Paraíba

Paraiba is a state on the northeastern coast of Brazil, home to the easternmost point of the Americas. Its capital is Joao Pessoa, one of the greenest and oldest cities in the country. Known for beaches, sun and a relaxed pace, it sits where the continent reaches furthest into the Atlantic.

Paraiba runs from a palm-lined Atlantic coast, including Cabo Branco, the easternmost point of the Americas, across an agricultural zone to the semi-arid sertao interior. The climate is tropical on the coast and dry inland.

Paraiba is rich in northeastern folk culture, famed for forro, cordel literature, and the largest Saint John festivals in the country at Campina Grande. Crafts and a strong literary tradition mark its identity.

One of the early colonial captaincies, Paraiba developed through sugar on the coast and cattle in the interior. Joao Pessoa, founded in 1585, is among the oldest cities in Brazil, and the state retains deep northeastern traditions.