Recife

Recife (also Pernambuco), city and seaport in north-east Brazil, capital of the state of Pernambuco, on the Atlantic Ocean near the easternmost tip of South America. It is a major centre of import and export, and its principal industries include sugar refining, cotton milling, ironworking, pineapple canning, tomato processing, and the manufacturing of cement, asbestos, paper, roofing, and leather goods.

The city, one of the largest in Brazil, is divided by waterways into separate districts. These include São José, a commercial and financial district on a peninsula; Boa Vista, a business and residential district on the mainland; and Santo Antônio, a governmental district on Antônio Vaz Island. Located in the city are the University of Recife (1946), the Catholic University of Pernambuco (1951), and the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (1954). Because of its many waterways, Recife is sometimes called the Venice of America. The city was settled about 1535, captured by the English in 1595, and occupied by the Dutch from 1630 to 1654. Population 1,533,580 (2007 estimate).