, city (1991 pop. 629,041), capital of Alagoas state, E Brazil, on a narrow strip of land between a lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean. Its port is at Jaraguá. Industries include sugar refining, me...

Collor de Mello, Fernando, 1949–, president of Brazil (1990–92). In 1990, he became the youngest president of Brazil following the first public election in 29 years. He was mayor of Maceió (19...

Sertão [Port.,=backlands], semiarid hinterland of NE Brazil; c.250,000 sq mi (647,500 sq km). Its characteristic landscape is the caatinga, or thorny scrub forest. The chief occupation of the ...

Brazil, Port. Brasil, officially Federative Republic of Brazil, republic (2005 est. pop. 186,113,000), 3,286,470 sq mi (8,511,965 sq km), E South America. By far the largest of the Latin Ameri...