Ceará, Brazil

State Capital City: Fortaleza

State Abbreviation: CE

Ceará is located in the NE part of Brazil, on the Atlantic coast. #6 on map.

It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of Fortaleza.

The state is best known for its extensive coastline, with 573 km (356 mi) of sand. There are also mountains and valleys producing tropical fruits.

To the south, on the border of Paraíba , Pernambuco and Piauí , is the National Forest of Araripe.

Ceará has an area of 148,016 km². It is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba, on the south by Pernambuco state, and on the west by Piauí.

The endless stretch of beaches in the state is a major tourist attraction. Ceará has several famous beaches such as Canoa Quebrada, Jericoacoara, Morro Branco, Taíba and Flexeiras. The beaches are divided into two groups (in relation to the capital Fortaleza): Sunset Coast (Costa do Sol poente) and Sunrise Coast (Costa do Sol nascente).

Ceará is bordered, in counter clockwise fashion, by Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco and Piauí to the north, Goiás and Tocantins to the west, and Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo to the south.