Sergipe
Sergipe,
that covers 22,050 sq km, is the smallest Northeastern State.
The name derives from the native Tupi language and means ‘crab
river’. Aracaju was founded in 1855 and was planned to be the
State’s capital, as the old one, São Cristovão,
did not have the adequate shipping facilities to handle Vale do
Cotinguiba sugar exports.
Sergipe’s
history tells us of French invasions during the years of
discovery, that were mainly after brazilwood, and a brief Dutch
take-over between 1637 and 1645 of São Cristovão,
which was practically destroyed when they were expelled. Today,
this fourth oldest city in Brazil still has a lot of unspoilt 17th
and 18th century architecture. The town of
Laranjeiras is considered the cradle of Afro-Brazilian
traditions in Sergipe.
In
this region, the State’s sugarcane plantations were
concentrated, and many cultural expressions, forgotten in other
Northeastern states, are kept alive here.
Aracaju
has a 30 km sandy coastline, dotted with stalls from beginning
to end. Many traditional dishes on menus in the State, are based
on crab meat, abundant in the region’s swampland.
To
take advantage of the festivities the best time to visit Aracaju
is during the local festivals, the first being the so called
‘pre-caju’ a 15 day revelry that precedes Carnival. Then in
June, there are the Santo Antonio, São João and São
Pedro celebrations, so popular throughout all Northeastern
States and here, accompanied by the authentic and contagious
forró music.
The
immense São Francisco River runs into the Atlantic Ocean
at the Northern border with Alagoas, and the meeting of the
water is a spectacle that attracts many visitors. The river is
navigable as far as where the river was damned, submerging a
canyon, for the Xingó hydroelectric power station in the
district of Canindé do São Francisco.
The
most important road links are BR-101, which runs North to South,
and BR-235, that crosses from East to West. Sergipe is the
fourth major oil producer in Brazil. It also boasts the highest
maracujá passion fruit exports, and is second in the
orange and coconut processing sectors.
