Brazil Guide FINAL:BRAZIL 3 19/9/09 17:34 Page 20
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Natal
Rio Grande do Norte
While relatively unknown to most As legend has it, it was during this dates back to 1598 and the birth of
Europeans, with the exception of period that the musical and dance the city.
the Scandinavians that have always style peculiar to Natal and Rio
had a soft spot for Natal and Grande do Norte, forró, came about Today Natal is considered the
neighbouring Tibaú do Sul and as signs in English outside the administrative centre for the
Praia da Pipa region, the city is well city’s clubs and bars let the visiting region’s oil and gas industry, Rio
known to a group of Americans of a servicemen know that the dancing Grande do Norte being the second
certain age. and music were “for all”. largest Brazilian producer of oil
after Rio, and the third largest
In the early days of World War II the Unlike Salvador and Recife, Natal natural gas supplier.
US recognised the strategic value was never a major business or
of Natal and its location and with trading centre, and the sandy soil Tourists head for Natal for its sun,
the blessing of the Brazilian kept it in colonial times from being sea and sand. The centre of Natal’s
government built a major air base a producer of sugarcane. There is tourist trade is Ponta Negra beach,
at Parnamirim. The base was used no historic centre to speak of, where the majority of the best
as a staging post to ferry supplies although one city landmark is the hotels are located. Visitors looking
from the US to Africa and up to the well-preserved Forte dos Reis for something less built up will
European theatre of war. Magos, a five-pointed fort that head south to the small fishing
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