PERNAMBUCO, or P,EcirE. The capital of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, situated (ni the atlantic coast at the easternmost point of the continent (Nap: Brazil, I. 5). It consists of three parts connected by bridges and causeways; the oldest, or Recife proper, is built on an out lying peninsula. connected with the mainland by an isthmus, and is the principal commereial sec tion; the central part, ealled tiiiia Antonio, stands on an island between a reef and the mainland, and contains most of the public buildings: the third portion, lion Vista. is built on the main land, and is the new residential section, with broad streets and beautiful gardens. There are several street-ear lines, one of which rims to the suburb of Olinda (q.v.), the former capital of the State. Pernambuco has sonic of the finest churches and public buildings of the country. and numerous charitable and educational institutions, the latter including a celebrated 1.1.1V school and an excellent secondary college. The harbor proper is
inclosed by a reef cut by several navigable passages, but the largest ships have to anchor in an open roadstead. Vet, since Pernambuco is the nearest to Europe of the important ports of Brazil, and owing to its extreme eastern position in the path of nearly all South Atlantic commerce, it has a very considerable shipping, amounting to over 1,000,000 tons annually. It is a station for sev eral lines of Atlantic steamers, and is the outlet for the products of the State, the chief of which are sugar, cotton, rum, skins, and various forest and colonial products. It is the seat of a 'United States consul. The population by the census of 1890 was 111,556, and in 1893 it was estimated at 190,000, including the suburbs. Recite was in 1504. It was held by the Dutch from 1630 to 1654, but it was then a mere village and did not acquire much importanee until it super seded Olinda as capital.