Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

PARAHYBA (PARAHIBA Or PARAHYBA DO NORTE)

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 759 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

PARAHYBA (PARAHIBA Or PARAHYBA DO NORTE) , a See also:state of See also:north-eastern See also:Brazil, bounded N. by Rio Grande do Norte, E. by the See also:Atlantic, S. by See also:Pernambuco, and W. by See also:Ceara. Pop. (1890), 457,232; (1900), 490,784. See also:Area, 28,854 sq. m. It consists of a narrow coastal See also:zone, 30 to 40 M. wide, along the seaboard, behind which the See also:country rises sharply to a highland region forming See also:part of the See also:great central See also:plateau of Brazil. The See also:long, dry See also:season (See also:April to See also:October), together with occasional devastating droughts (seeccas) lasting two or more years, prevents the development of forests and See also:damages the agricultural and See also:pastoral See also:industries of the state. There is only one See also:river of importance, the Parahyba do Norte, which crosses the See also:southern part of the state from See also:west to See also:east with a course of about 240 M. The state is poorly watered and covered with a scanty vegetation suitable for pasturage only. Stock-raising is favoured by the existence of a bromeliaceous plant, called mecambira, which is sufficiently juicy to satisfy the thirst of the animals. On the See also:low lands and along some of the river valleys See also:agriculture is the See also:chief occupation of the See also:people; See also:cotton and See also:sugar are largely produced and some See also:tobacco is grown. The exports include hides, skins, cotton, sugar and tobacco. See also:Rubber of the Ceara type is also found and forms an See also:item among the smaller exports.

The eastern extremity of the state is served by a railway originally called the See also:

Conde . d'Eu railway but now forming part of the Great Western of Brazil See also:system, which runs westward and northward from Parahyba to Independencia (72 m.), where it connects with the See also:extension of the See also:Natal and Nova Cruz See also:line, and a See also:branch runs southward to Pilar, 15 M. from its junction and 46 m. from Parahyba. Another small branch runs westward from the station of Mulungu to Alag8a Grande (14 M.). The See also:capital is Parahyba (q.v.), and other important towns, with the populations (in 189o) of their municipalities, which include large rural districts and sometimes several other towns, are: Arcia (26,590); Bananeiras (20,058); Campina Grande (21,475); Guarabira (26,625); Mananguape (20,754); Pilar (10,133, See also:town); See also:Pombal (12,804); and Souza (11,135). Parahyba formed part of the See also:original See also:grant, known as the capitania of Itamaraca, from the Portuguese See also:crown to Pero See also:Lopes de Souza. It was not settled until 1584, when a fort was erected near the See also:present See also:port of Cabedello under the name of Sao Filippe.

End of Article: PARAHYBA (PARAHIBA Or PARAHYBA DO NORTE)

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
PARAGUAY 		[next]
PARAHYBA (PARAHYBA DO NORTE)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries