PIAUHY or PIAUHI, a north-eastern State of Brazil, bounded north and west by Maranhao, east by Ceara., Pernambuco and Bahia, and south by Bahia. It has a few miles of Atlantic coast-line on the north, and the Rio Parnahyba forms the bound ary line with Maranhao throughout its entire length. Area, 94,795 sq.m. ; pop. (1930) 809,508. Part of the State on the Atlantic coast and along the lower Parnahyba is low, swampy and malarial. South of this the country rises gradually to a high plateau with open cameos. This plateau region is drained by numerous trib utaries of the Parnahyba, chief of which are the lirussuhy, the Caninde and its tributary the Piauhy, the Gurgueia and its tributary the Parahim, which drains the large inland lake of Parnagua, the Longa, and the Poty, which has its source in the State of Ceara. The Parnahyba is navigable for boats of 3 ft. draught up to Nova York, a few miles above the mouth of the Gurgueia. The climate is hot and humid in the lowlands and along the lower Parnahyba, but in the uplands it is dry with high sun temperatures and cool nights. The principal industry is stock
raising, which dates from the first settlement in 5674 by Domingos Affonso Mafrense, who established here a large number of cattle ranges. A secondary industry is the raising of goats. The agri cultural products are cotton, sugar and tobacco. Much cotton is grown, and some of it manufactured. Forest products include rubber, carnauba wax and dye-woods. The exports include hides, skins, rubber, wax, tobacco and cotton. The capital is Therezina, on the right bank of the Parnahyba, 25o m. above Parnahyba (town), with which it is connected by a line of light-draught river boats. The town dates from 1852, is attractively situated, and is regularly laid out with broad, straight streets crossing each other at right angles. The population of the Municipio in 1920 was 57,500 which includes a large rural district. Other municipios with their populations in 1920, are Oeiras (24,563), founded in 1718 under the name of Moxa ; Amarante (55,844) ; Valenta and Campo Maior (17,992).