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Fishermen at freshwater stream near Tamandaré, PE, Brazil

Photo credit: Cyc

Pernambuco (pron. Portuguese pronunciation: [pɛx.nɐ̃.ˈbu.ku]) is a state of Brazil, located in the Brazilian Northeast. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. Pernambuco is covered mostly by the dry thorny scrub vegetation called caatinga. The Rio São Francisco is the main water source for this area.

The coastal area is fertile, and was formerly covered by the Mata Atlântica. It is now occupied by extensive sugar cane plantations. The climate is more bland in the countryside because of the Borborema plateau ("Planalto da Borborema", popularly known as "Serra das Russas" or "Russians' Mountain").