Pernambuco

For other uses, see Pernambuco (disambiguation).

Pernambuco
State
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Hino de Pernambuco
Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 8°20′S 37°48′W
Country	Brazil
Region	Northeast
Capital and largest city	Recife
Government
• Type	Unitary state
• Governor	Raquel Lyra (PSD)
• Vice Governor	Priscila Krause
• Senators	Humberto Costa (PT) Fernando Dueire (MDB) Teresa Leitão (PT)
• Legislature	Legislative Assembly of Pernambuco
Area
• Total	98,312 km2 (37,958 sq mi)
• Rank	19th
Population  (19 Sep 2024)
• Total	9,539,029
• Rank	7th
• Density	92.37/km2 (239.2/sq mi)
• Rank	6th
Demonym(s)	Pernambucan (English), Pernambucano or Pernambucana (Brazilian Portuguese)
GDP
• Total	R$ 222.814 billion (US$ 41.961 billion)
HDI
• Year	2024
• Category	0.767 – high (18th)
Time zones	UTC−3 (BRT)
	UTC−2 (FNT)
Postal Code	50000-000 to 56990-000
ISO 3166 code	BR-PE
Website	www.pe.gov.br

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Pernambuco (/ˌpɜːrnəmˈb(j)uːkoʊ/ PUR-nəm-BEW-koh, -⁠BOO-; Brazilian Portuguese: [peʁnɐ̃ˈbuku] ^ⓘ, locally [ˌpɛɦ-]) is a state of Brazil, on the east coast in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,067.877 km², it is the 19th-largest in area among federative units of the country. It is also the sixth-most densely populated with around 92.37 people per km². Its capital and largest city, Recife, is one of the most important economic and urban hubs in the country. Based on 2019 estimates, the Recife Metropolitan Region is seventh-most populous in the country, and the second-largest in northeastern Brazil. In 2015, the state had 4.4% of the national population and produced 2.8% of the national gross domestic product (GDP).

The contemporary state inherits its name from the Captaincy of Pernambuco, established in 1534. The region was originally inhabited by Tupi–Guarani-speaking peoples. European colonization began in the 16th century, under mostly Portuguese rule interrupted by a brief period of Dutch rule, followed by Brazilian independence in 1822. Large numbers of slaves were brought from Africa during the colonial era to cultivate sugarcane, and a significant portion of the state's population has some amount of African ancestry.

The state has rich cultural traditions thanks to its varied history and peoples. Brazilian Carnivals in Recife and the historic colonial capital of Olinda are renowned: the Galo da Madrugada parade in Recife has held world records for its size.

Historically a center of sugarcane cultivation due to the favorable climate, the state has a modern economy dominated by the services sector today, though large amounts of sugarcane are still grown. The coming of democracy in 1985 has brought the state progress and challenges in turn: while economic and health indicators have improved, inequality remains high.