Geography of Paraiba
Below, a map of Paraiba.
Map of Paraiba
The State of Paraiba has an area of 54.440 km2 (21,019 sq.mi); it is the 21st largest State of Brazil (out of a total of 27 States).
If Paraiba were an American State, it would be the 42nd largest one, smaller than West Virginia and bigger than Maryland; Paraiba is bigger than Belgium and about half the size of Portugal.
Paraiba makes border with the Atlantic Ocean (E) and the States of Rio Grande do Norte (N), Ceará (W) and Pernambuco (S).
Total population is estimated 3,650,303 (year 2007), about the same population as Connecticut, which makes it the 13th most populous State in Brazil. Populational density is about 67 inhab/km2, the 8th highest in Brazil.
Most inhabitants have Portuguese, black and Indian backgrounds. The late immigration groups (19th and 20th centuries) which came to Brazil had little presence in Paraiba.
Paraiba has a rectangular shape, with measures about 250 km across and 150 km down.
The State can be divided in three well defined geographic regions: the coast (Zona da Mata), the agreste (a transition zone) and the sertão (the western outbacks).
Zona da Mata, Agreste and Sertão