Rio Grande do Norte (lit. "Great Northern River", in reference to the mouth of the
Potenji River, ) 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. It is the land of the folklorist
Luís da Câmara Cascudo and, according to
NASA, it has the purest air in the Americas. Its 410 km (254 mi) of sand, much
sun,
coconut palms and lagoons are responsible for the fame of beaches.
Rocas Atoll, the only such feature in the Atlantic Ocean, is part of the state. The main economic activity is tourism, followed by the
extraction of petroleum (the second largest producer in the country), agriculture, fruit growing and extraction of minerals, including considerable production of
seasalt, among other economic activities. The state is famous for having many popular attractions such as the
Maior cajueiro do mundo (world's largest cashew tree), the
dunes and the dromedaries of
Genipabu, the famous beaches of
Ponta Negra,
Maracajaú and
Pipa's paradise, the
Carnatal the largest off-season
carnival in Brazil, the
Forte dos Reis Magos is a sixteenth-century
fortress, the hills and mountains of
Martins, the
Dunas Park the second largest
urban park in the country, and several other attractions. The state is also closest to the
archipelago of
Fernando de Noronha.