The archipelago of Fenrnando de Noronha is located on the Northeast Brazilian coast, 545km from Recife, capital of Pernambuco, and 710km from Fortaleza, capital of Ceara. It`s a 26Km2 complex and it`s composed of 21 islands and cliffs. It`s got a very interesting and troubled history for such a small place.
It was originally described by Americo Vespucci, then was taken over by the Portuguese, the English, the French and the Dutch, before finally it returned to the hands of the Portuguese Kingdom. It was dependent of Pernambuco for a long time, then became a political prision, a hiding spot of Americans during the Second World War, and even a NASA operations base for some time. It finally became a State District some years ago. Today it`s one of the most appreciated ecological paradises in the whole world. |
