Caicó
| Caicó, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil City of Prince |
||
|---|---|---|
| — Municipality — | ||
 |
||
|
||
 |
||
| Country |  Brazil |
|
| Region | Nordeste | |
| State | Rio Grande do Norte | |
| Mesoregion | Central Potiguar | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Democracy | |
| • Mayor | Roberto Germano | |
| Time zone | UTC -3 | |
| Caicó | ||
Caicó, also known as the City of Prince, is the seventh largest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte. The climate is hot and dry, but it rains between January and June. The population is 63,175 (2012 est). The city has a total area of 1229 km2. Located between the Seridó and Barra Nova rivers, in the eastern portion of Western Seridó, the city has the highest human development index of the Semi-arid Northeast Brazil. Founded in 1735 as Vila Nova do Príncipe, The city has evolved into a political and cultural centre of Rio Grande do Norte.
The name "Caicó" is derived from the indigenous word Queicuó, meaning "Cuó River". Initially colonized by Portuguese, Caicó has become a multicultural city with a diverse population.
Contents |
History [edit]
The settlement was made initially by migrants of Pernambuco state in search of land for cattle ranching, since the Royal Charter of 1701 prohibited cattle on the coast. Were awarded land grants as rewards for military shapes such as the expulsion of the Dutch and for priests, with the construction of the chapel in honor of St. Anne in 1695. In 1700 gave up the foundation of the Camp Queiquó by Manuel de Souza Forte. However the first families to settle fully took place from 1720, by Portuguese coming mainly from northern Portugal and the Azores.
Geography [edit]
Climate [edit]
Caicó has a tropical semiarid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) with little or no water surplus. The local climate is subject to variability, and the dry periods (droughts) may last more than one year. Rain falls between January and June, with an average annual precipitation of 716.8 millimetres (28.1 in). There are about 2,600 hours of average sunshine annually.
The lowest temperature in Caicó was 3,7 °C (38.6 °F) on July 27, 1994, and the highest temperature was 39,2 °C (102.5 °F) on March 7, 2010, both at Brazilian National Meteorology Institute (INMET).
Demographics [edit]
The 2012 census had the city's population as 63,175. The city had a density of 51,4 persons per km2 in 2012. Caicó's median age of 24, as well as its percentage of seniors are both below the state average and the national average, while those under 15 exceed Brazilian percentages. Around 92% describe themselves as Christian, with Catholics accounting for 90,4% of the population and members of Protestant churches was 2.3%. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Caicó. Ethnically, 61% describe themselves as white, 32% brown, 4% black and 1% asian.
