Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

For other uses, see Natal (disambiguation).
Natal
Municipality
Municipality of Natal
From the top, clockwise: Skyline of the city; Morro do Careca in Ponta Negra beach; Praia dos Artistas beach; Natal City Park Tower; Newton Navarro Bridge and Alberto Maranhão Theatre.
Flag of Natal
Flag
Coat of arms of Natal
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
"A Noiva do Sol" ("The Sun's Bride"), "Cidade do Sol" ("The City of the Sun") and "Cidade das Dunas" ("The City of Dunes")
Natal is located in Brazil
Natal
Natal
Natal is located in South America
Natal
Natal
Coordinates: 05°47′S 35°12′W / 5.783°S 35.200°W / -5.783; -35.200
Country Brazil
RegionNortheast
State Rio Grande do Norte
FoundedDecember 25, 1599
Government
 • MayorÁlvaro Dias (PSDB)
Area
 • Municipality167.3 km2 (65.35 sq mi)
Elevation
30 m (100 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Municipality751,300
 • Density4,500/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
 • Metro
1,520,000
Time zoneUTC-3
Postal code
59000-001 to 59139-999
Area code+55 84
HDI (2010)0.763 – high[2]
Websitewww.natal.rn.gov.br

Natal (Brazilian Portuguese: [naˈtaw], literally Christmas) is the capital and largest city of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, located in northeastern Brazil. According to IBGE's 2022 estimate, the city had a total population of 751,300, making it the 24th largest city in the country.[3] Natal is a major tourist destination and an exporting hub of crustaceans, carnauba wax and fruits, mostly melon, sugar apple, cashew and papaya.[4] Natal is Brazil's closest city to Africa and Europe, its Greater Natal International Airport connects the city with many Brazilian destinations and also operates some international flights. The city was one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[5]

  1. ^ IBGE 2021
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "As 200 cidades mais populosas do Brasil, segundo Censo 2022". Valor Econômico (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  4. ^ "Dados Estatísticos - Comércio Exterior".
  5. ^ "Aeroporto de São Gonçalo: pistas estão garantidas, mas terminal ainda não". Correiodatarde.com.br. 2007-09-25. Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2012-06-25.