Caruaru

Caruaru Cidade de Caruaru
City
City of Caruaru
Flag Seal
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Website	www.caruaru.pe.gov.br

Caruaru is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Pernambuco. The most populous city in the interior of the state, Caruaru is located in the microzone of Agreste and because of its cultural importance, it is nicknamed Capital do Agreste (Portuguese for the "capital city of the Agreste region"), Princesinha do Agreste ("Little Princess of Agreste"), and Capital do Forró ("the capital city of forró").

The city is located 140 kilometers (87 miles) from the state capital of Recife, which has an international airport. However, Caruaru has its own airport. Caruaru is renowned for its extensive Festival de São João ("Saint John's Festival"), which takes up the whole month of June, sometimes extending into July. Caruaru had a 2024 resident population of 401,109 inhabitants, living in a land area of 920.61 square kilometers (355.45 square miles).

Caruaru is the hometown, among others, of Álvaro Lins, Brazilian journalist, and Lieutenant Brigadier Reginaldo dos Santos, former dean of the Brazilian Technological Institute for Aeronautics.

History

The lands that today comprise the city of Caruaru were originally a cattle ranch owned by family Nunes dos Bezerros. This name was given because of the proximity of the farm to the Bezerros chapel. Some orphans used to live with the Nunes family. One of them, José Rodrigues de Jesus, inherited part of the estate, staying at the location that would later be named Caruaru. There he built a chapel dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. A village started to grow around this chapel. In 1846, Friar Euzébio de Sales started to build the parish named Igreja Matriz, nowadays a cathedral. In later years, the church was rebuilt twice, the last one in 1883. The geographical position benefited the city, because it was a necessary stopover in the transportation of cattle to the interior of the state.

Geography

• State: Pernambuco
• Region: Agreste of Pernambuco
• Bordering municipalities: Toritama, Vertentes, Frei Miguelinho and Taquaritinga do Norte (N); Altinho and Agrestina (S); Brejo da Madre de Deus and São Caetano (W); Bezerros and Riacho das Almas (E)
• Area: 920.61 km² (355.45 square miles)
• Elevation: 554 m (1,818 ft)
• Hydrography: Capibaribe, Ipojuca and Una rivers
• Vegetation: Hypoxerophilous Caatinga
• Climate: Semi-arid
• Mean annual temperature: 23.5 °C (74.3 °F)
• Main road: BR-232
• Distance to Recife - 140 km
• Distance to Gravatá - 48 km

Economy

The main economic activities in Caruaru are industry (especially textiles), tourism, commerce, and handicraft, and the primary sector, especially the raising of goats, chickens, and cattle, and the production of milk. Agricultural activity in the Caruaru area also includes beans, cassava, and maize. Caruaru also hosts one of the biggest open-air traditional handicrafts markets of Brazil, the Feira de Caruaru.

Economic Indicators

Population[2]	GDP x(1000 R$).[3]	GDP pc (R$)	PE
319 579	1.993.295	6.895	3.24%

Economy by Sector 2006

Primary sector	Secondary sector	Service sector
1.01%	14.40%	84.59%

Health Indicators

HDI (2000)[4]	Hospitals (2007)	Hospitals beds (2007)	Children's Mortality every 1000 (2005)
0.713	11	654	8.2

Transports

Caruaru has one regional airport, the Oscar Laranjeira Airport, it is located in the west parte of the city, the nearest major international airport is the Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport in Recife which is 138 km far from the city. The city is served by two expressways, the BR-232 and the BR-104.

Culture

Festa Junina

Every June, as part of the nativity of St John the Baptist, Caruaru hosts one of the principal Brazilian Festa Junina. Since 1994, the festival has been held in Pátio de Eventos Luiz Gonzaga.

Sports

There are two association football (soccer) teams in the city: Clube Atlético do Porto, which plays at Antônio Inácio de Souza Stadium (capacity: 6,000), and Central Sport Club, which plays at Estádio Luiz José de Lacerda (capacity: 20,000). Both teams compete in the main series of Pernambuco's state tournament. Caruaru also hosts an annual race of the Brazilian Formula Truck competition, at the Ayrton Senna International Circuit, the state's main motor race track.

Tourism

Mesoregion
Agreste Pernambucano

Alto Capibaribe	Casinhas Frei Miguelinho Santa Cruz do Capibaribe Santa Maria do Cambucá Surubim Taquaritinga do Norte Toritama Vertente do Lério Vertentes
Brejo Pernambucano	Agrestina Altinho Barra de Guabiraba Bonito Camocim de São Félix Cupira Ibirajuba Lagoa dos Gatos Panelas Sairé São Joaquim do Monte
Garanhuns	Angelim Bom Conselho Brejão Caetés Calçado Canhotinho Correntes Garanhuns Iati Jucati Jupi Jurema Lagoa do Ouro Lajedo Palmeirina Paranatama Saloá São João Terezinha
Médio Capibaribe	Bom Jardim Cumaru Feira Nova João Alfredo Limoeiro Machados Orobó Passira Salgadinho São Vicente Ferrer
Vale do Ipanema	Águas Belas Buíque Itaíba Pedra Tupanatinga Venturosa
Vale do Ipojuca	Alagoinha Belo Jardim Bezerros Brejo da Madre de Deus Cachoeirinha Capoeiras Caruaru Gravatá Jataúba Pesqueira Poção Riacho das Almas Sanharó São Bento do Una São Caetano Tacaimbó

Mesoregion
Mata Pernambucana

Mata Meridional Pernambucana	Água Preta Amaraji Barreiros Belém de Maria Catende Cortês Escada Gameleira Jaqueira Joaquim Nabuco Maraial Palmares Primavera Quipapá Ribeirão Rio Formoso São Benedito do Sul São José da Coroa Grande Sirinhaém Tamandaré Xexéu
Mata Setentrional Pernambucana	Aliança Buenos Aires Camutanga Carpina Condado Ferreiros Goiana Itambé Itaquitinga Lagoa do Carro Lagoa de Itaenga Macaparana Nazaré da Mata Paudalho Timbaúba Tracunhaém Vicência
Vitoria de Santo Antão	Chã de Alegria Chã Grande Glória do Goitá Pombos Vitória de Santo Antão

Mesoregion
Metropolitana de Recife

Itamaracá	Araçoiaba Igarassu Ilha de Itamaracá Itapissuma
Recife	Abreu e Lima Camaragibe Jaboatão dos Guararapes Moreno Olinda Paulista Recife São Lourenço da Mata
Porto de Suape	Cabo de Santo Agostinho Ipojuca
Fernando de Noronha	Fernando de Noronha

Mesoregion
Sao Francisco Pernambucano

Itaparica	Belém de São Francisco Carnaubeira da Penha Floresta Itacuruba Jatobá Petrolândia Tacaratu
Petrolina	Afrânio Cabrobó Dormentes Lagoa Grande Orocó Petrolina Santa Maria da Boa Vista Terra Nova

Mesoregion
Sertão Pernambucano

Araripina	Araripina Bodocó Exu Granito Ipubi Moreilândia Ouricuri Santa Cruz Santa Filomena Trindade
Pajeú	Afogados da Ingazeira Brejinho Calumbi Carnaíba Flores Iguaraci Ingazeira Itapetim Quixaba Santa Cruz da Baixa Verde Santa Terezinha São José do Egito Serra Talhada Solidão Tabira Triunfo Tuparetama
Salgueiro	Cedro Mirandiba Parnamirim Salgueiro São José do Belmonte Serrita Verdejante
Sertão do Moxotó	Arcoverde Betânia Custódia Ibimirim Inajá Manari Sertânia