RIO
GRANDE DO NORTE HISTORY |
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What is today Rio Grande do Norte was originally settled by the French,
probably sometime between 1535 and 1598. However, this colonisation project
was soon abandoned and during the 1600s, the area became a battleground
between the expansionistic Portuguese, seeking to take more land for their
Brazilian territories, and the Dutch, who were attempting to gain a foothold
in South America.
For a long time starting in 1633, Rio Grande do Norte was under Dutch
control, and under this colonial master, the economy flourished, with vast
sugarcane fields being planted and many cattle being raised. It is largely
thanks to this development that the state is as prosperous as it is today. |
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During World War II, Rio Grande do Norte was used as an Allied airbase from
which to launch air raids on German-occupied North Africa.
In 1964, Latin America's first space launch site was constructed in Rio
Grande do Norte; Barreira do Inferno (Hell's Barrier), which is often
referred to as the "Brazilian NASA". |
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