Rio Grande do Norte

Rio Grande do Norte, a maritime state of Brazil, occupies the north-east angle of the country, and is bounded on the N. and E. by the Atlantic. Area, 22,195 sq. m.; pop. (1890) 268,273, one-half Indians. It derives its name from the river Rio Grande, which flows into the Atlantic at the capital, Rio Grande do Norte or Natal (q.v.); but the principal river is the Piranhas. The surface is flat along the shores, which are skirted by dangerous shoals and reefs, but is mountainous in the interior. The principal crops are sugar and cotton; large herds of horses and cattle are reared on the extensive pastures.