The State is represented at the National Congress in Brasilia, the Country's capital city, by three Senators and eight Representatives. The State House of Representatives is made up of 24 Representatives, called State Representatives. In the 1994 elections, Rio Grande do Norte had 1.491.112 electors. Economy - Agriculture, cattle raising and mining activities are at the base of the economy of the State of Rio Grande do Norte. In agriculture the most important crops are pineapple, sugar cane, beans, corn, cassava, Bahia coconut and cashew nuts.
Cattle raising includes herds of bovines and also pig and sheep breeding.
Mineral riches represent the most important potentiality in the field of available natural resources. The riches of salt-mines made the extraction of sea salt one of the main strongholds of the region's economy. In the industrial sector, the most important features are ceramics, as well as textile industry and ready to wear. The Atlantic coastline offers, furthermore, excellent conditions for fishery, widely practised in the region and representing an outstanding source of income for a considerable portion of the population. Historical background - The occupation of Rio Grande do Norte by the Portuguese took place as from the end of the XVIth century, with the expulsion of French settlers which had occupied the region since 1535.