Maceió

Maceió, city, capital of Alagoas estado (state), northeastern Brazil. It is situated below low bluffs on a level strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Norte (or Mundaú) Lagoon, a shallow body of water extending inward for several miles. Formerly called Macayo, the city dates from 1815, when a small settlement there was made a villa. In 1839 it became capital of Alagoas (then a provincia) and was given city status.

A lighthouse is situated on a hill in the centre of the city and serves as a conspicuous landmark, located half a mile from the sea. Colonial buildings in Maceió include the Government Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Church of Bom Jesús dos Mártires. Maceió is the seat of the Federal University of Alagoas (founded in 1961), the Medical Society of Alagoas (1917), and the Historical Institute of Alagoas (1869). Jaraguá port, which lies just to the east, is protected by a reef; its harbour can accommodate only vessels of light draft, and oceangoing ships anchor outside the reef. The city’s relative prosperity—with the exception of significant peripheral slums, known as favelas—contrasts sharply with the poverty of Alagoas’s interior. Maceió boasts a large football (soccer) stadium, the Rei Pelé.

Maceió is the commercial centre of the state. The city’s economy is basically industrial and includes textile mills; sugar refineries; steel, iron, and zinc foundries; distilleries; and chemical, cellulose, and cigarette factories. Oil is extracted from nearby offshore platforms, and sugar, cotton, and rum are exported. Nearby are coconut and dende palm plantations. The tourist industry is important, owing to the area’s sheltered lagoons and numerous fine beaches. Maceió has rail and road connections with Recife, Aracaju, and other cities. There is domestic air service. Pop. (2010) 932,748.