 14 External links 14.1 Official websites 14.2 Other websites

[edit] History

Fortaleza's history began on 2 February 1500, when Spaniard Vicente Pinzón landed in Mucuripe's cove and named the new land Santa Maria de la Consolación. Because of the Treaty of Tordesillas, the discovery was never officially sanctioned. Colonisation began when the Portuguese Pero Coelho de Souza constructed the Fortim de São Tiago in the estuary of Ceará River in 1603. Later, the Dutch occupied the Brazilian Northeast and founded the Fort Schoonenborch. When they were expelled from Ceará, the Portuguese renamed it to Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Assunção. In 1726, the town of the fort was raised to the condition of village. In 1799, the Province of Ceará was separated from the Province of Pernambuco and Fortaleza was chosen as its capital.

During the 19th century, Fortaleza consolidated as an urban center in the Ceará, supported by the sprouting of cotton growing. With the increase of the direct navigational communications with Europe the Customs of Fortaleza was created in 1812. In 1824, the city became agitated with the revolutionaries of Confederation of the Equator. Between the years of 1846 and 1877, the city goes through a period of enrichment and improvement of the economic activities and urban infrastructures including the exportation of the cotton and the development of diverse workmanships, such as the creation of the 2 secondary school of the Ceará and Mucuripe Lighthouse in 1845, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Fortaleza in 1861, Prainha Seminary in 1864, Public Library in 1867 and the Public transportation network in 1870, which began with the construction of Railroad of Baturité. In the decades of 1870 and 1880, a period referred to as abolitionism and republican movements culminated in the release of the slaves in the Ceará, on 25 March 1884. The literary movement Spiritual Bakery appeared in 1892 and pioneered the spreading of modern ideas in literature in Brazil. Other entities of the time included the Ceará Institute and Ceara`s Academy of Letters established in 1887 and 1894 respectively.

In the twentieth century, Fortaleza underwent through big urban changes, with improvements and the rural exodus, and grows mostly happening towards the end of the decade of 1910 and becoming the seventh city in population of Brazil. In 1954, the first university of the city was, the UFC. Between the decades of 1950 and 1960, the city went through an economic expansion above 100% and began the more distant occupation of neighborhoods of the center. To the end of the years 70 begins its emergence as the future industrial center of the Northeast with the implementation of the Industrial District of Fortaleza. During the political opening after the Military Regime, the people elected the first woman mayor Will Dine, Maria Luiza and became the first city hall commanded by a leftist party. At the end of the century, the administration of the city hall and the city underwent diverse structural changes with the opening of several avenues, hospitals, cultural spaces and emerging as one of the main tourist destinations of the Northeast and of Brazil.

[edit] Geography

Climate chart for Fortaleza
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
78   31 25	108   31 25	202   30 25	238   30 25	119   30 25	101   30 24	44   30 24	25   30 24	14   30 25	8   31 25	8   31 26	20   31 26
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: MSN Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.1   88 77     4.3   88 77     8   86 77     9.4   86 77     4.7   86 77     4   86 75     1.7   86 75     1   86 75     0.6   86 77     0.3   88 77     0.3   88 79     0.8   88 79 temperatures in °F • precipitation totals in inches

[edit] Climate

Fortaleza has a typical tropical climate, with high temperatures and high relative humidity throughout the year. However, these conditions are usually relieved by pleasant winds blowing from the ocean. Average temperatures are not much different throughout the year. December and January are the warmest months, with a high of 31 °C (88 °F) and low of 25 °C (77 °F). Rainy season goes from February to May (locally called "winter" due to the rain, not the temperature).

[edit] Vegetation

Fortaleza has a Tropical forest. Rainforests are characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 2,000 mm (about 78 inches or 2 meters) and 1,700 mm (about 67 inches). The soil can be poor because high rainfall tends to leach out soluble nutrients. There are several common characteristics of tropical rainforest trees. Tropical rainforest species frequently possess one or more attributes not commonly seen in trees of higher latitudes or trees in drier conditions on the same latitude.

[edit] Demographics

According to the IBGE of 2007, there were 3,427,000 people residing in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza. The population density was 7,587.68 inh./km². The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 2,087,043 million Pardo people (63.2%), 1,199,450 million White people (34.0%), 109 thousand Black people (2.4%), 30 thousand Asian or Amerindian people (0.4%).^[2]

One of the main causes of Population growth of Fortaleza throughout history was the period of driess in the hinterland and the consequent escape for the city, Rural exodus, as well as the search for better conditions of job and income. The population of Fortaleza while administrative entity, village in the times of Colonial Brazil, is esteem in 200 inhabitants. The first discrepante point of the population growth of Fortaleza happened between 1865 and 1872 when the construction of the Railroad of Baturité had beginning. For demanding a great man power the population of the city grew with the economy. In 1877 other dries made a great amount of flagellates to migrate for Fortaleza and around. Migrations had still happened again in the droughts of 1888, 1900, 1915, 1932 and 1942. In these three last dates had been installed concentration camps in the hinterland to prevent the arrival of retirantes to the capital, however quarters of high demographic density as the Pirambu and other regions of the periphery have its directly on processes of formation with the migrations of camponeses seduced for the promises of the modernity of the greater urbe of the Ceará.

In 1922 Fortaleza reached its first hundred of thousand of inhabitants with the annexation of the cities of Messejana and Parangaba that today are important quarters of the city. Parangaba was a city with superior population the 20,000 inhabitants a time that was the first station before Fortaleza, what it made it to receive a great amount from retirantes of the droughts.

During the years of 1964–1985 had in Fortaleza diverse changes that had made of the city a polar region of industries. In the first government of Virgílio Távora (1963 - 1966) had beginning the implantation of Industrial District of Fortaleza (DIF I). One decade later, Fortaleza already counted almost on a million of inhabitants when had been created in Brazil Metropolitan area in 1973 passing the city to consist in one of them. In 1983 DIF I started to integrate the territory of the new city of Maracanaú that, so soon he was servant, it started to be part of the Fortaleza Metropolitan area.

In the decade of 1980 Fortaleza exceeds Recife in population terms, becoming it second northeast more populous city with 1.308.919 inhabitants. Throughout the last decades of the twentieth century the city was “swelling” each time more until more than reaching two million inhabitants in the year 2000. With a current population estimate in 2.458.545 inhabitants, Fortaleza is 4ª more populous city of Brazil, behind São Paulo, Rio De Janeiro and Salvador.

[edit] Curiosity

Vehicles: 510,691 (March/2007); Daily Newspapers: 3 (May/2007); Established: 04/13/1726.

Source: IBGE.

[edit] Economy

The economy of Fortaleza has his bigger prescription (the PIB present is of R$ 15,79 billion)^[3] arising from of the its commerce diversified. To main plaza is the most greatest Center concentrating number of commercial establishments. Another important pole of sale of the products industrialized in Fortitude is the Avenue Monseigneur Tabosa, near to the tourist pole of the Iracema beach. Exist in the several city shoppings among the biggest they have the Iguatemi, North Shopping, Aldeota, Del Paseo, and others, but still is, unfortunately, a poor city, with many problems of Sanitation and slums. The industry has in the output of footwear, products textiles, leathers, skins and sustenances, beyond the extraction of big minerals highlight in the local economy.

The GDP for the city was R$ 19,734,557,000 (2005).^[4]

The per capita income for the city was R$ 8,309 (2005).^[5]

[edit] Education

Portuguese is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But English and Spanish are part of the official high school curriculum.

[edit] Colleges and Universities

Education in Fortaleza is provided by a vast number of public and private institutions. Fortaleza is home to some of the most important universities and research centres in northeast Brazil.

• Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), (federal, free);
• Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), (state-owned, free);
• Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica do Ceará (CEFET-CE), (federal, free);
• The largest private institution is Universidade de Fortaleza (UNIFOR), (private);
• Universidade do Vale do Acaraú (Uva), (private);
• Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA);
• Faculdade Farias Brito (FFB);
• Faculdade Integrada do Ceará (FIC);
• Faculdade 7 de Setembro (FA7);
• Faculdade Christus
• Faculdades do Nordeste (FANOR)
• Faculdade Latino-Americana de Educação (FLATED)
• FGF
• Faculdade Ateneu (FATE)
• UNICE
• Faculdade Lourenço Filho

[edit] Culture

Since the end of the 19th century, the city has been home to various cultural institutions. The Instituto do Ceará (Ceará Institute) was established in 1887, and conducts research in history, geography and anthropology. The Academia Cearense de Letras (Cearense Academy of Letters) was the first institution of the sort in the country, established on August 15, 1894. In 1892, Fortaleza was the site of a cultural movement of literary expression called "Spiritual Bakery". There are many other cultural centers, such as the Banco do Nordeste Cultural Centre and the Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture.

The folklore of Fortaleza is rich and diverse, and has roots in a mixture of beliefs originating from white colonisers and native groups. Minor, but also considered important, are Syrian-Lebanese and African traditions. Some of the cultural manifestations are:

• Bumba-meu-boi or Boi-Ceará: songs and dances of a religious cult to the ox, with Portuguese roots.
• Torém: dance originated by the tremembés.
• Violeiros, cantadores and emboladores: musical manifestations expressing social criticism, has typical northeast origins.
• Maracatu: Dance and music, the Fortaleza maractu is of the Baque Virado or Nação lines and is celebrated during carnivals.
• Dança do coco: originated by Afro-Brazilians. On the beach it is just for men and in the hinterland it is danced in pairs.

[edit] Landmarks

Fortaleza is the home of numerous landmarks. They include:

• Teatro José de Alencar
• Farol do Mucuripe
• Fortaleza's Cathedral
• Estátua de Iracema
• Forte Nan de Praire Statue
• Forte de Nossa Senhora da Assunção
• Palácio da Luz

Beach Park is a water park near Porto das Dunas, twenty minutes by bus outside of Fortaleza. Bico das Andreas is a mountain with waterfalls, a restaurant, and pools of cool water.

[edit] Tourism and recreation

The warm climate, warm ocean waters and the sandy beaches attract tourists. In recent years, many of the old hotels have been replaced by European-owned international resorts. Nightlife is full of festivities with bars, restaurants and shows as the primary attraction. The city is known for having the "wildest Monday nights in the world"^[6]. Some of the best bars and clubs are found near Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture. The Praia de Iracema (Iracema's beach), the first urban nuclei of the city, is home to many bars and restaurants. It includes the Ponte dos Ingleses (Bridge of the Englishmen) which is an ideal location for watching the sunset and spotting dolphins.

Fortaleza's urbanised beaches have warm waters. The scenery is complemented by the jangadas (small rafts used by many of Ceará's fishermen) for catching seafood for the Ceará cuisine. The Praia do Futuro (Beach of the Future) is a popular location with many beachside restaurants, built in the local style using carnauba straw and called "Barracas de Praia" (Beach Huts).

A few kilometers away from the city are other well-known beaches: Prainha, Iguape and Porto das Dunas. The latter two sporting large water parks.

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] International Airport

The Pinto Martins International Airport is the main airport of the city. The passenger terminal is air conditioned and has four levels. The basement level has parking for 1,000 cars as well as automatic teller machines and a stop for regular city buses.

The ground level has 31 check-in counters, airline offices, car rental agencies, special tourist information, a juvenile court bureau to facilitate travel of minors, a Civil Aviation Department (DAC) office, information counter, passenger arrival area and access to two taxi stops.

The second level contains shops, a food court and domestic and international boarding lounges. The top floor has a beer garden and panoramic deck overlooking the maneuvering apron with a view of the Fortaleza skyline. The apron is 152,857 square meters and can accommodate 14 aircraft at once in pre-established positions (“boxes”).

The scheduled airlines operating out of Fortaleza are Cabo Verde Airlines (code-sharing with TAP), TAM, Varig, Vasp and TAP. The airport also frequently receives domestic and international charter flights. The passenger terminal, opened in 1998, was designed to have a useful life of 50 years. The former terminal, called the General Aviation Terminal, is now used for general aviation and the fire brigade. The control tower is located alongside.

Construction of a cargo terminal is the next big step planned by Infraero. The new terminal will have roughly eight thousand square meters, boosting the cargo storage and handling capacity fourfold. Plans then call for the new terminal to be integrated with highway and railroad links.

[edit] Highways

Fortaleza possessed also one of the most modern systems of control and monitoring of the urban traffic of the country, the CTAFOR, that beyond arrange of a head office of traffic that big monitor breaks of the city through a system of 30 cameras of CFTV, dispóe also of a system of 20 variables Messages Panels (PMV) arranged in the main runners of traffic of the city for orient the traffic and of the best options of routes for the improvement of the fluidity of the traffic. Beyond that, 210 of the more of 500 signals of the city are considered intelligent signals that are controlled and monitored by the central one of traffic of the CTAFOR, with changes in real time in the times of the signals varying according to demand and composition of the traffic, contributing for the improvement of the fluidity of the traffic of big part of the urban area of Fortaleza.

[edit] Metro

The Fortaleza Metro - is the metro of the Metropolitan Region that links Fortaleza and three other cities. Its lines have roots in the old system of the Brazilian Company of Urban Trains (CBTU) in Fortaleza and is passing for an adaptation for attend to the parameters of the underground system. At present 22 stations are in operation: 13 in the south line and eight in the line West beyond the central station. With the entrance in operation of the metro will be implanted more 14 stations, three of them will be subterranean.

[edit] Port

The Port of Fortaleza is located in the inlet of the Mucuripe and is an artificial port. The quay has 1,054 meters of stretch. Has a platform of exclusive mooring for oil-producing. His area of warehouses has six thousand square meters and more of 100 thousand square meters of patio for containers. Possessed still two mills of wheat and is interconnected to the railway system by an extensive patio of maneuvers.

[edit] Sports

The most popular sport, as well as in the remainder of Brazil, is Soccer. The main games of the Championship of Ceará are played in Fortaleza. The premiere teams of Fortaleza include Ceará, Fortaleza and Ferroviário. Ceará and Fortaleza belong to the second division of Brazilian Soccer Championship, while Ferroviário plays in the 3rd division. There are several association football (soccer) clubs, such as Ceará SC, Fortaleza EC and Ferroviário AC. Strong winds make the Praia do Futuro an excellent place for nautical sports, and Fortaleza hosts world competitions of surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. Fortaleza appears to have a culture conducive to the production of high-level athletes in combat sports, as evidenced by several Fortalezans' recent success in mixed martial arts.^[7]

Fortaleza is one of the 18 remaining candidates to host games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

[edit] Famous Fortalezenses

• Alberto Nepomuceno
• Hélder Câmara
• Humberto de Alencar Castello Branco
• José de Alencar
• Karim Aïnouz
• Mário Jardel
• Rachel de Queiroz
• Shelda Bede
• Hermes Franca

[edit] Sister cities

• Racine, Wisconsin, USA
• Miami Beach, Florida, USA

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] Official websites

• (Portuguese) Fortaleza City Hall home page
• (Portuguese) Fortaleza City Council home page
• (Portuguese) Fortaleza Tourism Office home page
• (Portuguese) Fortaleza Metro Underground home page

[edit] Other websites

• (Portuguese) Fortaleza Convention & Visitors Bureau
• (English) Visit Fortaleza
• (Portuguese) Guide of Websites in Fortalza
• (English) Brazil Info Fortaleza Guide
• (English) Fortaleza beach
• (Portuguese) Fortaleza Guide
• (Dutch) Informatie en Bezienswaardigheden in Fortaleza

• Fortaleza is at coordinates 3°46′25″S 38°34′29″W / -3.7737, -38.5748 (Fortaleza)Coordinates: 3°46′25″S 38°34′29″W / -3.7737, -38.5748 (Fortaleza)

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