Ilha de Itamaracá is a tropical island and municipality in

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it List of Brazilian states by population, sev ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Itamaracá means "stone shaker" in Tupi, from the words ''itá'' ("stone") and ''mbara'ká'' ("shaker"). It is separated from the mainland by the Canal de Santa Cruz, a salt water channel both mouths of which are on the Atlantic Ocean, and is connected to the mainland by a long road bridge. Itamaracá has a total area of and had an estimated population of 26,672 inhabitants in 2020 according to IBGE. This is up from 16,000 in 2007, and reflects the increasing popularity of the island as a residential (rather than touristic) destination. It is located in the metropolitan area of

Recife That it may shine on all ( Matthew 5:15) , image_map = Brazil Pernambuco Recife location map.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location in the state of Pernambuco , pushpin_map = Brazil#South A ...

, the capital city of Pernambuco state, about an hour from Recife International Airport. The main activities of the population are fishing and, increasingly, tourism. Recife is located about to the south whereas Olinda, another important town of Pernambuco and also

UNESCO World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

, is to the south. It was awarded city status on 1 January 1959. About two thirds of the island is covered in protected natural rain forest ('Mata Atlantica'), with most human occupation and development occupying a narrow strip along the ocean front white sandy beaches, that stretch for around 12 km (7.5 miles) along the eastern coast. These beaches are protected by a reef 3 km (2 miles) off the coast, that encircles the island on the ocean side, making the island waters shallow, safe, and warm. Year round temperatures typically vary in a narrow range of 26-31C (79-88F), with the rainy season (occasional heavy rains, not monsoon) in May to July. Building regulations since 1995 have limited the number of floors in buildings to 2, resulting in a complete absence of high-rise apartment complexes, and no industry is allowed on the island.

Geography

* State -

* Region - RMR (

) * Boundaries -

Goiana Goiana is a city in Brazil in the northeast of the state of Pernambuco, roughly 65 km north of the city of Recife, 51 km from the capital of Paraíba and 2,187 km from Brasília. Its historic center was declared a National Histo ...

(N), Igarassu (S), Itapissuma (W),

Atlantic ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

(E) * Area - * Elevation - * Hydrography - Small coast rivers, most only running in the winter, lakes * Vegetation - Atlantic forest, numerous fruit trees (incl mango, avocado, coconut, cashew, and many others), mangrove * Climate - Hot tropical and dry * Annual average temperature - 29C (84F) * Main roads - BR 101 (mainland), PE 35 and PE 01 * Distance to

- 38 km

History

In the early 1500s before Portuguese colonization, when under Dutch control, the island was the site of a trading post for furs and other native goods, and transhipment depot for Brazilwood. In 1516, was founded the first sugar cane mill in Portuguese America - the oldest still-inhabited, Portuguese settlement in America. The island at that time was occupied by various loosely related tribes of Tupi-Guarani native South American peoples. Later, the island became part of the Captaincy of Itamaracá (most of which today is occupied by the state of Paraiba) which took its name from the island, established by King John III of Portugal in 1534. The chief economic activity in the following century and a half was sugar cane processing, in ''engenhos'' (sugar mills), and coconut production. While Itamaracá was administratively separate, it operated as a political and economic subdivision of

. With the rise of the gold economy in the late 17th century, Itamaracá became economically isolated. Itamaracá is reputed for having one of the first, if not the first,

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

community in the Americas. In the Yosef Goldman Collection, there is a book titled ''Sefer Shefa Tal'', a kabbalistic volume that was printed in Hanau, Germany, in 1612. It contains a handwritten statement of ownership by

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Jacob Lagarto of a congregation in Tamarica, Brazil. Rabbi Lagarto came to Brazil as a young man and was the author of a volume of aphorisms (copies of which, evidently, no longer exist). The book is the only known physical link to this Jewish community, since there are no other known artifacts from it.

Tourist attractions

* Beaches and water sports * Forte Orange, first built by the Dutch in 1631 and rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1654 * Vila Velha, seat of the former Itamaracá Hereditary Captaincy (Church of Our Lady of the Conception, colonial houses) * Sao Joao and Amparo "engenhos" (historic sugar mill and plantation complexes) *

Ibama Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources ( pt, Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis, IBAMA) is the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment's administrative arm. IBAMA supports anti-d ...

's centre of sea mammals (

Trichechus manatus The West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus''), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the eastern US to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on un ...

) * Nossa Senhora da Conceicao: Second oldest church in

Economy

The main economic activities in Itamaraca are based in tourism, fishing and local commerce.

Economic indicators

Economy by Sector 2006

Health indicators

PE State site - City by city profile
/ref>

Penal Facilities

Like many islands around the world, prisons were built there many years ago, (as many people could not swim at that time). Itamaracá island still has two prisons, which are nearing the end of a long term relocation program to a new facility being built near Itaquitinga on the mainland. The prisons are located on the leeward side of the island, away from the tourist areas, and have little impact other than the psychological awareness of their existence.

Gallery

File:Forte Orange looking out to sea.jpg, Forte Orange looking out to sea File:Coroa de Aviao beach.jpg, Coroa de Aviao beach looking out to sea File:Pilar and beach.jpg, Pilar and beach File:Bridge to the island.jpg, Bridge and causeway to the island File:Forte Orange area looking towards Coroa.jpg, Forte Orange area looking towards Coroa File:Rio Ambar beach.jpg, Rio Ambar beach File:Itamaraca.jpg, Forte Orange beach looking towards the Coroa islet File:Estuary Itamaracá.jpg, Estuary of river Jaguaribe File:Forte Orange entrance (before restoration work).jpg, Forte Orange entrance (before restoration work) File:Fort Orange.jpg, Fort Orange internal File:Pilar Church.jpg, Pilar church File:Party time!.jpg, Party time! File:Messing about in boats round the island!.jpg, Messing about in boats round the island!

References

External links

Itamaracá island
{{DEFAULTSORT:Itamaraca Atlantic islands of Brazil Populated coastal places in Pernambuco Former Portuguese colonies Municipalities in Pernambuco Beaches of Brazil