PIAUÍ

History and Geography

The process of occupation of the ground piauiense had beginning in the Second half of century XVII. Natives of São Paulo, Bahians and pernambucanos had been the first tamers of the immense space inhabited for innumerable indigínas Nations.

They had implanted its farms of cattle in a conquered land handspan the handspan, the cost of bloody fights. As this conquest if gave of the hinterland for the coast, exactly to it I oppose of that it occurs in the too much Brazilian littoral States, the Piauí acquired an irregular, narrow geographic contour in the wide coast and prolongating in the interior.

From the year of 1718 the flag-ship was created of Is Jose of the Piauí, having as capital the Village of Ours Lady of the Victory of the Stream of the Mocha, the future city of Oeiras. At the time   of the Empire, necessarily in 1852, the capital was transferred to Teresina, located to the edges of the river Parnaíba and especially established to be the new headquarters of the Province. This transference was motivated by factors of geopolitica and economic order. Oeiras was stuck in full hinterland, without ways of access and communication.

The morphology of the piauiense region characterizes for the low altitudes, presenting vast chapadões, humid   plains and valleys. The rises are numerous and receive regional denominations from mountain ranges, mounts, chapadas and chapadões, presenting themselves under forms of Cuestas.e Inselberg.. Such phenomenon provokes the sprouting of monumental and colorful geologic formations, spread for all the State. Our higher point bes situated in the Chapadas of the Mangabeiras, with 880m of altitude, in the south extremity of the State.

The vegetation of the Piauí is characterized by the Caatinga and the Open pasture or Wastelands, that occupy almost all its area. They exist, still regions of dense bush and cocais, where babaçu and carnaúba predominate the palms.

The piauiense hidrográfica net is formed by the river Parnaíba constitutes the great ecological mark of the region. With 1485km of extension, it serves of border with the Maranhão and represents the dividing trace between caatinga northeast half-barren and humid lands and equatorial forests in the Amazonian north.

The coast of the Piauí has 66km of extension and is marked by external and sunny dune beaches, surrounded of white sand and water lagoons candy. The delta of the Parnaíba pours its waters in the Atlantic, opening a huge delta with about 90 islands.

The Piauí of today is the result of the diverse components of its historical, ethnically, social and, economically allied formation strong the physicist-geographic elements. Its population reflects the participation of the Brazilian racial supplies primitive of the white, the black and the indian, and the economy is centered in the farming activity. The deep mark of these basic elements is in the house of taipa covered of straw of babaçu, carnaúba or buriti, and in the farm of cattle of the hinterland. It is in the raft of the coast, the car-of-ox of the south of the State, in the house-of-flour of the farms. He is in the cattle figure euclidiana.do, that it populates the Piauí of north the south, in the woman who breaks the coconut babaçu, in the tirador of straw of carnaúba, in the tecedeira of net. It is in the folclóricos dances and folguedos, legends and the popular traditions. It is all this cultural and paisagístico universe that the visitor goes to find in the Piauí. Everything simple and spontaneous, very almost occult in the anonymity, but, certainly, will surprise. Yes, the Piauí is a fascinating surprise of beauties and hospitality to   the reach of the eyes and the feeling of the tourist.

Area of 252.378,5km2 (given of the IBGE, December de93)

Limits:

                    North:       Atlantic Ocean

                South:           Bahia and Tocantins

                East:       Ceará and Pernambuco

                West:       Maranhão

Population (given of the IBGE, 1991 census)

                    Urban:             1.367.184 hab.

                    Agricultural:                1.214.953 hab.

                    Total:                2.582.137 hab.

Climate:               Tropical with summer rains .

Temperatures:

                        Minim:             15 the C

                        Average:             26 the C

                        Principle:             38 the C

Altitudes

The culminating peak of the Piauí is situated in the Chapada of the Mangabeiras, the 880metros above of the level of the sea. For that they appreciate the Serrano climate, it is suggested city of Peter II, located in the neighborhoods of the Mountain range of the Matões, whose altitude arrives the 720 meters.