Northeast Region, Brazil

The Northeast Region of Brazil (Portuguese: Região Nordeste do Brasil) is one of the five official and political regions of the country according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. For the socio-geographic area see Nordeste (socio-geographic division). Of Brazil's twenty-six states, it comprises nine: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, along with the Fernando de Noronha archipelago (formerly a separated territory, now part of Pernambuco).

Chiefly known as Nordeste ("Northeast") in the entire Brazilian territory, the region was the first to be discovered and colonized by the Portuguese and other European peoples, playing a crucial role in the country's history. Nordeste's dialects and rich culture, including its folklore, cuisines, music and literature, became the most easily distinguishable across the country. To this day, Nordeste is widely recognized for its history and culture, as well as for its nature beauties and hot weather.