Recife

Recife(Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation:[ʁeˈsifi]) is thestatecapital ofPernambuco,Brazil, on the northeasternAtlanticcoast ofSouth America. It is the largest urban area within both theNorthand theNortheast Regionof Brazil. It is the largest city in Pernambuco state, and the fourth-largesturban areain all of Brazil; themetropopulation of the city of Recife was 3,726,974 in 2022.Recife was founded in 1537, serving as the main harbor of theCaptaincy of Pernambuco—known for itslarge-scale production of sugar cane.At one point, it was known asMauritsstad, when it served as the capital city of the 17th century colony ofNew HollandofDutch Brazil(founded by theDutch West India Company). Situated at the confluence of theBeberibeandCapibariberivers, before they drain into theSouth Atlantic Ocean, Recife is a majorseaportalong the Brazilian Atlantic coast. Its name is an allusion to the stonereefsthat are present offshore. Together with the urban presence of the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers and theirtributaries, the many additional unique, small islands—and more than 50 bridges linking them throughout the city—create a distinct maritime or "riviera" atmosphere, leading to Recife being known as the "Venice of Brazil".
As of 2010, Recife has maintained the highestHDIof any state capital in Northeastern Brazil, and the second-highest of the entire Northern and Northeastern regions (second only toPalmas).However, the city also is known as having some of the highest rates ofgun violencein the entire country, despite also being considered the "safest state capital" in the Northeast. Although Recife often has a consistently higher crime rate than Brazil'sSouth Region, it typically has a much lower crime rate than other regional capitals—such asSalvadororSão Luís. Nonetheless, crime rose nearly 440% in 2015.The waters along the coastline are also considered to be among the most dangerous "on earth", as there have been many recorded shark attacks on swimmers at the beaches, including fatal incidents.
TheMetropolitan Region of Recifeis the main industrial zone of the State of Pernambuco, major products are those derived fromcane(sugar andethanol), motor vehicles, ships, oil platforms, electronics, software, and others. With fiscal incentives by the government, many industrial companies were started in the 1970s and 1980s. Recife has a tradition of being the most importantcommercial hubof the North/Northeastern region of Brazil, with more than 52,500 business enterprises in Recife plus 32,500 in the Metro Area, totaling more than 85,000.
A combination of a large supply oflaborand significant private investments turned Recife into Brazil's second largest medical hub (the first beingSão Paulo);modern hospitals with state-of-the-art equipment receive patients from several neighbouring States.
Recife stands out as a major tourist site within the Brazilian Northeast, known for the city itself, its beaches and for its historical sites, with many places of significance dating back to both the Portuguese and the Dutch colonies in the region. The beach ofPorto de Galinhas, located 60 kilometers (37 mi) south of the city, has been repeatedly awarded the title of best beach in Brazil and has drawn many tourists. The Historic Centre ofOlinda, 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) north of the city, was declared aUNESCO World Heritage Sitein 1982, and both cities'Brazilian Carnivalare among the world's most famous. According toThe Herald, Recife has the biggest consumption of whisky around the world.
The city is an education hub, and home to theFederal University of Pernambuco, the largest university in Pernambuco. Several Brazilian historical figures, such as the poet and abolitionistCastro Alves, moved to Recife for their studies. Recife andNatalare the only Brazilian cities with direct flights to the islands ofFernando de Noronha, a World Heritage Site.
Recife was one of the host cities of the2014 FIFA World Cup, and previously hosted the2013 FIFA Confederations Cupand the1950 FIFA World Cup.
Recifebegan as a collection of fishing shacks, inns and warehouses on thedeltabetween theCapibaribeandBeberibe Riversin thecaptaincy of Pernambuco, sometime between 1535 and 1537 in the earliest days ofPortuguese colonisationofTerra de Santa Cruz, later called Brazil, on thenortheast coastofSouth America. It was a settlement of colonial fishermen and way station forPortuguesesailors and passing ships.
The first documented reference to the settlement with its "arrecife dos navios" (reef of the ships) was in the royal Charter Act of March 12, 1537, establishingOlinda, 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) to the north, as a village, with its port where the Beberibe River meets the sea.  Olinda (andIgarassubefore it) had been settled in 1536 byCaptain GeneralDuarte Coelho, a Portuguese nobleman, proprietor and administrator of the captaincy of Pernambuco.
The city is named for the long reefreciferunning parallel to the shoreline which encloses its harbour.  The reef is not as sometimes stated, a coral reef, but a consolidated ancient beach, now as firm and hard as stone.
In 1541, Coelho returned from theKingdom of Portugalwith the machinery for anengenho(sugar mill), and with it, his brother-in-law established the first mill namedNossa Senhora da Ajuda(Our Lady of Help), in the floodplain of the Beberibe River at Recife.  At that time the banks of the Capibaribe River were covered bysugar cane.
Recife was capital of the 17th centuryNew Holland(Dutch Brazil) established by theDutch West India Companyand was calledMauritsstad. The city was eventuallyrecaptured by the Portuguesein 1654, following their victories at thefirstandsecond Battle of Guararapes.
TheMascate Warof 1710–1711 pitted merchants of Recife against those of nearbyOlinda.
It has often been called "The Venice of Brazil".
Recife has a tropical forest. Rainforests are characterised by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 2,000 millimetres (79 in) and 1,700 millimetres (67 in). The soil can be poor because high rainfall tends to leach out soluble nutrients. There are several common characteristics of tropicalrainforesttrees.
The city of Recife is formed by three islands (Recife, Santo Antônio, and Boa Vista).Between the islands are the rivers Beberibe and Capibaribe.Other rivers are the Jiquiá, Tejipió, Jordão and Pina.
Recife has atropical monsoon climate(Am) under theKöppen climate classification, with warm to hot temperatures and high relative humidity throughout the year. However, these conditions are relieved by pleasant westwardlytrade windsblowing in from the ocean.January and February are the warmest months, with mean temperatures ranging from 31 °C (88 °F) to 22 °C (72 °F), with sun. July is the second cloudiest month and experiences the coolest temperatures, with mean temperatures ranging from 28 °C (82 °F) to 21 °C (70 °F). The wettest month is June, receiving an average of 390 mm (15.4 in) of rain. Recife features a shortdry seasonwhich lasts from October to December. The driest and sunniest month is November, when maximum temperatures hover around 30 °C (86 °F) and an average of 39 mm (1.5 in) of rain is recorded.
TheRecife metropolitan areais the 5th most populous of Brazil, afterSão Paulo,Rio de Janeiro,Belo HorizonteandPorto Alegre, and the first in theNortheast region. The most populous neighborhoods of Recife in 2008 wereBoa Viagem(100,388), Casa Amarela (69,134), and Várzea (64,512).
According to the2022 census, there were 1,488,920 people residing in the city of Recife.The census revealed the following numbers: 722,555Pardo(Multiracial) people (48.5%), 578,413Whitepeople (38.8%), 182,546Blackpeople (12.3%), 2,703Asianpeople (0.2%), 2,656Amerindianpeople (0.2%).
In 2010, the center city of Recife was the 9th most populous city in Brazil.
In 2010, the city had 268,160 opposite-sex couples and 1,004same-sex couples. The gender proportion of the population of Recife was 53.8% female and 46.2% male.
ThePatroness Saintof RecifeisOur Lady of Mount Carmel(Nossa Senhora do Carmo), dating back one hundred and eight years ago (1909). Every July 16, her day, she is remembered by theRoman Catholicsin Recife, in her church.
Source: IBGE 2010.
According to 2013 IBGE statistics, the GDP was at R$46,445,339,000. And theGDP per capitawas at R$29,037.
Recife has an area dedicated to information technology called "Porto Digital" (Digital Port) with more than 90 companies and 3,000 high tech Jobs. It was founded in July 2000 and has since attracted major investments. Generating some R$10 billion (Brazilian Reais) a year,it produces technology that is exported to the United States, India, Japan, and China, among other countries. Software manufacturing is the main activity in the Porto Digital.The Porto Digital cluster comprises small and medium companies, but multinationals from across the world, likeAccenture,Motorola,Samsung,DellandSun Microsystemsalso have operations there.IBMandMicrosofttransferred their regional headquarters to Recife.
Porto Digital's startups can count on a ready pool of talent, courtesy of theFederal University of Pernambuco(UFPE), which boasts one of the best computer-science departments in all ofLatin America.The university began teaching programmers to use Sun Microsystems Inc.'s (SUNW) Java language in 1996, the year it was introduced. Professors at the school also teamed up to launch the Centro de Estudos e Sistemas Avançados do Recife (C.E.S.A.R), a business incubator that has played a vital role in the birth of some 30companies.
Due to its ports, airport, and geographic location in the northeastern region of Brazil, Recife is considered one of the biggest logistics hubs in Brazil. The Logistics and Communications sector employs 4%of the people in Recife, 12.3% inJaboatão dos Guararapesand over 9% in theMetropolitan Area. These numbers were due to increase with the conclusion of the Transnordestina (the main NE Trainline) with a 1,800/1,118 km/mi extension, which will cross 3 and connect 7 States (34 municipalities in Pernambuco alone) products withSuape port(PE) and Pecem Port (CE)) with costs that are estimated to be around 4.5 R$.
Recife has historically benefited from its central location in theNortheast region. In a 200-mile (320 km) radius from Recife are fourstatecapitals, twointernationaland three regional airports, five internationalports, 12 million people, 51% of the research centers of theNortheastand 35% of the region's GDP. Similarly, in a 500-mile (800 km) radius there are seven state capitals, five international and five regional airports, nine international seaports and twofluvialports.
Shopping Center Recife was inaugurated in 1980 and it was subsequently surpassed by Riomar Mall, which gross leasable area is 101.000 m, compared with 91.200m² of Shopping Recife. Other shopping centers include:
TheMetropolitan Regionof Recife has the third largest medical pool in Brazil, afterSão PauloandRio de Janeiro. Together they make up 417 hospitals and clinics with 72,000 employees in the Metro Area and more than 120,000 in the State of Pernambuco. The medical pool offers a total of 8,990 beds and, according to the Union of the Hospitals of Pernambuco, recorded in the year 2000 an invoicing of R$220 million (Brazilian Reals). It is thanks to the pool thatPernambucohas access to moreCT scandevices than more developed countries such as Canada or France.
A large portion of the modern hospitals included in the pool are located between the neighbourhoods of Derby and of the Ilha do Leite. The Hospital Real Português de Beneficência Portuguesa em Pernambuco, or "Hospital Português" (Portuguese Hospital) for short, is one of the most renowned hospitals in the country.Many people from neighbouring states go to Recife for treatment, as it has the largest and best medical facilities in theNorth–Northeastof Brazil.Recife has three universities / medical schools for medicine, two public,Federal University of PernambucoandUniversity of Pernambuco; and one private, Escola Pernambucana de Medicina FBV/IMIP (Medical School of Pernambuco).
Many events taking place during the year include:
Because of its geographic location, tourism and city infrastructure, Recife's convention centers are of a high standard. The two centers are:
The third largest convention center in Brazil.
A modern theatre with 1,931 seats and 2,071 square metres (22,290 square feet) of exposition area located on the university campus.
Recife's municipal government is divided into an executive branch called thePrefeitura, led by a mayor (Brazilian Portuguese:Prefeito/Prefeita) and a legislative branch called theCâmara Municipal, consisting of 39 councillors. Elections are held every four years, with the most recent being held in2020. The current mayor isJoão Camposof theBrazilian Socialist Party(PSB), son of former governor of Pernambuco,Eduardo Campos.
The city is the capital of thestate of Pernambuco, and hosts administrative buildings of thestate governor,legislative assembly, and judiciary.
Celebrations, holidays and other events are numerous throughout the year. The New Year begins at the beach, Praia deBoa Viagemand inOld Recife. Thecarnivalof Recife andOlinda(which has its historic town centre considered aWorld Heritage SitebyUNESCOin 1982)begins many weeks ahead in December with innumerable balls and parades.
In the city, the carnival festivities begin in January, as locals begin preparing for the officialCarnival, which starts the week beforeShrove TuesdayandAsh Wednesdayin theChristianliturgical calendar. The pre-Carnival parties usually consist of percussion groups practising in local clubs, city streets and squares, and even Carnival balls. There is a variety of rhythms from different cultures. Carnival officially starts with theGalo da Madrugada, a party in Downtown Recife where people call old Recife, that attracts many people from severalstates of Brazil, and other parts of the world.
Recife has many quality 3, 4 and 5-Star International Hotels as well asPousadas(traditional Bed & breakfast) and Apart-Hotels, totalling more than 11,500 bedrooms and this number increases to over 30,000 when the metropolitan area is considered.
TheMercado de São José(Market of Saint Joseph) is an old, iron construction with a popular market nearby. In theFort Cinco Pontes(Fort of Five Points) is the state museum, Museu do Estado de Pernambuco. At the rectangularPátio de São Pedroare theCathedral São Pedro(Cathedral of Saint Peter) dating from the year 1782 and restored colonial houses, with numerous restaurants, bistros and bars. In the Bairro Santo Antônio (Saint Anthony neighborhood), at the meeting place of the rivers Capibaribe and Beberibe, is thePraça da República(Square of the Republic) with theTeatro Santa Isabel(Theatre of Saint Isabel), with its neoclassical front, the Law Courts, and the Palácio da Justiça (Palace of Justice). TheCasa da Cultura(House of Culture) is an old prison that has been converted into a cultural space and shopping centre.
Built between 1835 and 1855, theMalakoff Tower, a monument constructed inTunisian / Arabic style, used to be anobservatoryand now is a cultural centre and a place for popular gatherings. It is located at Arsenal da Marinha Square. It has been registered as an Historical Patrimony and was named after a similar monument on theCrimeanpeninsula, off theBlack Sea, used as a defence centre forSebastopol.
Recife has a zoo known as theDois Irmãos Park, consisting of 387 hectares ofAtlantic Forestreserve and 14 hectares ofbotanical gardens. It contains 800 animals, the Natural Science Museum and various ecological trails.Themetropolitan areahas also a giant water park 20 km (12 mi) North of Recife, calledVeneza water parkwhich has nearly one million square feet of area, ten million litres of water and many water slides for the youngsters.
Among Recife's main tourist attractions are:
Architectural DigestfeaturedRua do Bom Jesusas of the 31 most beautiful streets in the world in 2019, noting its history and theKahal Zur Israelsynagogue.
Recife beaches
Jaboatãobeaches
Olindabeaches
North beaches
There are international schools, such as theAmerican School of Recifeand the ABA Maple Bear Canadian School.
Recife is home to several higher education institutions (83), notably several public-owned universities:
Recife is home to thefrevo, a regional dance and music, typical in carnival, andMangue Beat, a type ofBrazilian rockwith mixture ofMaracatu, Ciranda,Rapand other musical styles. The Festival de São João, held annually in June, celebrates traditional culture and music that originated in the region.
During carnival, downtown Recife holds one of the most authentic and democratic celebrations: every year more than two and a half million people open the festivities of the Brazilian Carnival at Galo da Madrugada. Recife and Olinda combinedhave 25 museums, 38 art galleries, 2 symphony orchestra halls, 15 theatres, 1 opera house and more than 40 movie theatres.
The four-day period before theChristianliturgical preparatory seasonLentleading up toShrove TuesdayandAsh Wednesdayiscarnivaltime in Brazil. Rich and poor alike forget their cares as they gaily party in the streets.Pernambucohas large Carnival celebrations with more than 3000 shows in the streets of the historic centre performed by over 430 local groups, including theFrevo, typicalPernambucomusic. Another famous carnival music style from Pernambuco is Maracatu. The cities of Recife andOlindahold the most authentic and democraticBrazilian Carnivalcelebrations. The largest carnival in Brazil is Galo da Madrugada, which takes place inDowntown Recifeon Carnival Saturday. Another famous event is the "Noite dos Tambores Silenciosos." (literally, Night of the Silent Drums) Carnival. Recife's Carnival is nationally known, attracting thousands of visitors every year.
The party starts a week before the official date, with electric trios "shaking" theBoa Viagemneighborhood. On Friday, people take to the streets to dance to the sound of frevo and to dance with maracatu, ciranda, caboclinhos, afoxé, reggae and manguebeat groups. There are still many other entertainment centers spread out around the city, featuring local and national artists. One of the highlights is Saturday when more than two and a half million people follow theGalo da Madrugadagroup.Every day, there is the Night of the Silent Drums, on the Pátio do Terço, whereMaracatushonorslavesthat died in prisons.
TheMuseum of Pernambuco Stateis housed in a 19th-century mansion in Recife. Known locally as the "Museu do Estado de Pernambuco (MEPE)", it dates back to 1929. The museum comprises over 12 thousand pieces from Masters who portrayed the Colonial period and the Dutch invasion (1630), to 20th and 21st century pieces.
Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue:Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel, the historic Recife synagogue in Recife Antigo, is the oldest in theAmericas, dating to 1646. The original synagogue was destroyed, but a new one was built on site. In the early 21st century, it was restored for use as a museum. It is an important part of Pernambuco's historic patrimony. It was founded by Jews who settled in the Netherlands after expulsion from Spain and Portugal. They emigrated with the Dutch to "New Holland" when the Dutch invaded the northeastern portion of Brazilian lands occupied by the Portuguese.Moses Cohen Henriquesled a Jewish 3000 contingent as part of the Dutch invasion.Isaac Aboab de Fonsecawas brought fromAmsterdamfor the synagogue, serving as one of the first rabbis in the new world.When the Portuguese reconquered the land, these Sephardic Jews moved further north with theDutch, and helped found "New Amsterdam" (nowNew York City) onManhattanisland in the United States.The first New York City synagogue was created in Lower Manhattan by the founders of the first synagogue in the New World in Recife. It later moved to the Upper West Side, where it is still called "the Portuguese and Spanish Synagogue".
Gilberto Freyre Foundation:This farmhouse from the 18th century wasGilberto Freyre's old residence. Artworks, arts and crafts, book collections and objects that belonged to the Pernambucan writer and sociologist are displayed here.
Ricardo Brennand Institute:Set up in a reproduction of a medieval-style castle, there is a collection of pieces from the period of Dutch rule in Recife, as well as daggers and armor from medieval Europe.
Recife City Museum:Located in a room in Cinco Pontas Fort (the five-pointed Fort), this museum houses pictures, reproductions of old paintings, and objects that encapsulate Recife since the period of Dutch rule.
Also known asRecife Audiovisual FestivalorCine-PE, Recife Cinema Festival is a competitive film and audiovisual festival. It is dedicated to the Brazilian andstateproduction offeature& short films; as well asvideosand documentaries. It was founded in 1997 by Alfredo & Sandra Bertini, who have been the directors since then. Between 1997 and 2008, 1806 films have been shown(through either competitive applications or National & International invitations), of all types and genres, for a public of over 250,000.
Recifeand consequentlyPernambucohas a tradition in the Brazilian film making history. In the pioneer times of the Brazilian cinema emerged theRegional movements. One of those, was designated Ciclo de Recife(Recife cycle), between 1922 and 1931. Despite adverse conditions, during this cycle 13 feature films were produced in Recife (usually about drama & romance) and 7 documentary films (usually ordered by authorities to show their public works). Despite the pervasive influence ofUSandEuropean cinemasin thesilent filmtimes, the Recife cycle was one of the most important and productive regional movements. One of the most important films wasAitaré da Praia, which is recognised for pioneering the rise of regional themes (1925). Other successful films wereRetribuição(1923) andA Filha do Advogado(1926). Another important phase of the Pernambuco/Recife film history was in the 1970s with a movement calledSuper 8, often used for home videos and documentaries made by students, amateurs and aspirant film makers, due to the utilisation of 8 mm film, using the new technology released byKodak.
The typical regional main dishes includecaldeirada(seafood stew with octopus cooked with various spices and coconut milk, which may be served withwhite beansortoasted cassava flour),feijoadaPernambucana (made with brown beans instead of black),sarapatel, buchada (goat stew), dobradinha (beanstew), roast goat,mão de vaca(cow's foot stew),Rabada(ox tail stew with manioc flour),cozido Pernambucano(beef stew),chambaril,galinha de cabidela(chicken in blood sauce),peixada Pernambucana(fish stew), macaxeira comcharque(cassava with beef jerky),quiabada(okrawith beef), feijão com arroz (rice and beans), andguaiamuns(giantcrabs). One of the most traditional dishes, isCarne-de-sol(Sun-dried beef), which consists of beef dried in the sun and usually served with green beans.
For dessert, Recife offersbolo de rolo(cake roll), cake Souza Leão, and cartola (top hat cake) which consists of fried long bananas with cheese topped with cinnamon and sugar. The diversity continues for the breakfast as one can findcuscuzof sweet corn or manioc, yams and cassava with charque (corned beef or beef jerky), sweet potato,goiabada, fried long banana,mugunzá, regional fruits, bread,tapioca,rice pudding, porridge, yogurt,queijo coalho, corn bread, hominy andpamonha. Breakfast is often accompanied by coffee and/or milk and juices from regional fruits such ascashew,pineapple,mangoes,acerola,guava,passion fruit,umbu,hog plum,pitanga,jackfruit,orange,avocadoand the regionally most famouscaldo-de-canaandágua-de-cocojuices.
According toAbrasel(Brazilian Association of Bars & Restaurants), Recife has more than 1,700 bars and restaurants which serve regional (partially listed above), Brazilian (such asmoqueca,bobó de camarão,açaí) and International dishes from all over the world, which has made it thefirst gastronomic centre of the Northeastand the third one in the whole country afterSão PauloandRio.
Guararapes International Airport, also known asGilberto FreyreInternational Airport, is the airport serving Recife. It has been open in its newest structure since July 2004 and is 52,000 square m in area.
Recife Air Force Base - BARF, a base of theBrazilian Air Force, is located in Recife.
Suape port, is located in the administrative area of the small town ofIpojuca, inside the metropolitan region. Suape serves ships 365 days a year without any restrictions with regard to tidal schedules. The port moves over 8.4 million tons of cargo a year. More than 95 companiesfrom almost all industries are already installed in Suape which includes a Petrobras Refinery, the largest shipbuilder in South American and a large petrochemical Company as well as many others.Port of Recifeis located in the city of Recife. Road access to Port of Recife is accomplished, mainly, through the federal highways BR-232 (linking the interior of the state) and BR-101 (linking to other States to the north and the south of the State of Pernambuco). The main producing and consuming centres of the interior of the state and of the rest of theNortheast, are linked toPortby paved highways.
Recife Metrois one of the largest metro systems in Brazil. It reaches from Recife central station to Jaboatão, Timbi (Camaragibe) and Cajueiro Seco (Jaboatão dos Guararapes), being complemented by alight rail, with connections at Curado and Cajueiro Seco stations, which links Recife and Jaboatão toCabo de Santo Agostinho.
This system is also integrated with bus terminalssuch as at Barro, Joana Bezerra and Tancredo Neves stations. It is possible to ride the metro and the connected bus line by purchasing one ticket only. In March 2009,Recife Metrocompleted an additional phase of expansion. The system now has 29 stations (18 integrated with buses), plus 9 light rail stations, and is 39.5 km (24.5 mi) long.
According toDetran-PE (Transportation State Bureau Administrator) in 2009, the city of Recife had a total fleet of over 464,000motor vehicleson its streets. 54,335 cargo vehicles, 318,520 passenger vehicles, 72,719 motorbikes, 14,142 others and 4,855 buses (split between private and public). These buses transport almost two million passengers dailyin themetropolitan area, distributed between 17 local bus companies.
Recife metropolitan areais crossed by 3 main Federal highways:
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Recife, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 96 min. 34% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 27 min, while 60% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 9 km, while 19% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.
The city has 6 Political Administrative Regions (RPA), which contains all 94 neighborhoods:
Football inPernambucobegan in 1902, when English andDutchsailors landed in Recife and played a game of football on the beach. The new game aroused the interest of the people of Pernambuco, and they soon started playing.
Recife provides visitors and residents with various sporting activities. There are several football clubs based in Recife, such asSport Recifethe current 2023 State Champion (43 times state champion and once national champion (1987) and Brazil's Cup champion (2008)),Santa Cruz(29 times state champion) andNáutico(23 times state champion and unique 6 consecutives). TheCampeonato Pernambucano(Pernambuco's State Championship) is divided into Taça Revolução and Taça Confederação.
Also, the city has traditions in another sports as:
Basketball, Hockey, Golf, Tenis, Table tennis, Volleyball, beach volley, Handball, Surf, Skateboard, Bodysurf, Swimning pool and Futsal. Provided by clubs such as:
Nautico, Sport, Santa Cruz, Portuguese Club of Recife, Caxanga Golf & Country Club, Mauricio de Nassau University, School of Tenis Recife as others.
Recife was one of the 12 cities chosen to host games for the2014 FIFA World Cup, for which Brazil was the host nation. TheMetropolitan Recifeproject consisted of a new Sports City constructed inSão Lourenço da Matain an intersection area near to Recife,Jaboatão dos GuararapesandCamaragibe. The new Sports complex is 19 km (12 mi) west of Recife city centre and 19 km (12 mi) from the Airport.
The sports complex 'City'was constructed with anew stadiumwith 45,000 seats, 9,000 flats, 6,000 car parking spaces, 1 hospital, 1 technical school, 1 shopping centre, 1 integrated metro/bus station and improvement of federal roads, all with an estimated cost of R$1.6 billion.
This was the second time Recife has been chosen to be one of the host cities of theFIFA World Cup. In1950, Recife hosted just one game, betweenChileand the United States, at Ilha do Retiro Stadium. At this time, it was the only city to represent theNortheastof Brazil.
Violence
In 2013, Recife had the 38th highesthomicide rateinThe Americas, after Detroit,New Orleans,Baltimore,San Juanand other cities.
PESP plan
The State GovernorEduardo Camposintroduced the PESP plan (Security state Plan – Plano Estadual de Segurança Pública) on May 2, 2009. This aimedto reduce homicides by 12% each year until they reached half of the previous rate. The plan was based on the fact that 60% of murders were committed by people related to criminal activities and embraces both prevention and correction.
Carnival security plan
In 2007 ISS servers managed 50 Pelco Spectra PTZ cameras to capture all activity within areas of the city used for Carnival. Continued deployment of thisprojectin Recife aimed to install over 1000 cameras in the city. Immediate statistics during the Carnival period indicated a reduction inviolent crimeof over 30%.
UNICEFis an international development agency, which supports locally initiated projects with an emphasis on children. Recife offered an environment to utilise its rich cultural heritage to develop programs aimed at its most serious issues. One of the most hands-on projects was a radio program named "Jovens Comunicadores" (Communicating Youth).It trained a group of eighteen adolescents to produce a weekly radio program focusing onchild labour. The program is recorded and sent to community radio stations, most of which are broadcast in the sugar cane area where many children work. Jovens Comunicadores advocates and lobbies against exploitation. All programs are produced and edited by teens. As a radio program, it also plays regional music, giving a boost tolocal culture.
"Criança Feliz" (Happy Child) had the same objective, eliminating child exploitation, but used a different approach. It was begun by a women's organisation and offered after-school activities with the goal of discouraging children and adolescents from working in sex tourism. Besides giving classes and training in computers, English, art, and karate, it also offered psychological services andgroup therapy. These combined services sought to equip children not only with skills but also a positive self-image and respect to not fall into prostitution. As all the kids came from very poor backgrounds, the financial pull of prostitution was very high. Criança Feliz worked at educating them about the high costs in the long term. This was a very interesting project, since it was actually a house with groups of kids divided into participating in different activities.
Shark attacksare a recurrent problem inRecife metropolitan area. They were addressed in theNational Geographic ChannelseriesHunter Huntedin the episode "Shark Invasion."Surfinghas been outlawed since 1995 on the urban beaches (Pina,Boa Viagem, Piedade, and Candeias) because of the risk the sport poses to its practitioners due to shark attacks. It is strongly recommended that bathers not climb over and swim beyond the reefs because of strong, unpredictable currents and the possible presence ofbull sharks. Several beaches have messages alerting people to the danger ofsharks.
Before the 1990s there had been virtually no attacks reported here. As of June 28, 1992,Recife began officially registering shark attacks on its beaches (mainly on the beach of Boa Viagem), and between 1992 and 2021 there were 64 shark attacks along a 20 km (12 mi) stretch of coast, 26 of them being fatal.The last deadly attack occurred on July 10, 2021.Other facts contribute to the appearance of sharks in the area of Boa Viagem Beach: the marine currents direct the animals for that stretch of 20 kilometers. A sand bank extends into the sea about a thousand meters from Recife's beaches. Between this long strip, with depth between 1 and 3 meters, and the beach a deep channel is formed (between 5 and 8 meters),which becomes a kind of refectory for sharks, since it attracts several species of rays, one of the prey of sharks. The presence of so many prey in that area makes the sharks stay closer to the beaches for longer and when the shark enters these channels, there is a great risk of contact with people.The Council for Shark Hazard Monitoring (Cemit), recommends the following precautions to prevent the attack of sharks on beaches in Recife: Avoid bathing between sunset and sunrise. It is in this period that sharks are most active. Do not enter the sea when the tide is full. Hungry sharks get across the reef if there is enough water flowing over them. Avoid swimming alone and when the water is cloudy. Do not enter the water above the waist and do not swim in the open sea.
In 1995, the Pernambuco government prohibited the practice of water sports on 32 km of coastline in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. This ban resulted in the reduction of incidents with sharks thereafter.
The state-funded investigation has focused on the long-term ecologicaleffectsof the new port of Suape. Based on its findings, localhuman rightslawyers are considering a symbolic legal challenge to theState of Pernambuco, with the aim of securing compensation for the victims of attacks.
The following countries have consular representations in Recife:
Recife istwinnedwith:
Recife cooperates with: