Introduction
Capital city of Ceará, Brazil
For other uses, see Fortaleza (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Hortaleza.
Municipality in Northeast, BrazilFortalezaMunicipalityMunicipality of Fortaleza Município de FortalezaSkyline of Fortaleza with the Meireles BeachDragão do Mar Center of Art and CultureTheatre José de AlencarEnglish BridgeSt. Joseph's CathedralCastelão StadiumStatue of Iracema
FlagCoat of armsNicknames: FortalMiami Brasileira (Brazilian Miami)Terra da Luz (Land of Light)Motto: "Fortitudine" (Latin)Interactive map of FortalezaFortalezaLocation in BrazilShow map of BrazilFortalezaFortaleza (South America)Show map of South AmericaCoordinates: 03°43′39″S 38°31′39″W / 3.72750°S 38.52750°W / -3.72750; -38.52750Country BrazilRegionNortheastState CearáFounded13 April 1726Named after"Fort of Our Lady of the Assumption" (Virgin Mary)Government • TypeMayor-council • MayorEvandro Leitão (PT) • Deputy mayorGabriella Aguiar (PSD)Area • Municipality312.353 km2 (120.600 sq mi) • Metro7,440.053 km2 (2,872.621 sq mi)Elevation16 m (52 ft)Population (2025) • Municipality2,578,483 • Rank4th • Density8,654.92/km2 (22,416.1/sq mi) • Metro3,903,945 • Metro density560.21/km2 (1,450.9/sq mi)DemonymPortuguese: FortalezenseGDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) • Year2023 • Total (Metro)$39.6 billion • Per capita$10,600Time zoneUTC−3 (BST)Postal code60000-001 to 61599-999Area code+55 85HDI (2010)0.754 – highWebsitefortaleza.ce.gov.br
Fortaleza (/ˌfɔːrtəˈleɪzə/ FOR-tə-LAY-zə ⓘ; Brazilian Portuguese: [foʁtaˈlezɐ] ⓘ; Portuguese for 'Fortress') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It is Brazil's fourth largest city—Fortaleza surpassed Salvador in 2024 census with a population of slightly over 2.5 million. Currently, it is the eleventh richest city in the country by gross domestic product and the richest in the Northeast, with a GDP of about 73 billion reais. It forms the core of the Fortaleza metropolitan area, which is home to almost 4 million people.
Fortaleza is an important industrial and commercial center of Northeast Brazil. According to the Ministry of Tourism, it is the fourth most visited city and tourist destination in the country. The BR-116, the most important highway in the country, starts in Fortaleza. The municipality is part of the Mercosur common market, and vital trade port which is closest to mainland Europe, being 5,608 kilometres (3,485 mi) from Lisbon, Portugal.
To the north of the city lies the Atlantic Ocean; to the south are the municipalities of Pacatuba, Eusébio, Maracanaú and Itaitinga; to the east is the municipality of Aquiraz and the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west is the municipality of Caucaia. Residents of the city are known as Fortalezenses. Fortaleza is one of the three leading cities in the Northeast region together with Recife and Salvador.
Etymology
[edit]
Fortaleza is a Portuguese name meaning Fortress. It is in reference to the Dutch fort of Schoonenborch built in 1649 during the Dutch occupation of the region.
History
[edit]
Colonial period[edit]
See also: Timeline of Fortaleza and History of Brazil
Plan of Fort Schoonenborch in 1649
Colonisation began in 1603 when Portugal was part of the Iberian Union, when the Portuguese Pero Coelho de Souza constructed the Fort of São Tiago and founded the settlement of Nova Lisboa (New Lisbon).[citation needed] After a victory over the French in 1612, Martins Soares Moreno expanded the Fort of São Tiago and changed its name to Forte de São Sebastião.
In 1630 the Dutch invaded the Brazilian Northeast and in 1637 they took the Fort of São Sebastião and ruled over Ceará. In battles with the Portuguese and natives in 1644 the fort was destroyed. Under captain Matthias Beck the Dutch West Indies Company built a new fortress by the banks of river Pajeú. Fort Schoonenborch ("graceful stronghold") officially opened on 19 August 1649. After the capitulation of Pernambuco in 1654, the Dutch handed over this fortress to the Portuguese, who renamed it Fortaleza da Nossa Senhora de Assunção ("Fortress of Our Lady of the Assumption"), after which the city of Fortaleza takes its name.
Fortaleza was officially founded as a village 1726, becoming the capital of Ceará state in 1799.
Imperial period[edit]
During the 19th century, Fortaleza was consolidated as an urban centre in Ceará, supported by the cotton industry. With the transformation of the city into a regional export center and with the increase of direct navigation to Europe, the customs building of Fortaleza was built in 1812. In 1824, the city was targeted by the revolutionaries of Confederation of the Equator.[citation needed]
Republican period[edit]
Ferreira Square in 1920
Fortaleza in 1935
The city gained a number of new districts in the 1930s, including Messejana and Porangaba.
In 1954, the first university in the city was created, the Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC).
In 1983 the city started to integrate the territory of the new city of Maracanaú, which, just some years ago, was made again part of the Greater Fortaleza (the city's Metropolitan area). In the 1980s, Fortaleza exceeded Recife in population terms, becoming the second most populous city in Northeastern Brazil, with 2,571,896 inhabitants.
Geography
[edit]
Location on a map of municipalities of Ceará
Vegetation[edit]
In Fortaleza there are some remaining areas of mangrove in preserved areas, including Cocó Park.
Ten miles offshore is the Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park, created in 1997 to protect the reefs.
Ecology and environment[edit]
Cocó Park, considered one of the largest urban parks in Latin America, is the most important green area of the city.
Fortaleza bay during sunset
Futuro beach in Fortaleza
The vegetation of Fortaleza is typically coastal. The restinga areas are found in dune regions near the mouths of the Ceará, Cocó and Pacoti rivers, in the beds of which there is still a mangrove forest. In other green areas of the city, there is no longer native vegetation, consisting of varied vegetation, fruit trees primarily. The city is home to seven environmental conservation units. These are the Sabiaguaba Dunes Municipal Natural Park, the Sabiaguaba Environmental Protection Area, the Maraponga Lagoon Ecological Park, the Cocó Ecological Park, the Ceará River Estuary Environmental Protection Area, the Environmental Protection Area of the Rio Pacoti and the Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park. There is also, in the city, the Area of Relevant Ecological Interest of Sírio Curió, that protects the last enclave of Atlantic Forest in the urban zone.
The Cocó River is part of the river basin of the east coast of Ceará and has a total length of about 50 km in its main area. The park is inserted in the area of greater environmental sensitivity of the city, where it is possible to identify geoenvironmental formations such as coastal plain, fluvial plain and surface of the coastal trays. The Cocó river mangrove is home to mollusks, crustaceans, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. The park has a structure of visitation, with guides, ecological trails and equipment and events of environmental education and ecotourism. The Coaçu River, affluent of the river Cocó, forms in its bed the lagoon of the Precabura.
The Rio Pacoti provides much of the water supply for Fortaleza. At the municipal boundary with Caucaia, the estuary of the Rio Ceará is covered by an environmental protection area (APA), which was set up in 1999.
Climate[edit]
Fortaleza has a typical tropical climate, specifically a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification: Aw/As), with high temperatures and relative humidity throughout the year. However, these conditions are usually relieved by pleasant winds blowing from the ocean. Average temperatures are not much different throughout the year. December is the warmest month, with a high of 31.7 °C (89.1 °F) and low of 24.9 °C (76.8 °F).
The rainy season spans from January to July, with rainfall particularly prodigious in March and April. The average annual temperature is 27.0 °C (80.6 °F). The relative humidity in Fortaleza is 77.5%, with average annual rainfall of 1,584.0 millimetres (62.36 in). There is usually rain during the first seven months of the year from January to July. During this period, relative humidity is high. Fortaleza's climate is usually very dry from August to December, with very little rainfall.
Rainfall is akin to all of Northeastern Brazil among the most variable in the world, comparable (for similar average annual rainfalls) to central Queensland cities such as Townsville and Mackay. In the notorious drought year of 1877 as little as 468 millimetres or 18.43 inches fell, and in 1958 only 518 millimetres or 20.39 inches, but in the Nordeste's record wet year of 1985 Fortaleza received 2,188.4 millimetres or 86.16 inches.
Climate data for Fortaleza (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1931–present)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °C (°F)
35.2(95.4)
35.2(95.4)
34.8(94.6)
34.9(94.8)
33.6(92.5)
33.8(92.8)
33.9(93.0)
34.4(93.9)
34.6(94.3)
34.8(94.6)
34.8(94.6)
35.2(95.4)
35.2(95.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
31.2(88.2)
31.1(88.0)
30.8(87.4)
30.6(87.1)
30.8(87.4)
30.5(86.9)
30.6(87.1)
31.1(88.0)
31.4(88.5)
31.6(88.9)
31.7(89.1)
31.7(89.1)
31.1(88.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)
27.4(81.3)
27.3(81.1)
27.0(80.6)
26.8(80.2)
26.8(80.2)
26.4(79.5)
26.2(79.2)
26.6(79.9)
27.0(80.6)
27.4(81.3)
27.7(81.9)
27.8(82.0)
27.0(80.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
24.5(76.1)
24.3(75.7)
23.9(75.0)
23.8(74.8)
23.8(74.8)
23.2(73.8)
22.8(73.0)
22.9(73.2)
23.6(74.5)
24.3(75.7)
24.7(76.5)
24.9(76.8)
23.9(75.0)
Record low °C (°F)
18.2(64.8)
19(66)
18(64)
18.8(65.8)
18.6(65.5)
17.9(64.2)
17.9(64.2)
17.7(63.9)
19.2(66.6)
20.3(68.5)
20(68)
19.4(66.9)
17.7(63.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)
156.4(6.16)
187.0(7.36)
336.9(13.26)
385.0(15.16)
229.0(9.02)
130.0(5.12)
69.7(2.74)
20.0(0.79)
13.6(0.54)
9.5(0.37)
9.8(0.39)
37.1(1.46)
1,584(62.36)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)
13
14
20
21
16
10
7
3
3
3
3
5
118
Average relative humidity (%)
78.4
80.4
83.0
85.1
82.6
79.9
76.9
73.3
71.7
72.0
72.7
74.4
77.5
Average dew point °C (°F)
23.6(74.5)
23.9(75.0)
24.3(75.7)
24.4(75.9)
24.0(75.2)
23.0(73.4)
22.1(71.8)
21.5(70.7)
21.6(70.9)
22.1(71.8)
22.6(72.7)
23.0(73.4)
23.0(73.4)
Mean monthly sunshine hours
220.4
183.0
172.7
152.8
211.9
219.2
254.2
288.5
287.1
294.2
287.7
274.2
2,845.9
Source 1: Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET)
Source 2: NOAA (dew point)
Demographics
[edit]
See also: Brazilians, Demographics of Brazil, and Immigration to Brazil
Race and ethnicity in Fortaleza
Ethnicity
Percentage
Pardo (Multiracial)
 
60.0%
White
 
32.7%
Black
 
7.0%
Asian
 
0.1%
Amerindian
 
0.1%
According to the 2022 census, there were 2,428,708 people residing in the city of Fortaleza. The census revealed the following numbers: 1,456,901 Pardo (multiracial) people (60%), 793,975 White people (32.7%), 171,018 Black people (7%), 3,127 Asian people (0.1%), 3,000 Amerindian people (0.1%).
In 2010, the city of Fortaleza was the 5th most populous city proper in Brazil, after São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Brasília. Currently, Fortaleza is the 4th largest city in Brazil in terms of population. In 2010, the city had 433,942 opposite-sex couples and 1,559 same-sex couples. The population of Fortaleza was 53.2% female and 46.8% male.
The following cities are included in the metropolitan area of Fortaleza (ordered by population): Fortaleza, Caucaia, Maracanaú, Maranguape, Aquiraz, Pacatuba, Pacajus, Horizonte, São Gonçalo do Amarante, Itatinga, Guaiúba and Chorozinho.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the city experienced a significant wave of foreign immigration, with a strong presence of Portuguese. Several families of Syrian-Lebanese origin also formed a strong community in Fortaleza during that period, in addition to Spaniards, Italians, English, and French. During World War II, the city was active with the presence of American military personnel and even received a consulate from that country.
Motivated by leisure tourism, groups of Portuguese, Italians, Spaniards, and people from various other European countries have migrated to Fortaleza. In the 2000 census, there were 2,562 residents in Ceará who were born in other countries. According to the Immigration Office of the Federal Police in Fortaleza, in 2013 there were about 15,014 foreigners living in the city, demonstrating sustained growth in the index throughout the 2000s. In addition, a survey conducted in 2017 by the U.S. Consul General for the Northeast revealed that Fortaleza is the city in the region that has the largest number of Americans, both visitors and residents.
According to a genetic study from 2011, 'pardos' and whites' from Fortaleza, which comprise the largest share of the population, showed European ancestry of about 70%, the rest divided between Native American and African ancestries. A 2015 study, however, found out the following composition in Fortaleza: 48.9% of European contribution, 35.4% of Native American input and 15.7% of African ancestry.
View of Fortaleza
Slums and risk areas[edit]
Favela da Baixada in Fortaleza
Although it decreased throughout the 2000s, income inequality remains significant in Fortaleza, with a Gini coefficient of 0.61. In 2010, the poorest 20% of the city held only 2.83% of the municipality’s total income. Expanding the range to the poorest 80%, they possessed only 33.4% of the total. Meanwhile, 3.36% of residents remained in extreme poverty and 12.14% in poverty—still indicative of progress compared to 1991, when these rates were 15.25% and 38.97%, respectively.
According to 2022 data, about 22.9% of Fortaleza’s population lives in favelas, making it the seventh most slum-affected state capital in the country. Frequent droughts and the resulting rural exodus from the interior of Ceará worsen the problem of slum formation. At the beginning of the 1980s, there were 147 such areas in the city, and by 2014 this number had increased to 509. The capital is the main contributor to the total of 533 slums in the state, which ranks seventh nationally on this indicator.
The municipal civil defense service has prioritized gathering intelligence on so-called “risk areas,” (áreas de risco) which are locations prone to flooding, inundation, and other critical situations. In 2015, Fortaleza had 89 areas in this category.
Religion[edit]
See also: Religion in Brazil, Protestantism in Brazil, and Roman Catholic Church in BrazilEven though it emerged from a Dutch Protestant occupation and was established as a village due to a fortification rather than a religious mission, Catholicism proved dominant in Fortaleza from the beginning of its history. According to the census of 2010, 1,664,521 people, 67.88% of the population, followed Roman Catholicism, 523,456 (21.35%) were Protestant, 31,691 (1.29%) represented Spiritism and 162,985 (6.65%) had no religion whatsoever. Other religions, such as Umbanda, Candomblé, other Afro-Brazilian religions, Spiritualism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, other Eastern religions, Esotericism and other Christian churches like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) had a smaller number of adherents.
The proportion of Catholics in Fortaleza was higher than the Brazilian average, and the proportion of the non-religious was lower, though still greater than the combined percentage of all other non-Christian religions.
According to the 2022 Brazilian census, the religious composition of the city was:Church of Our Lady of Lebanon, one of the four Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Brazil.Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza, the country's third biggest.
Religious affiliation
Percentage
Catholic
60.03%
Protestant
26.31%
Non-religious
7.64%
Other religions
3.97%
Spiritist
1.21%
Umbanda and Candomblé
0.61%
Undeclared
0.12%
Not informed
0.10%
Traditional religions
0.01%
Source: IBGE 2022.
Politics
[edit]
Edson Ramalho Palace, seat of Ceará's Economy Secretariat.
João Brígido Palace, headquarters of the Municipal Government of Fortaleza
The administration of the municipality is made from the executive and legislative branches. Former mayor Roberto Cláudio, of the PDT, won 650,607 votes in the 2012 election, and was elected mayor. Legislative power rests with the City Council of Fortaleza, composed of 43 city councilors, elected for four-year terms, responsible for drafting municipal laws and supervising the executive. The municipality is, in addition, governed by organic law. In January 2015, there were 1,659,091 voters in Fortaleza (26.457% of the total state), distributed in thirteen electoral zones. The number of persons directly and indirectly employed in the municipal public administration in 2013 was respectively 31,318 and 4,950.
The city also houses the seat of state executive power, the Abolition Palace, previously occupied by former governor Camilo Santana, of the PT, elected in the general elections in Brazil in 2014. historically headquarters of the Iracema Club, which was Ceded to the Municipal Hall and now houses municipal executive bodies. In the city, there is the Administrative Center Governor Virgílio Távora.
Among the institutions present in the city, are the Fortaleza Air Base, the Port Authority of Ceará, School of Apprentice Sailors of Ceará and the Command of the Tenth Military Region.[citation needed] The city also has units of the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF. Since 1996, a city is part of the Common Market of Cities of Mercosur.
Economy
[edit]
See also: Economy of Brazil
Central Bank of Brazil in Fortaleza.Aerial view of downtown Fortaleza
Fortaleza has the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Northeast Region, surpassing Recife and Salvador. In 2021, the GDP of Fortaleza reached the value of 73.4 billion Reais, the eleventh highest of the country. In the same year, the value of taxes on products net of subsidies at current prices was R$12,811,311,235 and the municipality's GDP per capita was R$27.164,45. The city's booming economy is reflected in purchasing power, the country's eighth largest, with estimated consumption potential at 42 billion reais in 2014.
The main economic source of the municipality is centered in the tertiary sector, with its diversified segments of commerce and service rendering. Next, the secondary sector stands out, with the industrial complexes. In 2021, the city had 848,283 people in employment.
Culture
[edit]
See also: Culture of Brazil
Inner front of the Theatro José de Alencar.Sand art, originating in Ceará, is one of the most present items in the city's craft centers.Dragão do Mar Cultural Center
According to the Master Plan of Fortaleza, the Special Areas for the Preservation of Historic, Cultural and Archaeological Heritage are the regions of the center, Parangaba, Alagadiço Novo/José de Alencar, Benfica, Porangabuçu and Praia de Iracema. Properties of conservation interest. The architectural heritage of Fortaleza in the form of fallen goods[clarification needed], however, is predominantly concentrated in the center of the city. The Mucuripe Lighthouse is unfortunately in ruins today, Ceará and Fortaleza were part of the pioneering group of states and cities to adopt public policies to protect the living intangible heritage of their culture, through the Masters of Culture program. The city is recognized as a "Design City" by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network.
Museums, theatres and cultural spaces[edit]
Among the theaters, the largest and most popular are Theatro José de Alencar, São José Theater, São Luiz Cinema Theater, and Teatro RioMar and Teatro Via Sul. The Ceará Museum houses numerous artifacts, including pieces of paleontology and furniture. The Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture is the main cultural centre, and includes the Ceará Museum of Culture, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Ceará, theaters, a planetarium, cinemas, shops and spaces for public presentations, as well as housing the Public Library Governador Menezes Pimentel, Oporto Iracema of the Arts and the School of Arts and Crafts Thomaz Pompeu Sobrinho. The Casa de José de Alencar is one of the Brazilian museums recognised as dealing with Brazilian literature. It was opened in 1964 and houses art collections, a gallery, a library and the ruins of the first steam power plant in Ceará. In the different SERs of the city, the complexes of the CUCA Network are spread, which are facilities dedicated to art, leisure and education, especially for young people.
Freemasonry is represented by the Grand Masonic Lodge of Ceará and the Great State East of Ceará. There are also service clubs in the city, such as the Lions Club and Rotary International.
The Ceará handicraft has its main market and showcase in Fortaleza. In the city, there are several specific places for trade in handicraft products, such as the Ceará Craft Center (CeArt), Ceará Tourism Center (Emcetur), Crafts Fair of Beira-Mar, and on Avenida Monsenhor Tabosa.
Literature and cinema[edit]
Rachel de Queiroz, the first immortal of the Brazilian Academy of Letters and winner of the Camões Prize.Ceará Palace, former seat of the Cearense Academy of Letters.
The main literary manifestation of Fortaleza's history emerged at the end of the 19th century, in the cafes of Praça do Ferreira, known as the Spiritual Bakery, a pioneer in the dissemination of modern ideas in Brazilian literature that would only be adopted nationally in the following century, in the Modern Art Week. The most important historical entities of high culture still present in the city are the Ceará Institute and the Ceará Academy of Letters, the first academy of letters created in Brazil, founded in 1887 and 1894 respectively. The Ceará Institute has helped launch important names in national historiography and philosophy, such as Farias Brito and Capistrano de Abreu. Among the writers who are members of the Cearense Academy of Letters and members or patrons of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, are Gustavo Barroso, Araripe Júnior, José de Alencar, Heráclito Graça, Franklin Tavora, Clóvis Beviláqua and Rachel de Queiroz, the first woman to Be part of the entity. The Casa de Juvenal Galeno is another historical cultural institution of Fortaleza, named after one of the greatest poets born in the city, Juvenal Galeno. The house became well known for its festivals of poetry and seminaries.
In cinema, the most well known name is Zelito Viana, director of films like Villa-Lobos: A Life of Passion and Life and Death of Severina. More recently, Karim Aïnouz has directed Madame Satã, Suely in the Sky and Futuro Beach, and script of Lower City, Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures and Behind the Sun. Another current exponent of cinema born in Fortaleza is Halder Gomes, director and screenwriter of Holliúdy Cinema. New filmmakers in the city have gained in recent years prominent exhibitions such as at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival. The most traditional cinema event in Fortaleza is the Cine Ceará (Ibero-American Film Festival), considered one of the main festivals of the country.
Fashion[edit]
The main fashion name in the city is the Lino Villaventura [pt], who, from Fortaleza, designed himself nationally and internationally and today is one of the main names of São Paulo Fashion Week, besides being one of the founding designers of this fashion week. There are major events in the city, such as the Dragão Fashion Brasil, considered the largest fashion event in the Northeast and the third largest in the country.
Much of the clothing that is produced in Ceará flows through Fortaleza, which in turn is recognized as one of the most important textile centers of the country, giving the garment industry great weight in the metropolitan economy. Brands of the city like Santana Textiles and headquarters of brands like Esplanada and Otoch have considerable regional influence.
Humor[edit]
Bode Ioiô, taxidermied and displayed at the Ceará Museum
The collective imagination regarding the role of humor in the identity of the people of Ceará dates back to the late 19th century, when Adolfo Caminha and Oliveira Paiva coined the term Ceará Moleque, referring to the jokes and social and political mockery practiced by the population. One example was the April 1 “lying contest”, which awarded, under the “Cajueiro da Mentira” at Praça do Ferreira, the greatest teller of tall tales in Ceará.
Bode Ioiô is another symbol of Fortaleza’s humorous spirit. The goat became famous in the 1920s for roaming public places, drinking cachaça, and even having been a candidate for city council. After its death, the animal was taxidermied and remains on display at the Ceará Museum; however, in 1996 its tail was stolen. Historical events like these and the traditions they inspired contributed to the development of a local humor industry. Bars, restaurants, and specialized venues serve as stages for the most acclaimed comedians, while public squares attract clowns and other performers.
Fortaleza is known as the humor capital of Brazil. Comedy shows are a major pillar of its tourist appeal, drawing three million spectators per year. Contemporary celebrities such as Tom Cavalcante and Wellington Muniz, both nationally famous, were born in Fortaleza. Comedians from other cities and states also built their careers there, such as Renato Aragão and Tiririca. Another major Ceará-born comedian who began his career in the capital is Falcão, who gained national recognition by combining humor with brega music, eventually becoming one of the greatest icons of that musical style. In Greater Fortaleza was born Chico Anysio, regarded as the greatest Brazilian comedian of all time.
Music[edit]
Aviões do Forró [pt], the biggest forró band in the countryAlberto Nepomuceno, the "father" of nationalism of the Brazilian erudite music.
Forró is the most popular musical genre in the city. Bands originating in Fortaleza, such as Desejo de Menina and Aviões do Forró, were responsible for the popularization of electronic forró, which promoted the revaluation of the accordion in the genre and brought it closer to pop music. The forró pé-de serra, however, still holds great cultural influence and commercial prominence in the city.
Genres such as rock and its various branches, blues, jazz, samba, hip hop, among other contemporary styles, are also part of Fortaleza’s cultural production and are common in the city’s nightlife. Fortaleza-based bands such as Selvagens à Procura de Lei and Cidadão Instigado have gained notable recognition by performing at festivals like Rock in Rio and Lollapalooza.
Another musical style strongly tied to the identity of the people of Fortaleza is lambada, which achieved great popularity in the city in the late 1980s.
In Música popular brasileira, some of the names from Fortaleza were Fagner, Ednardo, Belchior (from Sobral but lived in Fortaleza) and Amelinha. The musical tradition of Fortaleza, however, goes back to the composer Alberto Nepomuceno, one of the greatest names in classical music in Brazil, a pioneer in the development of the country's musical nationalism, and therefore considered the "founder of Brazilian music". The Alberto Nepomuceno Conservatory is one of the city's leading music schools.
Carnival[edit]
Fortaleza hosts one of the noted Brazilian Carnivals. Its main locations are Iracema Beach and Avenue Domingos Olimpio.
Cuisine[edit]
Baião de dois, a dish of Ceará origin, is very common in restaurants in the capital
Restaurants and bars in the city's historic center
Fortaleza’s gastronomy is very close to typical Northeastern cuisine, and locally, traditional dishes stand out, such as baião de dois, usually served with grilled mutton or carne de sol. Seafood is another key ingredient in typical dishes of Fortaleza’s cuisine, such as ray moqueca and cavala (mackerel) or pargo (snapper) stews, whose original popular purpose was to help restore the strength of the jangadeiros returning from the open sea.
The signature seafood of the state’s coast is crab. Every Thursday, the traditional caranguejada takes place—an event in which restaurants, bars, and beach tents across the city’s coastline serve dishes made from the crustacean, eaten with the help of a small wooden mallet.
Shrimp and lobster are also widely used in dishes such as shrimp rice and shrimp bobó. At Mercado dos Peixes (Fish Market) in Mucuripe, you can buy a wide variety of fish and have them cooked in neighboring restaurants. The most common practice is to buy shrimp and have it prepared with garlic and oil. A strong tradition in Fortaleza is to enjoy this dish on-site during weekend sunsets, while watching the return of the jangadeiros after a day of fishing.
The gastronomic hubs of Varjota, Praia de Iracema, and Avenida Beira Mar are the areas with the greatest diversity of international cuisine restaurants, with emphasis on Arab, French, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swiss cuisines, as well as pizzerias, steakhouses, and contemporary and regional cuisine.
There is another gastronomic hub in southern Fortaleza, near the border with Eusébio, known as the Tapioqueiras, a center of restaurants specialized in preparing tapioca, another hallmark dish of local cuisine.
Tourism
[edit]
See also: Tourism in Brazil
Beach Park is the largest water park in Latin America
Acquario Ceará, due to be one of the largest oceanariums in Brazil, is currently under construction. Attractions such as the Beach Park theme park, located in the Great Fortaleza, Avenida Beira Mar and its bars, restaurants and music clubs, the beaches of Futuro and Iracema and Pirata Bar have placed Fortaleza among the Brazilian destinations preferred by Europeans.
Scuba diving is possible in the area of Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park, a marine protected area located about 10 nautical miles from the shoreline of Fortaleza.
Fortaleza has about 25 kilometres (16 mi) of urban beaches. Mucuripe is the place where jangadas can be found. Still used by fishermen to go into high seas, jangadas can be seen along the way during the afternoon and evenings, and returning from the sea in the morning; part of the catch of the day is sold in an old-style fish market.
Education
[edit]
In 2016 the Federal University of Ceará located in Fortaleza was classified as the 10th best university in Brazil, 1st in the North and Northeast regions and the best university in Ceará.
In 2010, the level of the education factor of the Strengthening Human Development Index was medium, despite its great advance, which went from 0.367 to 0.695 between 1991 and 2010. According to data from the 2010 Human Development Atlas of Brazil, Fortaleza's adult education levels were divided as follows: 8.57% did not complete primary school or were illiterate, 62.43% had completed elementary education, 45.93% had completed high school and 13.73% had completed higher education.
Universities in the city include the Federal University of Ceará (Universidade Federal do Ceará, UFC) and the University of Fortaleza (Universidade de Fortaleza, UNIFOR).
Health
[edit]
Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Fortaleza, first public hospital built in the city, in 1861.São Mateus Hospital, private institution founded in 1993.
The health indexes of the Fortaleza population are better than the Brazilian average. According to data from 2010, the infant mortality rate up to one year old was 15.8 per 1000 live births in Fortaleza, against a Brazilian average of 16.7. By 2013, 90.6% of children under one year of age had their immunization records up to date. In 2012, 37,577 live births were registered, and the infant mortality rate up to five years of age was 13.2 per 1000. Of the total number of children under two years old weighed by the Family Health Program in 2013, 0.8% were malnourished.
In 2009, Fortaleza had a total of 35 general hospitals, of which 11 were public, 21 were private, two were philanthropic, and one was a trade union. The Doctor José Frota Institute is the largest hospital administered by the Municipal Government, and the General Hospital of Fortaleza is the largest hospital administered by the State Government.[citation needed] In addition, it had 54 specialized hospitals and eight polyclinics. The total number of physicians working in the health network of the municipality was 13,604, approximately 5.4 per thousand inhabitants. Fortaleza has 117 units of health posts, three UPAs [pt] administered by the municipality and six administered by the state. The first hospital built in Fortaleza was the Santa Casa de Misericórdia, founded in 1861. Among the most important public health institutions in the city, the most important is the Dr. José Frota Institute, the largest hospital administered by the Municipal Government, and the General Hospital of Fortaleza, the largest hospital administered by the State Government. Among the private institutions, the largest are the Unimed Fortaleza Regional Hospital, Antônio Prudente Hospital, Monte Klinikum Hospital and São Mateus Hospital.
One of the most important basic health programs in Fortaleza is the Family Health Program, within which the city is in third place in the country in extension of coverage, with hundreds of teams distributed in dozens of care units. The Emergency Mobile Care Service (SAMU) is the municipality's health care service, which serves an average of 200 daily occurrences.
The University Hospital Walter Cantídio is the largest liver transplantation facility in the country. The Faculty of Medicine of the UFC is the 13th best medical school in Brazil, 2nd best medical school in the North and Northeast regions and the best medical school in Ceará. UFC's medical degree is still one of the most popular in the country.
Transportation
[edit]
International Airport[edit]
Pinto Martins International Airport (FOR)
The current passenger terminal of Fortaleza Airport, located in the center of Fortaleza, was built between 1996 and 1998. The airport has undergone an expansion process, from which the number of boarding bridges increased from seven to sixteen and the passenger terminal has been expanded from 38,000 m2 to 133,000 m2. In 2014, the airport was capable of serving 6.2 million passengers per year, but after the expansion, capacity is at 11.2 million.
Pinto Martins Airport is the third busiest airport in the Northeast Region and one of the busiest in the country, receiving on average 1,500 international aircraft and 65,000 domestic aircraft per year. In 2013, it received more than 5.9 million passengers.
Air Force Base[edit]
Fortaleza Air Force Base – BAFZ, a base of the Brazilian Air Force, is located in Fortaleza.
Roads and public transport[edit]
BR-116 in Fortaleza, Ceará, the longest highway in the country, with 4,385 km (2,725 mi) of extension.Land access to the municipality is provided by the highways BR-116, BR-020, BR-222, CE-090, CE-085, CE-065, CE-060, CE-040, and CE-025, in addition to the Engenheiro João Thomé Bus Terminal, where intermunicipal and interstate routes are concentrated. The city’s road transport system is regulated by the Empresa de Transporte Urbano de Fortaleza (ETUFOR), an agency of the Municipal Government of Fortaleza, while vehicle traffic is monitored by the Autarquia Municipal de Trânsito, Serviços Públicos e Cidadania (AMC).
Public transport by bus is called the Integrated Transport System (SIT-FOR), and its operation began in 1992. The system provides users with travel options and access to different zones of the city through single-fare integration within regional terminals. The SIT-FOR network is based on three types of routes: those that connect neighborhoods to terminals, those that connect terminals to the city center, and those that connect one terminal to another.
Platform B of the Antônio Bezerra urban bus terminal
Fortaleza has seven integrated terminals (Antônio Bezerra, Papicu, Parangaba, Lagoa, Siqueira, Messejana, and Conjunto Ceará) and three open terminals (Sagrado Coração de Jesus, José Walter, and Washington Soares). More than 1 million passengers per day use the closed terminals through 263 regular bus lines, offering 11,000 combinations with routes distributed throughout the city. There are 25 operating companies with a fleet of more than 2,000 buses (not including buses circulating in the metropolitan region), which make nearly 20,000 trips daily.
In 2013, the single ticket system was introduced in the city, allowing users unlimited use of buses and vans with a single fare for a period of two hours, without needing to pass through terminals for integration. The city is also in the process of implementing seven Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors, called Expresso Fortaleza. The first to open was the Antônio Bezerra/Papicu express corridor.
In 2015, Fortaleza began the process of air-conditioning the entire SIT-FOR bus fleet. The city already has 122 km of exclusive lanes for public transport.
The system of traffic monitoring is known by the acronym CTAFOR, which stands for "Controle de Tráfego em Área de Fortaleza" (Traffic Control of the Area of Fortaleza).
Metro systems[edit]
Boarding and alighting platform of the José de Alencar station on the South Line of the Fortaleza Metro in January 2024
View of two boarding and alighting platforms of the Parangaba bus terminal in July 2023. On the right side of the image, highlighted, is the Parangaba station of the Light Rail Vehicle (VLT) and part of the dedicated metro structure
The Fortaleza Metro is operated by the Companhia Cearense de Transportes Metropolitanos, a mixed-economy company with majority control by the Government of the State of Ceará. Founded on May 2, 1997, the company is responsible for managing, building, and planning metro transport in the state of Ceará, overseeing five public transport lines in the three regions with the greatest activity in the state. The company is responsible for 62 stations distributed across 84.3 kilometers of railway lines throughout the state, forming the largest metro infrastructure administered by a single company in the Northeast. It serves more than 56,000 people every day in the cities of Fortaleza, Caucaia, Maracanaú, Pacatuba, Sobral, Juazeiro do Norte, and Crato.
Operations of the Fortaleza Metro began on June 15, 2012, with the opening of a section of the South Line in assisted operation. Commercial operation began on October 1, 2014, with fare collection set at the same price as the Fortaleza Integrated Transport System (SIT-FOR) at the time.
The system currently consists of:
One metro line: South Line (Central–Chico da Silva ↔ Carlito Benevides)
Two diesel Light Rail Vehicle (VLT) lines: West Line (Moura Brasil ↔ Caucaia) and Northeast Line (Parangaba ↔ Iate)
Its design allows integration with the Parangaba and Papicu urban bus terminals, two major hubs of intense passenger movement in the capital. There is also potential future connection to the Port of Mucuripe passenger terminal, through an extension of the Northeast Line and the Fortaleza International Airport, through the future airport branch.
Currently, approximately 42,000 passengers per day are transported on the three lines in the capital.
According to data released in November 2023, the system ranks as the fifth largest in Brazil in terms of length, among the fifteen urban passenger rail systems in the country, with 56.8 km. It is behind the systems of São Paulo (377.2 km), Rio de Janeiro (287.5 km), Recife (71 km) and Natal (57.9 km). The lines of the Fortaleza Metropolitan Region represented about 5.1% of Brazil’s total urban rail network in 2023, which was 1,133.4 km according to the National Association of Rail Passenger Transporters (ANPTrilhos).
Rail transport[edit]
Rail access to the municipality is provided by the Fortaleza–Oiticica line (North Line / North Trunk Line) and the Fortaleza–Crato line (South Line / Crato Branch), along their full extensions, as well as by the Mucuripe Branch. All of these are controlled by Ferrovia Transnordestina Logística (FTL), which operates freight transport destined for the ports of Pecém and Mucuripe, both located in the state of Ceará.
On the first two lines, long-distance passenger transport used to be operated by the Rede Ferroviária Federal (RFFSA), the system’s original administrator. RFFSA coordinated long-distance passenger trains alongside freight services and urban passenger transport (the latter was transferred to CBTU and later to Metrofor). These services connected Fortaleza to the cities of Crato, Juazeiro do Norte, Crateús, and Oiticica, as well as to other capitals such as Teresina and Recife, with stops in Natal and João Pessoa.
Long-distance trains departed from the João Felipe Railway Station, with operations continuing until 1988, nine years before Regional Superintendency SR-11 was transferred to the private sector. However, interstate passenger connections departing from Fortaleza had already been discontinued in the mid-1980s, due to the increasing priority given to freight traffic.
Port transport[edit]
With the construction of Fort Schoonenborch by the Dutch in 1649, near the Pajeú stream, a major docking structure was envisioned as a port for 300 years. Constructions such as the Ponte Metálica (Metal Bridge) and the Ponte dos Ingleses (English Bridge) were part of this effort. The city’s first port operated in the region of the former Prainha, today known as Praia de Iracema, but Fortaleza’s port infrastructure only truly began to develop with the construction of the Port of Mucuripe in the 1940s, which transformed the city’s structure.
The port features a 1,054-meter-long quay, an exclusive platform for petroleum products, a warehouse area of 6,000 m², and nearly 200,000 m² of container yard. It also contains three wheat mills and is connected to the railway system through a large switching yard.
Meanwhile, the Port Terminal of Pecém, or Port of Pecém, is located in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza, in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante. Due to its geographic location, the Port of Pecém has the shortest transit time between Brazil and the United States and Europe, averaging six and seven days, respectively, which places it in a strategic position of regional influence. In the surrounding area, a development hub for petroleum, chemical, metallurgical, and other industrial sectors is taking shape, forming the Industrial and Port Complex of Pecém, of which the Port of Pecém is a part.
Bike lanes[edit]
Fortaleza officially has 116.4 kilometres (72.3 mi) of bike lanes.
Sports
[edit]
See also: Sports in Brazil
The Estádio Governador Plácido Castelo is the fourth largest in the country and was one of the venues for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Football is the most popular sport in the city. The Campeonato Cearense de Futebol, held since 1914, has its main matches in the capital. The most notable teams in the city and the state are Fortaleza Esporte Clube, Ceará Sporting Club, and Ferroviário Atlético Clube. The first two, the most traditional, compete in the Série A and Série B of Campeonato Brasileiro respectively, and are the protagonists of the Clássico-Rei derby. There are also several association football clubs in the city, including Floresta EC, AE Tiradentes, América FC and Atlético Cearense.
Fortaleza Esporte Clube has won the state championship 46 times, while Ceará Sporting Club has won it 45 times. Ferroviário Atlético Clube is the third-largest titleholder, with 9 championships. In national competitions, Fortaleza’s clubs have also stood out: Ferroviário became the city’s first national champion by winning the 2018 Série D of Campeonato Brasileiro, and in the same year Fortaleza won the Série B title. These two clubs are the only national champions from the capital of Ceará.
Beyond these titles, clubs from Fortaleza have had other significant campaigns in national competitions. Fortaleza was twice runner-up of the Série A, in 1960 and 1968, while Ceará was runner-up of the Copa do Brasil in 1994.
Fortaleza has two stadiums accredited by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF): Estádio Governador Plácido Castelo (Castelão), with capacity for about 67,000 people, owned by the state government, and Estádio Presidente Vargas (PV), owned by the municipal government, with a capacity of 20,600 people.
Fortaleza was one of the host cities of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup with matches played at the Arena Castelão. The city hosted six World Cup matches, including two Brazil games, one Germany match, one Round of 16, and one Quarter-final game. Fortaleza will also host matches at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup
In futsal, the city is home to the Brazilian Futsal Confederation, a national body affiliated with CONMEBOL and FIFA. The Fortaleza-based Sumov Atlético Clube is a six-time Taça Brasil champion and two-time South American champion.
Other sports[edit]
Brazilian stage of the International Windsurfing Circuit
Most clubs keep football as their main activity but support and develop other sports, such as futsal, volleyball, and basketball. Less popular sports have gained visibility in the city, such as cricket, golf, and especially rugby.
Water and beach sports are widely practiced and have strong tradition in Fortaleza, including surfing, windsurfing, sailing, sandboarding, triathlon, diving, and kitesurfing. Many national and international competitions in these modalities take place in the city.
Jangada (traditional raft sailing) is considered a competitive sport in Fortaleza. The Mucuripe Bay and Náutico Beach annually host races of the Circuito Cearense de Jangadas.
Fortaleza has a large variety of martial arts schools and academies. Motorsport is practiced at kart tracks around the municipality and at the Virgílio Távora International Speedway, in Greater Fortaleza.
The city hosted the first Red Bull Soapbox Race held in Brazil, in 2008.
Some of the municipality’s most important athletics events, with broad public participation, include Pão de Açúcar Relay Marathon, Pague Menos Running Circuit, and Fortaleza International Half Marathon, which celebrates the city’s anniversary and is the largest in northern and northeastern Brazil. The race attracts athletes from countries such as Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Kenya, Tanzania, and Morocco.
Fortaleza is home to Centro de Formação Olímpica do Nordeste Olympic (Training Center of the Northeast), part of the National Training Network of the Ministry of Sports, created as a legacy of the 2016 Olympic Games. The center is responsible for high-performance athletic development and, together with Arena Castelão, forms the largest sports complex in Brazil, with 313,000 m² dedicated to 26 Olympic sports. The center also houses the largest indoor arena in the country, with capacity for 21,000 people.
Fortaleza is home to the Centro de Formação Olímpica do Nordeste [pt] (CFO), which opened in 2014. CFO hosted UFC Fight Night 106 on 11 March 2017.
Official subdivision
[edit]
Secretarias Executivas Regionais (Regional Executive Secretariats) of Fortaleza.Territórios Administrativos (Administrative Territories) of Fortaleza.
Fortaleza is subdivided in 121 neighborhoods, that are grouped in 39 administrative territories, managed by 12 subprefectures (Secreterias Executivas Regionais). Each subprefecture has a holder appointed by the municipal government.
Neighborhoods[edit]
Dom Lustosa
Parangaba
Pirambu
Praia de Iracema
Rodolfo Teófilo
People
[edit]
José de Alencar, writer of the Brazilian Empire.
Mausoleum of Marshal Castelo Branco, former dictator of Brazil.
Neuma Aguiar (1938–2023), Brazilian sociologist who pioneered women's studies in the country
José de Alencar, famous writer from the 19th century
Alberto Nepomuceno, famous composer from the 19th century
Rachel de Queiroz, first female writer in Academia Brasileira de Letras
André Diamant, international chess grandmaster
Casimiro Montenegro Filho, founder of the Brazilian Air Force Aeronautical Technologic Institute - ITA
Maurício Peixoto, mathematician, one of the founders of IMPA
Gilberto Câmara, former director of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
Tom Cavalcante, Brazilian actor and comedian
Castelo Branco, former dictator of Brazil (1964–67)
Márcio Araújo, Brazilian beach volleyball player, Olympic medallist
Ed Lincoln, musician and composer
Thiago Monteiro, table tennis player
Evanilson, professional footballer
Raffael, professional footballer
Ronny Araújo, professional footballer
Mário Jardel, retired professional footballer
José Gerardo Moreira Rocha Júnior, footballer
Otávio Dutra, professional footballer
Marcus Aurélio, mixed martial arts professional
Wilson Gouveia, mixed martial arts professional
Thiago Alves, mixed martial arts professional
Hermes França, mixed martial arts professional
Jorge Gurgel, mixed martial arts professional
Shelda Bede, Brazilian beach volleyball player, Olympic medallist
Thiago Monteiro, tennis player
Sávio Santos, professional footballer
International relations
[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Brazil
Fortaleza is twinned with:
Ferreira do Alentejo, Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Miami Beach, United States
Montese, Italy
Praia, Cape Verde
Racine, United States
Sal, Cape Verde
