Mossoró
Encyclopedia
Mossoró is the second most populous city in the state of Rio Grande do Norte
, Brazil
. It is equidistant (four hours' drive) from Natal (approximately 277 km or 172 miles), the state capital of Rio Grande do Norte, and from Fortaleza
(approximately 260 km or 161.5 miles), the capital of the state of Ceará
. It is located nearly in the center of the Nordeste region, which has about 53.6 million people (28% of Brazil's population). It is also in the heart of Brazil's salt production area. Situated in the Agreste
-Potiguar mesoregion
, Mossoró is the country's largest land-based petroleum
producer.
", a gang
that plundered entire towns in the sertão
during the 1920s and 1930s, and the freeing of slaves five years before the Lei Áurea
abolished slavery in all of Brazil (1888). It was also the first city to give women the right to vote in Latin America
(Professor Celina Guimarães Viana cast the first vote in 1928), sparking a movement among other cities and states in Brazil that culminated in the official recognition of women's suffrage
by the national government in 1934. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mossoró
.
. World-famous Canoa Quebrada
beach is a short drive away in the neighboring state of Ceará
.
The Resistance Museum tells the story of the city and the city's native sons. However, the most famous attraction is the Mossoró Cidade Junina (Mossoró Junina City Festival), a summer festival (festa junina
) that attracts more than a million people during the month of June.
The city has a beautiful historic town, a hub of fascinating stories of the region's development. Main attractions include the Museu Municipal Jornalista Lauro da Escóssia (Journalist Lauro da Escóssia Municipal Museum), also known as the Cangaço
Museum, the Station Arts old railway station museum, the Oil Museum, St. Vincent Church, and the Cathedral of Santa Luzia. Other attractions include the famous Palace of Resistance, former residence of mayor Rodolfo Fernandes who was the leader of the resistance against the "Lamp band" (Lampião
) and served as a rampart against attacks from those notorious bandits. There is also the Bode Market, an ovine and caprine trading center where traders and buyers of sheep and goats continue the long-held rural traditions of the northeast, as well as the famous Central Market and the Railway Bridge.
In September, the city stages what could be the largest play in the world, the Auto Da Liberdade (The Procession of Liberty) with an all-paid cast of 2,000 and a 600-member chorus as part of its Festa da Liberdade (Brazilian independence celebrations).
Mossoró also has a shopping center, Mossoró West Shopping, which includes a 5-screen multiplex
cinema, Wi-Fi
internet connectivity, children's recreation and diaper
changing area, ATM
s, bowling alley, pharmacy
, and food court
among its many amenities.
Mossoró is also home to the Hotel Thermas Resort
which is the largest thermal water park
in Brazil. The heated water used in the resort arises from a zone of geothermal
hot springs
located in the vicinity of the city.
The following have campuses in the city:
.)
Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Norte is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern region of the country, occupying the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. Because of its geographic position, Rio Grande do Norte has a strategic importance. The capital and largest city is Natal...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is equidistant (four hours' drive) from Natal (approximately 277 km or 172 miles), the state capital of Rio Grande do Norte, and from Fortaleza
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.5 million , Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil. It has an area of and one of the highest demographic densities in the country...
(approximately 260 km or 161.5 miles), the capital of the state of Ceará
Ceará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
. It is located nearly in the center of the Nordeste region, which has about 53.6 million people (28% of Brazil's population). It is also in the heart of Brazil's salt production area. Situated in the Agreste
Agreste
In Brazil, the agreste is a narrow zone in the states of Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia between the coastal forest zona da mata and the semiarid sertão...
-Potiguar mesoregion
Mesoregion
A mesoregion is a geographic region of a size between that of a city or district and that of a nation....
, Mossoró is the country's largest land-based petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
producer.
History
For Brazilians, the main historical distinctions of the city are the driving out of the "LampiãoLampião
"Captain" Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, better known as Lampião , was the most famous leader of a Cangaço band, marauders and outlaws who terrorized the Brazilian Northeast in the 1920s and 1930s.-Biography:...
", a gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
that plundered entire towns in the sertão
Sertão
In Portuguese, the word sertão first referred to the vast hinterlands of Asia that Lusitanian explorers encountered. In Brazil, the geographical term referred to backlands away from the Atlantic coastal regions where the Portuguese first settled in South America in the early sixteenth century...
during the 1920s and 1930s, and the freeing of slaves five years before the Lei Áurea
Lei Áurea
The Lei Áurea , adopted on May 13, 1888, was the law that abolished slavery in Brazil.It was preceded by the Rio Branco Law of September 28, 1871 , which freed all children born to slave parents, and by the Saraiva-Cotegipe Law , of September 28, 1885, that freed slaves when they reached the age of...
abolished slavery in all of Brazil (1888). It was also the first city to give women the right to vote in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(Professor Celina Guimarães Viana cast the first vote in 1928), sparking a movement among other cities and states in Brazil that culminated in the official recognition of women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
by the national government in 1934. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mossoró
Roman Catholic Diocese of Mossoró
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mossoró is a diocese located in the city of Mossoró in the Ecclesiastical province of Natal in Brazil.-Leadership:* Bishops of Mossoró ** Bishop Mariano Manzana...
.
Population Growth
| 1991 | 1996 | 2000 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 192,267 | 205,214 | 213,841 | 234,390 | 241,645 | 244,287 | 259,886* |
- The IBGE population estimate for Mossoró as of 2010 stands at 259,886 people (96th largest municipality in Brazil).
Culture and Recreation
Although it does not have beaches within its city limits, there are several magnificent beaches in the surrounding area of the Costa Branca Pole such as the desert beaches of the city of Areia BrancaAreia Branca, Rio Grande do Norte
Areia Branca is a town and municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Norte in the Northeast region of Brazil.-References:...
. World-famous Canoa Quebrada
Canoa Quebrada
|thumb|right|200px|Canoa QuebradaCanoa Quebrada , known as the pearl of the east coast of Ceará, Brazil, is an international tourist beach resort 164 km from Fortaleza, in the municipality of Aracati....
beach is a short drive away in the neighboring state of Ceará
Ceará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
.
The Resistance Museum tells the story of the city and the city's native sons. However, the most famous attraction is the Mossoró Cidade Junina (Mossoró Junina City Festival), a summer festival (festa junina
Festa Junina
Festa Junina , also known as festa de São João for their part in celebrating the nativity of St. John the Baptist, are the annual Brazilian celebrations historically related to European Midsummer that take place in the beginning of the Brazilian winter...
) that attracts more than a million people during the month of June.
The city has a beautiful historic town, a hub of fascinating stories of the region's development. Main attractions include the Museu Municipal Jornalista Lauro da Escóssia (Journalist Lauro da Escóssia Municipal Museum), also known as the Cangaço
Cangaço
Cangaço is the name given to a form of "social banditry" in the Northeast of Brazil in late 19th and early 20th centuries. This region of Brazil is known for its aridness and hardships, and in a form of reaction against the domination of the land owners and the government, many men and women...
Museum, the Station Arts old railway station museum, the Oil Museum, St. Vincent Church, and the Cathedral of Santa Luzia. Other attractions include the famous Palace of Resistance, former residence of mayor Rodolfo Fernandes who was the leader of the resistance against the "Lamp band" (Lampião
Lampião
"Captain" Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, better known as Lampião , was the most famous leader of a Cangaço band, marauders and outlaws who terrorized the Brazilian Northeast in the 1920s and 1930s.-Biography:...
) and served as a rampart against attacks from those notorious bandits. There is also the Bode Market, an ovine and caprine trading center where traders and buyers of sheep and goats continue the long-held rural traditions of the northeast, as well as the famous Central Market and the Railway Bridge.
In September, the city stages what could be the largest play in the world, the Auto Da Liberdade (The Procession of Liberty) with an all-paid cast of 2,000 and a 600-member chorus as part of its Festa da Liberdade (Brazilian independence celebrations).
Mossoró also has a shopping center, Mossoró West Shopping, which includes a 5-screen multiplex
Multiplex (movie theater)
A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens, typically three or more. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an...
cinema, Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
internet connectivity, children's recreation and diaper
Diaper
A nappy or a diaper is a kind of pant that allows one to defecate or urinate on oneself discreetly. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caregiver...
changing area, ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s, bowling alley, pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, and food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
among its many amenities.
Mossoró is also home to the Hotel Thermas Resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
which is the largest thermal water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
in Brazil. The heated water used in the resort arises from a zone of geothermal
Geothermal
Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:* The geothermal gradient and associated heat flows from within the Earth- Renewable technology :...
hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
located in the vicinity of the city.
Colleges and Universities
The Federal University of the Semi-Arid is located in Mossoró.The following have campuses in the city:
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Mater Christi
- Faculdade de Enfermagem Nova Esperança de Mossoró - FACENE/RN
- Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte
Grade Schools and High Schools
You can see a listing of public and private elementary, junior, and senior high schools in Mossoró HERE (In PortuguesePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
.)
Airports
Mossoró is served by the following airports:- Mossoró AirportMossoró AirportGov. Dix-Sept Rosado Airport is the airport serving Mossoró, Brazil. Since May 27, 1953 the airport is named after Jerônimo Dix-Sept Rosado Maia , former Mayor of Mossoró and Governor of Rio Grande do Norte.-History:...
(Dix-Sept Rosado Airport) - 2.7 km away
- Aeroporto Internacional de Fortaleza (Pinto Martins International AirportPinto Martins International AirportPinto Martins International Airport is the airport serving Fortaleza, Brazil. It is named after Euclides Pinto Martins a Ceará-born aviator, who in 1922 was one of the pioneers of the air-link between New York and Rio de Janeiro....
) - 205.2 km away - Aeroporto Internacional de Natal/Augusto Severo International Airport (Wikipedia pageAugusto Severo International AirportAugusto Severo International Airport , formerly called Parnamirim Airport, is the airport serving Natal, Brazil, located in the adjoining municipality of Parnamirim...
) - 245.8 km away (will be handed over to the Brazilian Air ForceBrazilian Air ForceThe Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
at the end of 2013)
- Aeroporto Internacional da Grande Natal or Greater Natal International AirportGreater Natal International AirportGreater Natal International Airport or São Gonçalo do Amarante – Natal International Airport is a new airport presently under construction in São Gonçalo do Amarante, Brazil...
will open in 2014 in time for the 2014 FIFA World Cup2014 FIFA World CupThe 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
.
Distances to Other Brazilian Cities
| São Paulo São Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among... | Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... | Brasília Brasília Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the... | Salvador Salvador, Bahia Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first... | Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country... | Curitiba Curitiba Curitiba is the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is the largest city with the biggest economy of both Paraná and southern Brazil. The population of Curitiba numbers approximately 1.75 million people and the latest GDP figures for the city surpass US$61 billion according to... | Porto Alegre Porto Alegre Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian... | Manaus Manaus Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,274 km - 1,413 miles | 2,070 km - 1,286 miles | 1,652 km - 1,027 miles | 876 km - 544 miles | 1,779 km - 1,105 miles | 2,588 km - 1,608 miles | 3,126 km - 1,942 miles | 2,529 km - 1,571 miles |
See Also
- List of cities
- List of major cities in Brazil
- List of municipalities of Brazil
- Municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte (RN)