JOãO PESSOA

'João Pessoa' (IPA: ), formerly ''Parahyba'', sometimes called ''the city where the sun comes first,'' is a Brazilian city and the easternmost city in the Americas at 34º47'38"W, 7º9'28"S. Local residents call its easternmost point ''Ponta do Seixas.'' It is also considered "the second greenest city in the world". The city has more than 7 square kilometres of forested land, losing only to Paris. It gained this distinction in 1992, after a survey of urban centres in various countries carried out by the United Nations (source: Embassy of Brazil in the UK). The city is characterized by the juxtaposition of tropical beaches, modern architecture and historic buildings from colonial periods.
João Pessoa is the capital of Paraíba, a state in the northeast region of Brazil and home to some of the most noted Brazilian poets and writers such as Augusto dos Anjos (1884-1908), José Américo de Almeida (1887-1980), José Lins do Rego (1901-1957) and Pedro Américo (1843-1905) (mostly known for his historical paintings) . It is the state's largest and most important city, with a population of about 672,000 (about one sixth of the state's population - 2006 estimate). Its metropolitan area comprises eight other satellite cities (Bayeux, Cabedelo, Conde, Lucena, and Santa Rita) and about 384,000 people, reaching more than 1 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area.
Founded in 1585 as Filipéia, João Pessoa is the third oldest city in Brazil. It fell under Dutch occupation from 1634 to 1654, and was called ''Friederstadt.'' Portugal then reclaimed it and called it Paraíba. An important fortress was built in the north, in present day Cabedelo, which is inside the `Greater João Pessoa` area and is a port city. In 1930 the capital assumed its current name, after the assassination of the eponymous politician.

Contents

Tourism

Language

Transportation

Education

Major Events

Photography

Links

Tourism

Worldpress.org notes that "João Pessoa is full of preserved natural forests, squares and gardens, which is why it is considered one of the cities with the highest index of green area per inhabitant in the world. Another beauty of the city is the Ponta do Seixas, the easternmost point of South America, which can be seen from the majestic Farol do Cabo Branco (Cabo Branco Lighthouse)" and "natural pools of Picãozinho on the island Areia Vermelha."
João Pessoa has approximately 40 km of beaches (both residential and virgin) as well as many small, natural islands. The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism (BMT) notes that "on the outskirts of the capital are the most popular beaches in the State, such as Tambaú and Manaíra. Nearby it is possible to find one of the few Brazilian nudist beaches (naturism) that is officially recognized, Tambaba." In addition, BMT enphasizes that it is "full of parks and avenues which abound with fruit and ornamental trees; João Pessoa has many forest reserves, where one can find the coconut tree and man y other species of tree which constitute the coastal woodland landscape that attracts thousands of tourists every year."
João Pessoa has many green areas distributed among its avenues, parks, and residential neighborhoods, which all make it very pleasant and support its claim to be "the second greenest city in the world" with more than 7 square kilometres of forested land, second only to Paris. It was considered thus in 1992, after a survey of urban centres in various countries carried out by the United Nations (source: Embassy of Brazil in the UK[1]).



Tourism is one of João Pessoa's chief economic activities, together with construction, food, metalworking, and other industries. Sugar cane agriculture and related industries are also important.
João Pessoa mixes modern buildings with historic ones from colonial times, and hosts important museums and cultural institutions. The Church of San Francisco and the Convent Santo Antônio are located in an historic center and are landmarks of Brazilian baroque architecture, dating back to the XVIII century. The Church of San Francisco has a museum that exhibits a vast collection of sacred (pt.: sacra) and popular art.
A project entitled ESTAÇÃO CIÊNCIA, CULTURA e ARTES [2] (in Portuguese) by world renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer is being developed at ''Ponta do Seixas''.

Language

The official language is Portuguese, and the dialectal differences are mainly phonological. While there are many people that speak some English, it is not common outside the major hotels and tourist areas. Non-Portuguese speakers are advised to arrange for an interpreter to be able to enjoy tours, restaurants, etc. Major hotels can arrange this for those guests who wish to take “the road less traveled”. To be sure, learn the right question, “Você fala inglês?” (voh-say fah-lah in-glaysh? -- Do you speak English?).

Transportation

João Pessoa has an international airport (Presidente Castro Pinto) which is located in Bayeux, approximately 30Km from downtown. Currently the airport is being renovated. Access by car to the airport is by the state road BR-101. The following airlines offer regular flights to and from João Pessoa: BRA, Gol and TAM.
In the city, public transportation is mostly based on a private bus system, taxis and railways. The city has approximately 500 buses. A single passenger ticket can be used to travel around town and to make connections. There's a major terminal (Terminal de Integração do Varadouro) where passengers can change buses. An electronic ticketing system is being implemented to offer better efficiency to passengers. Currently the bus fare is R$ 1,60, or less than $1 USD.
Extended time or trips in taxis can often be negotiated directly with the driver. For example, a taxi from Campina Grande to Joao Pessoa, about two hours away, can be taken for about R$40, or $20 USD, depending on the exchange rate.
The railway system provides inter-city commuting for people from cities in the metropolitan area. The system only serves some parts in the west and north of the capital area, however.

Education

João Pessoa is home to the Federal University of Paraíba - UFPB, which offers degrees in fields such as medicine, engineering, law, the arts, and technology. In addition to the UFPB, other smaller private universities attract many students from within Paraíba and from other states. The "Centro Universitário de João Pessoa - UNIPÊ" offers courses ranging from psychology to law and the "Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Paraíba" offers degrees in medicine-related disciplines.
Partial List of Higher Education Institutions:

★ UFPB

★ UEPB

★ UNIPÊ- (Centro Universitário de João Pessoa)

★ IESP (Instituo Superior de Educação)

★ CEFET-PB

★ FAP

★ FESP

★ UniPB

★ FACENE

★ FAMENE

★ Faculdade De Ciências Médicas da Paraíba

★ Faculdade Santa Emília de Rodat - FASER

★ Faculdade Uniuol - Gestão em Finanças, Marketing e Varejo

★ UVA-UNAVIDA

Major Events

'Muriçocas do Miramar' (Feb)
[main street carnival held in the wednestay prior to official carnival days]
'Vem Viver a Paraíba' (Jan - Feb)
[“Come and Experience Paraiba” is a tourism fair and folklore performance event]
'Centro em Cena' (Jan)
[art and culture event]
'Folia de rua - Prévia Carnavalesca' (Feb)
[street carnival a few days prior to official carnival days]
'Carnaval da Melhor Idade' (Feb)
[carnival for senior citizens)
'Auto de Deus' (Apr)
[Passion Play of the crucifixion of Christ]
'São João Pessoa - São João fora de época' (to be announced)
[one of João Pessoa’s major regional music events]
'Feira Brasil mostra Brasil' (Jul)
[Trade Fair featuring Brazilian products]
'Festa das Neves' (Aug)
[Religious Celebration of the Patroness of the City: Santa Maria Maggiore]
'FENART João Pessoa' (Nov)
[major fine arts exhibition in the area]
'Vaquejada do Cowboy' (Nov)
[Rodeo-inspired event]
'Festa do Atum' (Dec)
[Popular festival dedicated to the tuna]
'Reveillon' (Dec 31)
[New-Year’s Eve festivities and fireworks at the beach]
note: see also PB-TUR site[3]

Photography

★ Aerial view of João Pessoa by Dirceu Tortorelo

★ Pictures From the Archives of the Federal University of Paraiba

★ Virtual Tourist Members’ Pictures of João Pessoa

★ Tambau Hotel: An Architectural Landmark

Links

★ João Pessoa - A Tropical Dream