Olinda

For other uses, see Olinda (disambiguation).
Olinda
Municipality
The Municipality of Olinda

Flag
Seal
Olinda

Location in Brazil

Coordinates: BR 8°0′32″S 34°51′18″W / 8.00889°S 34.85500°W / -8.00889; -34.85500
Country  Brazil
Region Northeast
State Pernambuco
Founded March 12, 1535
Incorporated (as village) 1537
Incorporated (as city) 1676
Government
 • Mayor Renildo V. Calheiros
Area
 • Municipality 43.55 km2 (27.1 sq mi)
 • Metro 2,768 km2 (1,068.7 ;) sq mi)
Elevation 16 m (52 ft)
Population (2015)
 • Municipality 389,494
 • Density 5.660/km2 (14.659/sq mi)
 • Metro 3,768,902
Time zone UTC-3 (UTC-3)
HDI (2000) Increase 0.792 – medium
Website Olinda, Pernambuco
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iv
Reference 189
UNESCO region Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription 1982 (6th Session)

Olinda (Portuguese pronunciation: [oˈlĩdɐ]), is an historic city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, located on the country's northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, just north of Recife and south of Paulista.[1] It has a population of 389,494 people, covers 41.681 square kilometres (16.093 sq mi), and has a population of 9 inhabitants per square kilometer. It is noted as one of the best-preserved colonial cities in Brazil.[2]

Olinda features a number of major tourist attractions, such as a historic downtown area (World Heritage Site), churches, and the Carnival of Olinda, a popular street party, very similar to traditional Portuguese carnivals, with the addition of African influenced dances. Unlike in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, in Olinda, admission to Carnival is free. All the festivities are celebrated on the streets, and there are no bleachers or roping. There are hundreds of small musical groups (sometimes featuring a single performer) in many genres.

History

Olinda - oil on canvas (1662)
Aerial view of the Historical city center.
Convent of São Francisco, a Franciscan convent oldest in Brazil.
São Francisco Sacristy.
Main altar of Saint Benedict Church.

Several indigenous tribes occupied the coast of Northeastern Brazil for several thousand years, and the hills of the present day municipality of Olinda had settlements of Caetés and Tupinambá tribes, which were frequently at war. French mercenaries are thought to be the first Europeans to get to the region, but the Portuguese exploited intertribal rivalries and managed to build a stronghold on the former Caeté village in the higher hill. Recent studies by the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco [Federal University of Pernambuco] have uncovered new evidence of the pre-colonial population of the area. The settlement of Olinda was founded in 1535 by Duarte Coelho Pereira; it was elevated to a town on March 12, 1537.[1] It was made the seat of the Territorial Prelature of Pernambuco in 1614, becoming the Diocese of Olinda in 1676. The economy of the region was dominated by the production of sugarcane. The importation of slaves from Africa to support the economy made Olinda a colonial stronghold. By 1600 its economy was based on sugar, and imported African slave labor had made it a colonial stronghold. Slavery existed in Olinda until the Lei Áurea, or Golden Law, abolished slavery in Brazil in 1888.

Olinda was the capital of the hereditary captaincy of Pernambuco, but was burned by Dutch invaders. The Portuguese built their town on the hill, for practical purposes (sewers) and to make it easier to defend. In the 17th century the Kingdom of Portugal was united with Spain (the 1580-1640 Iberian Union period). Taking advantage of this period of Portuguese weakness, the area around Olinda and Recife was occupied by the Dutch who gained access to the Portuguese sugarcane plantations.[2] John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen was appointed as the governor of the Dutch possessions in Brazil in 1637 by the Dutch West India Company on recommendation of Frederick Henry. He landed at Recife, the port of Pernambuco and the chief stronghold of the Dutch, in January 1637. By a series of successful expeditions, he gradually extended the Dutch possessions from Sergipe on the south to São Luís de Maranhão in the north. He likewise conquered the Portuguese possessions of Saint George del Mina, Saint Thomas, and Luanda, Angola, on the west coast of Africa. After the dissolution of the Iberian Union in 1640, Portugal would reestablish its authority over the lost territories of the Portuguese Empire.

Olinda declined in importance after the Dutch invasion. Recife became the capital of the region. The city now serves as a suburb to the greater Recife metropolitan area. Due to the historic position of the city, it retains the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olinda e Recife.[1]

Besides its natural beauty, Olinda is also one of the most important of Brazil's cultural centers. Declared in 1982 a Historical and Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by the UNESCO, Olinda relives the magnificence of the past every year during the Carnival, in the rhythm of frevo, maracatu and others rhythms.

Economy

Giant Dolls - Olinda Carnival.
Church of Our Lady of the Snows, Saint Roch Chapel and San Francisco Convent.

The main economic activities in Olinda are based in tourism, commerce, transportation industry and artcraft. The tourist sector has a boom every Carnival when thousands of people are in the old historic town center.

Economic indicators

Population GDP x(1000 R$).[3] GDP pc (R$) PE RMR
397.268 2.179.183 5.567 3.54% 5.39%

Economy by Sector

Primary sector Secondary sector Service sector
0.17% 18.70% 81.13%

Health Indicators

[4]

HDI (2000) Hospitals (2007) Hospitals beds (2007)
0.792 3 358

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Olinda". Encyclopædia Britannica. Chicago, Ill.: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
  2. 1 2 "Pernambuco, Olinda" (in Portuguese). Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  3. ↑ Olinda 2007 GDP IBGE page 31
  4. ↑ PE State site - City by city profile
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olinda.

Olinda travel guide from Wikivoyage

Coordinates: 8°00′S 34°53′W / 8.000°S 34.883°W / -8.000; -34.883

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