João Pessoa
Brazil · Americas
關於João Pessoa
João Pessoa is a port city in northeastern Brazil. It is the largest city and capital of the state of Paraíba, with an estimated population of 888,679 (as of 2024). It is located on the right bank of the Paraíba do Norte river.
The new "Estação Ciência, Cultura e Artes" (Science, Culture and Art Station), located at the most eastern point of the Americas (Ponta do Seixas), is an educational and cultural institution as well as a national landmark. The complex, inaugurated in 2008, was created by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and is one of his final projects.
The capital of Paraíba received the title of Creative City by UNESCO in 2017, appointing João Pessoa as "Brazilian city of handicrafts".
=== Background, foundation, and early years ===
In 1534, King John III of Portugal divided the colony into hereditary captaincies, with Paraíba being subordinated to the Captaincy of Itamaracá, extending from the Guaju River to the Goiana River. The Captaincy of Paraíba was created only in 1574, after the attack on Tracunhaém, a sugar mill in the Captaincy of Itamaracá. However, the new captaincy would only be effectively...
Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.