Page 34 - POR320Summer2018
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goats, sheep, and hogs are also part of the economic wheel.Petroleum, potassium, rock salt,
limestone, gypsum, and manganese can also be found here.
Hydroelectric complexes on the São Francisco River provide the electricity to extract and
process many of these resources and they deliver power to homes as well.
Tourism is also popular in Sergipe it helps stimulate the economy.The beautiful landscapes
certainly draw visitors to the area.
Geography and Aracaju
The eastern coast of Sergipe is lined with numerous white sandy beaches, palm trees,
mangroves, swamps and a small portion of tropical rain forest.Inland, the state is mainly
savanna, and some mountains can be found off to the west.
Arguably, one of the most beautiful
attractions of the State is the Xingó
Canyon, with rocks that tower more than
50 meters high and many visitors enjoy the
views as they tour the São Francisco River
in small boats or catamarans.
Man has also contributed to the physical,
as well as the cultural landscape of
Sergipe, and the capital city of Aracaju
(established in 1855) is one of the most
popular areas to visit in the state. One can
admire cobblestone streets, many cathedrals and
churches, markets, museums, monuments, crafts
and enjoy local foods such as the city's infamous
crab dishes.
The largest June Festival (Festa Junina) in Brazil is
also held in Aracaju. The celebration is a month to
commemorate some of the most famous saints for
Catholics: Saint Anthony, Saint John the Baptist and
Saint Peter. Throughout the festivities there is
always plenty of food, music and quadrilha dances
(similar to square dancing).
Problems in Sergipe
While it is nice to paint a beautiful picture of a place, each comes with its own set of unique
problems.Sergipe exemplifies some of the country’s water challenges, for instance.Often it is
difficult to keep up with the demand for water, especially in areas like Aracaju where about 1/3
of the state’s population lives. Droughts in the region add to the complication, and water
sanitation is yet another struggle.The “Sergipe Water Project” was implemented in 2012 to
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