States: Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco (Fernando de Noronha archipelago), Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão.

Brazil's The Colonization of Brazil began in the Northeast, more specifically in what is now the state of Bahia.

The area's first economic activity was the exportation of a type of red wood known as Brazil wood (Pau Brazil), used in making dyes, hence the name Brazil.

The Northeast was still the dominant region in the new colony during the sugar cane cycle when millions of African slaves were brought to Brazil to work on the plantations.

The Northeast is today a region rich in folklore and tradition. The people and the culture are a mixture of Portuguese, African, Dutch and French origins tempered with the strength and beauty of their own environment.

The visitor to the region will be fascinated and delighted by the historical and folkloric traditions that have succeeded in blending the legends and beliefs of the early colonizers and slaves into the creative arts that exist today.

History, however, is not the only attraction of this region. The Golden Coast boasts 2.175 miles of exceptional coastline including some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil. There are busy beaches, deserted beaches, beaches with colored sands, in fact all sorts of beaches and all of them are blessed with warm waters, a clear sky and sunshine all year round.