Ceará

State in the northeast of Brazil, bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean; area 148,016 sq km/57,149 sq mi; population (1996) 6,809,794. The state capital is Fortaleza. Apart from the coastal area, the land mainly comprises the northeast slopes of the Brazilian Highlands, deeply indented by watercourses that run into the sea. Temperatures are high throughout the year and the coast is extremely humid.

In Ceará's coastal area, rainfall is steady throughout the year, allowing cultivation of a variety of crops, including sugar cane, coffee, rice, and cotton. Other significant products grown here are: sisal and other fibres; carnauba and ouricouri wax from palm trees; oiticaca and other vegetable oils; and salt and fish. The interior, by contrast, is subject to periodic disastrous droughts which cause devastation and the migration south of much of the population. The vegetation here is largely brush and drought-resisting scrub bush and trees. However, cattle are reared and cotton grown on a substantial scale. There is also the processing of chemicals here. In the northwest of the state is the Ubajara national park. The state has a rich cultural and craft tradition, but economically it is largely poor and undeveloped. Poverty and disease are rampant, with dengue and yellow fever prevalent.