Sergipe

Sergipe is one of the twenty-six states that, together with the federal district, make up the Federative Republic of Brazil. Its capital is Aracaju. It is located in the Northeast region of the country. It limits to the north with Alagoas, to the east and south with the Atlantic Ocean and to the west with Bahia. With 21,915.1 km², it is the smallest state, with 2,338,474 inhabitants. in 2021 it is the sixth least populated — ahead of Rondônia, Tocantins, Acre, Amapá and Roraima, the least populated — and with 102 inhabitants/km², the fourth most densely populated, behind Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Alagoas. The state has 1.1% of the Brazilian population and produces only 0.6% of the Brazilian GDP.

Etymology

The name of the state (in colonial times, Sergipe Del Rey) comes from the ancient Tupi language and means the "river of crabs" (referring to the Sergipe river), through the combination of the words siri ("crab"), y ("water") and pe ("de").

History

In 1575, the Jesuits tried to colonize the lands of the current state of Sergipe, but only in 1590 the indigenous were finally defeated by Cristóvão de Barros, founder of the fort and the town of São Cristóvão. Between 1637 and 1645, Sergipe was under Dutch rule, a period in which its economy was greatly damaged. With the recovery of the lands by the Portuguese, agriculture of sugar cane and cattle ranching developed.

In 1820, it was established as an autonomous captaincy, separated from Bahia. With the independence of Brazil, Sergipe was transformed into a province of the Empire. During the 19th century, cotton plantations came to play an important role in the economy. In 1855, the capital was transferred from São Cristóvão to the town of Aracaju.

In the second half of the 19th century, the writers Tobias Barreto and Sílvio Romero projected Sergipe on the country's cultural scene.

Geography

Like almost all the states of the Northeast Region of Brazil, the interior of the state of Sergipe is almost completely covered by caatinga, Brazilian semi-arid vegetation. On the coastline there are mangroves and sandy beaches and also a small tract of tropical jungle accompanies parts of the coast. The São Francisco river forms the northern limit of the state and receives water from part of the rivers in the north and east of the state.

The southern half of the state is drained by small rivers that drain directly into the Atlantic Ocean, the largest being the Irapiranga River (also called the Vaza-Barrís River). Other important rivers are the Sergipe River, the Japaratuba River, the Piauí River and the Real River.

The climate is tropical, more humid the closer you are to the coast and more arid as you approach the sertão. Approximately 85% of the territory is less than 300 m above sea level, with a predominance of flat or slightly undulating land.

Economy

Street of commerce in Aracaju, capital of Sergipe.

Sergipe's economy is based mainly on the cultivation of sugar cane. Its extensive plantations, benefiting from fertile soil, produce more than 1.4 million tons of sugar per year. Contrary to many Brazilian states, cattle raising is not very important. In addition to sugarcane, manioc (617,400 t. per year), orange (14.4 million fruits) and coconut are cultivated. A small leather goods industry also exists. The most diversified trade is in the capital, Aracaju.

The Brazilian government has expanded the exploitation of oil and natural gas in the state.

Tourism

Aracaju view from the city of Barra dos Coqueiros.

Despite not having as much publicity as Bahia and Pernambuco, for example, there are various tourist attractions in the state, especially along its coastline. The capital, Aracaju, stands out with emphasis on its beaches, such as Playa de Atalaia, and the neighboring cities. One of them is Pirambu, 30 km north of Aracaju and which has a sea turtle preservation base. Another is the old capital São Cristóvão, founded in 1590. Finally, Laranjeiras, located 23 km west of Aracaju.

There are also catamaran tours that allow you to discover the São Francisco River, which separates it from the State of Alagoas.

Most populated municipalities

The listed municipalities have their population updated with the 2016 estimate.