Maceió (Portuguese pronunciation:[masejˈjɔ]), formerly anglicised asMaceio, is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state ofAlagoas,Brazil. The name "Maceió" is an Indigenous term for aspring.
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 newZumbi dos Palmares International Airport connects Maceió with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights. The city is home to theFederal University of Alagoas.
The name "Maceió" has origin in the termtupi maçayó ormaçaio-k, that means "that which 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 sand bar until the high tide opens the way temporarily - cyclically relates to the season, river flow, lunar phase, etc.[citation needed]
Nineteenth-century shipping reports, which reported on ships bringingcotton from Maceió, spelt it as Macaio.[3][4]
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 theAlagoas 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.
Maceió was reportedly hit hard by the2015–16 Zika virus epidemic.[5] 75% of all cases in Brazil were claimed to be registered in Alagoas. The cause for this concentration was never found.[5] In reality, while the epidemic's epicenter is considered to beBahia andPernambuco, the incidence rate of Alagoas, nestled in between these two states (together with Sergipe), was considered a "paradox" by the Ministry of Health authorities given its low number of reported cases during the epidemic.[6]
The city is located between theMundaú Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, with a tropical climate with average temperature of 25 °C (77 °F). As of 2021[update], its metropolitan area had a total population of 1,354,973 inhabitants.
Maceió has a typicaltropical climate, specifically atropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification:Am, somewhat bordering onAs), 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 due to trade winds blowing from the ocean.[citation needed]
January is the warmest month, with mean maximum of 32 °C (89.6 °F) and minimum of 22 °C (71.6 °F) and more sun; July experiences the coolest temperatures, with mean maximum of 27 °C (80.6 °F) and minimum of 17 °C (62.6 °F) accompanied by higher humidity and much more rain.[citation needed]
The natural vegetation surrounding Maceió istropical rainforest. Rainforests are characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 2,000 and 1,700 millimetres (79 and 67 in; 2 and 2 m). The soil can be poor because high rainfall tends to leach out soluble nutrients.[citation needed]
Climate data for Maceió (1981–2010, extremes 1961–present)
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 includecoconut 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 inBrazil).
The GDP for the city was R$23,400,000,000 (as of 2019[update]);[14] The per capita income for the city was R$22,976.51 (as of 2019[update]).[14]
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 theBrazilian colonial period, the most important products exported from there port were sugar, tobacco, coconut and spices. The Biggest Cruise Ship to attract at port wasMSC Seashore in 2022.
Maceió is connected to the main cities ofBrazil by theBR-104,BR-101,BR-316 and AL-101 highways. The distances to other Brazilian cities are shown below:
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