Recife, << ruh SEE fuh >> , in northeastern Brazil, is the capital of the state of Pernambuco. The municipality of Recife has a population of 1,537,704. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. Recife lies at the mouths of the Capibaribe and Beberibe rivers, partly on the mainland and partly on an island in the Atlantic Ocean.
Factories and mills of Recife produce food and beverages and textiles. Hospitals, port activities, and tourism also are important to Recife’s economy. A technology park called Porto Digital employs thousands of people in the fields of information technology and communications. The Suape Port and Industrial Complex, south of Recife, employs tens of thousands of people and includes a shipyard. Recife has several institutions of higher education.
The Portuguese established permanent settlements in the Recife region in 1535. During Dutch invasions of Brazil (1630-1654), Recife was the center of Dutch operations. It became a Brazilian town in 1710, and a city in 1823.
