THE Northeast region economy do Brasil is the third largest in the country, behind the Southeast and South regions respectively. THE Northeast economy it was the one that showed the greatest growth in recent years.
In 2012, the gross domestic product grew by 3%, more than triple the country's average. It is in the Northeast Region that more than a quarter of the Brazilian population lives.
The economy of the Northeast Region is based on agriculture, plant and mineral extraction, industry and commerce, tourist activities, among others.
Agriculture
In the Northeast region, sugarcane agriculture is developed for the production of sugar and ethanol, in the Wood zone, a region that extends along a coastal strip, from Rio Grande do Norte to the south of Bahia, with emphasis on the states of Alagoas, Pernambuco and Paraíba.
The region was once the most important sugarcane producing area in the world and Brazil's main economic region in the 16th and part of the 17th centuries.
The cultivation of corn, beans, coffee, cassava, coconut, cashew nut, banana, sisal and algae predominates in several states.
The Mid North (Northeast West) is a transition area between the semi-arid Sertão and the humid Amazon, where the states of Maranhão and Piauí, is crossed by several rivers, along which large river plains are formed, used mainly for the culture of the rice.
With the correction of the cerrado soil in southern Maranhão and southeastern Piauí, the soybean crop is being developed. Bahia is the second national producer of orange and cotton in the country.
It also stands out in the production of soy. Cotton cultivation is also developed in Ceará, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba, which produces a naturally colored cotton.
Irrigated fruit growing, benefiting from the tropical climate, is developed in the Vale do Rio Açu, in Rio Grande do Norte, with large production of melon, watermelon etc., and in the Middle Valley of the São Francisco river, at the Sertão, mainly in the cities of Petrolina (PE) and Juazeiro (BA), where grapes, mangoes, melon, pineapple, papaya, etc. are produced, which are sold to the domestic market and exported through Petrolina International Airport to several countries.
Plant and mineral extractivism
In the extraction sector, the Northeast stands out in the production of oil and natural gas, produced in Bahia, Sergipe and Rio Grande do Norte, Piauí and Ceará. In Bahia, it is explored on the coast and on the continental shelf.
Rio Grande do Norte produces 95% of the sea salt consumed in Brazil. Pernambuco is responsible for 95% of the total Brazilian gypsum.
The Northeast also has deposits of granite, precious and semi-precious stones. The Itataia mine, in Santa Quitéria, Ceará, has one of the largest uranium reserves in the world.
Babassu, found in Piauí and in a large part of the territory of Maranhão, is important for the region, from its seed an oil used in the manufacture of soap, margarine, creams is extracted, from its leaves, baskets, mats etc. are manufactured.
Carnauba, a typical palm tree, found in the north of the states of Piauí and Maranhão, from which everything takes advantage, from the leaves, carnauba wax is produced, with wide industrial application.
Industry
The Northeast Region is experiencing an intense industrialization process. The Suape Port Industrial Complex, located in the city of Ipojuca, in Pernambuco, 40 km south of the city of Recife, is one of the main investment hubs in the country.
There are more than 120 companies installed, including the Abreu e Lima Refinery, the Atlântico Shipyard South, Petrobras Distribuidora S/A, Shell do Brasil S/A, Arcor do Brasil Ltda, Bunge Alimento etc.
The Pernambuco Automotive Pole, located in Mata Norte in the state, receives the installation of the Fiat factory.
Around Recife, in the Metropolitan Region, there are mechanical, paper, food, cement, textile, electrical material and other industries.
The Camaçari Petrochemical Complex, in Bahia, has more than 90 chemical and petrochemical companies installed.
In Mataripe, Bahia, the Landulpho Alves oil refinery is installed. Fortaleza is an industrial center in the textile, food, footwear and clothing manufacturing sectors.
The Wine Route, in the São Francisco River Valley, with seven wineries located in the cities of Petrolina, Santa Maria da Boa Vista and Lagoa Large, all in Pernambuco and Juazeiro, in Bahia, concentrates an industrial and tourist center, with all the infrastructure for the visitors.
Read too: Recôncavo Baiano.
Tourism
The tourist activity in the Northeast is an important factor for the region's economy.
The region concentrates large areas full of natural beauties such as the extensive coastline, with beaches with warm and crystalline water, which are among the most beautiful beaches in the country, the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (PE), an ecological paradise, the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, the São Francisco Canyons among others.
In the Northeast Region are located historic cities, World Heritage Sites, such as the historic centers of Olinda (PE), São Luís (MA) and Salvador (BA).
The city of João Pessoa houses baroque buildings from the 16th century. Recife's historic center concentrates a large number of historic buildings.
The theater in New Jerusalem (PE), the largest open-air theater in the world, has already brought more than three million people to the region.
Learn more about Northeast region watching a video on the topic:
See too:
- Southeast Region Economy
- Northern Region Economy
