Fortaleza

Fortaleza, Ceará
Downtown Fortaleza
Flag of Fortaleza, Ceará Flag
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)
Elevation	21.0 m (68.9 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Total	2,416,920
Time zone	UTC-3 (UTC-3)

For the fortress and governor's mansion in Puerto Rico, see La Fortaleza.

Fortaleza (Portuguese for fortress, pronounced [foh.ta.le.zɐ]) is the state capital of Ceará, located in northeastern Brazil. With a population of over 2.4 million, it is the fourth most populous city in Brazil and the third most important city in the region in economic terms, after Recife in Pernambuco and Salvador in Bahia. Fortaleza has an area of 336 sq km. 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 west is the city of Caucaia.

History

Fortaleza's history began on February 2, 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 and, around the well-preserved fort, a small village grew to become the fifth largest city in Brazil. In 2004, Luizianne Lins was elected as mayor.

Tourism

Three thousand hours of sunlight per year and the constant ocean breeze make Fortaleza an appealing tourist attraction. The nightlife is full of festivities, with bars, restaurants, and shows. The city is known for having the "wildest Monday nights in the world". Some of the best bars and clubs can be found near Dragão do Mar. The Praia de Iracema (Iracema's beach), one of the first urban nuclei of the city, holds many bars and restaurants as well. It includes the pier known as the Ponte dos Ingleses (Bridge of the Englishmen) —located near the old docks—which is used to watch the sunset and spot dolphins.

Kitesurfing in Fortaleza.

Fortaleza's urbanised beaches have warm waters. The scenery is complemented by the jangadas (small rafts used by many of Ceará's fishermen), which catch seafood for Ceará cuisine. The Praia do Futuro (Beach of the Future) is a popular meeting place for bathers, with many beachside restaurants, built in the local style using carnauba straw and called "Barracas de Praia" (Beach Huts.) On Thursday nights, the beach becomes the focus of the city's nightlife, with live music, forró, and crab a popular choice to eat.

View of Fortaleza's Beira-Mar.

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

Fotaleza is served by the Pinto Martins International Airport.

Cultural features

Fortaleza has a very rich cultural life. 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 centres, such as the Banco do Nordeste Cultural Centre and, most important, Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture.

The folklore of Fortaleza is rich and diverse, having roots in a mixture of beliefs of white colonisers and Indian/native groups. More 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 Indians,
• Violeiros, cantadores and emboladores: musical manifestations expressing social criticis, has typical northeast origins,
• Maracatu: Dance and music, the Fortaleza maractu is the Baque Virado or Nação lines and is celebrated on the 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.

Landmarks

Fortaleza is the home of numerous landmarks and is a popular tourist destination. Landmarks include:

• José de Alencar playhouse
• Mucuripe lighthouse
• Cathedral
• Iracema Statue
• Forte Nan de Praire Statue
• Nossa Senhora da Assunção Fort
• Palace of Light

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.

The city is always growing and has some fascinating architecture as well.

Education

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 the Northeast of Brazil. Universidade Federal do Ceará and Universidade Estadual do Ceará are the public universities in the city. The greatest private institution is Universidade de Fortaleza.

Sports

Fortaleza provides visitors and residents with various sport activities. There are several association football (soccer) clubs based in Fortaleza such as Fortaleza EC, Ferroviário AC and Ceará SC. Strong winds make the Praia do Futuro an excellent place for nautical sports, and Fortaleza hosts world competitions of surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

External links

• Fortaleza City Hall Website (in Portuguese)
• Fortaleza Guide
• Visit Fortaleza
• Fortaleza beach
• Fortaleza's Online Community

Travel Information:

• [http://www.brazilinfo.co.uk/ Brazil Info Fortaleza Guide