Maceió

Maceió (from the tupi “maçayó”, “maçaio-k” meaning “what covers a swamp”) is a Brazilian municipality, capital of the state of Alagoas, in the Northeast Region of the country. It occupies an area of 509,320km2, being 2.013km from Brasília. It is the most populous municipality of Alagoas. Its population is, according to the Population Census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), of 957,916 inhabitants. It integrates, with ten other municipalities of Alagoas, the Metropolitan Region of Maceió, totaling about 1.3 million inhabitants in 2015, being the most populous of Alagoas, being the 5th largest in the Northeast and the 16th in the entire country.

Climate

The city has an average annual temperature of 26°C to 30°C (50°F to 86°F). In the original vegetation of the municipality, the presence of herbaceous (grammies) and shrubs (few trees and spaced) can be observed. With an urbanization rate of the order of 99.75 percent, its Human Development Index is 0.721 considered high by the United Nations Development Program and the first in the state.

Tourism

Another strong point in the municipal economy is tourism. Maceió has a great potential to attract tourists due to its natural beauty and great cultural diversity. In addition, Maceió offers several leisure options and modern spaces for business, such as the new Cultural and Exhibition Center of Maceió, in the neighborhood of Jaraguá. In September 2005, the Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport was inaugurated, one of the most modern in Brazil. The neighborhood of Jaraguá was very popular during the late 1990s, with large investments from the city of Maceió. Nowadays, Jaraguá is a commercial neighborhood, endowed with banks, museums and colleges.

Maceió has several museums, libraries and cultural institutions. The Museu Palácio Floriano Peixoto has furniture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries; silverware, crystals and decorative objects; paintings by Rosalvo Ribeiro and other artists of Alagoas.

The Museum of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Alagoas has a rich collection, and it is basically composed of: canvases of famous painters, historical documents, objects and pieces belonging to the Afro-Brazilian cults of the early twentieth century, indigenous utensils, weapons that belonged to Lampião, furniture in various styles, etc. In the museum, there is also the most complete Afro-Brazilian collection in the country.

The Museum of Image and Sound maintains part of the Mayan memory recorded in photos, K-7 tapes and video tapes. There, data can be found on the main political, social and artistic events of the state. The building was built in the 19th century, more precisely in 1869. In its indebt, there is a model of the Statue of Liberty, made by the Fundição Val d’Osne at the turn of the 19th century to the 20th century.

The Museum of Natural History - UFAL is part of the Federal University of Alagoas and was created as a supplementary body of technical and cultural nature. The MHN has been providing scientific-cultural support to teaching, research, extension and technical cooperation activities in the field of natural sciences, students, teachers, researchers, technicians and the community in general.

Two institutions are important. One of them is the Gustavo Leite theater, located inside the Cultural and Exhibition Center of Maceió. He is the largest in Maceió and has a capacity of 1,251 people seated. The other institution is the Deodoro theater, with construction started in 1905 and finished in 1910. It is built in the neoclassical style with reflections of the Baroque.

In the heart of the charming city of Maceió stands a significant and imposing replica of the famous Statue of Liberty. This world icon, present from France to the United States, also found a home in Alagoas lands. The neoclassical sculpture, which represents freedom and democracy, is a historical landmark that symbolizes friendship between nations and the struggle for the progress of humanity.

Alagoas is known as the Brazilian Caribbean due to its beautiful beaches, for example in Maceió: the beach of Pajuçara, owner of great natural pools to relax and see fish, and waters with few waves; Ponta Verde, with beautiful coconut trees and make good shades, in addition to the calm sea; and Jatiúca, with stronger waves, but without losing the colorful. On the southern coast, not far from Maceió, three beaches draw attention: Praia do Francês, with a stretch of strong waves and another of weak waves when the tide is low; Barra de São Miguel beach, which stands like a little pool at low tide; and Praia do Gunga, considered one of the most beautiful in Brazil. On the northern coast, many beaches are visited by tourists. Starting at the beach of Sereia, Ipioca and following the beach of Paripueira that has beautiful natural pools and that are not crowded, as well as the Milagre and Porto de Pedras beaches that has an ecosystem of preservation of the manatee. The Japaratinga and Maragogi beaches have warm, green and clear waters that resemble the Caribbean.

Urban mobility and accessibility

Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport has an energy cogeneration system and capacity for 4.6 million passengers per year. The airport was built with resources from Infraero, Federal Government and State Government. In addition, the airport is fully qualified to operate international flights, which happens more frequently in the summer season. In 2009, it presented a movement of more than 1 million passengers, of which more than 22,000 from international flights from Italy, Argentina, Chile, Germany, Portugal, United States, England, France, Spain, among other countries.

Maceió has a fleet of about 1,502 units between common buses and minibuses.

There are only five bike paths in the city: one on the seafront, one at the multisectoral pole, one on the lagoon, and in the Marcio Canuto and Josepha de Melo Avenues.

The port of Jaraguá, or Port of Maceió, is located in the neighborhood of Jaraguá, between the beaches of Pajuçara and Avenida. It is managed by Companhia Docas do Rio Grande do Norte - CODERN through the Administration of the Port of Maceió (ADPM), and has the largest sugar terminal in the world, besides being one of the busiest in the Northeast. The port has a plow capable of operating ships from the most modern fleets in the world, post-panamax, about 200 meters long. In 2006, the accumulated movement was more than 3.6 million tons.