Fortaleza

Fortaleza is a Brazilian municipality and the capital of the state of Ceará, located in the Northeast region of the country. Situated at a distance of 2,285 km from Brasília, the federal capital, the city emerged along the banks of the Pajeú stream and its toponymy is an allusion to Forte Schoonenborch, which gave rise to the municipality. This fort was built by the Dutch during their second stay in the area, between 1649 and 1654. The motto of Fortaleza, present in its coat of arms, is the Latin word "Fortitudine," which in Portuguese means "with strength, valor, courage."

The city is located on the Atlantic coast, at an average altitude of sixteen meters, and boasts 34 km of beaches. Fortaleza covers an area of 312.353 km² and had a population of 2,428,678 inhabitants according to the 2022 Demographic Census. It also has the highest population density among the country's capitals, with 8,390.76 inhabitants per km². Fortaleza is the largest city in terms of population in the North and Northeast regions and the fourth largest in Brazil. The Fortaleza Metropolitan Region is the sixth most populous in Brazil and the first in the North and Northeast, with 4,051,744 inhabitants in 2017. It is the northeastern city with the largest regional influence area and has the third largest urban network in Brazil in terms of population, behind only São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.