Natal is located at 5°46′S, 35°12′W, in the far east of South America. The city has a total area of 170 km². Natal lies on the Atlantic Ocean, at the mouth of the Potengi river.

 

Natal (pronounced [nataw]) is the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte, a north eastern state in Brazil. As of the IBGE 2006, the city had a total population of 789,896.

Natal has a typical tropical climate, with warm to hot temperatures and high relative humidity all throughout the year. However, these conditions are relieved by a near absence of extreme temperatures and pleasant trade winds blowing from the ocean. January is the warmest month, with mean maxima of 32°C (89.6°F) and minima of 22°C (71.6°F) and sun; July experiences the coldest temperatures, with mean maxima of 27°C (80.6°F) and minima of 17°C (62.6°F) and rain.

 

 

Vegetation

 

Natal has a Tropical forest. Rainforests are characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 2,000 mm (about 78 inches or 2 meters) and 1700 mm (about 67 inches). The soil can be poor because high rainfall tends to leach out soluble nutrients. There are several common characteristics of tropical rainforest trees. Tropical rainforest species frequently possess one or more attributes not commonly seen in trees of higher latitudes or trees in drier conditions on the same latitude.

 

Improvements in tourist infrastructure and conservation of the natural heritage are some of the actions given priority ever since by the state government. One of the highlights was the creation of the Dune State Park, which aims to preserve the chain of sand dunes that surround the city. And thus, Natal became the entry gate to the beautiful beaches of the State of Rio Grande do Norte. Many of them are still semi-wild, such as Pipa and Pirangi; and others are the liveliest, such as Genipabu and Tibau do Sul.

 

The Augusto Severo International Airport connects Natal with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights.

 

With its dozens of sandy, white beaches, such as Ponta Negra and its famous Morro do Careca, Tabatinga - the cliff of dolphins, Pirangi, Redinha, and Jenipabu with its famous fixed sand dunes and imported dromedaries, tourism is the most important industry of Natal, attracting Brazilians, Europeans (many from Spain, England, Scandinavia, Germany, Portugal, Italy and France), and Americans alike.

 

The fishing industry is strong (shark cartilage being a major export to Japan) as is the cultivation of tropical fruit, especially mangos, guavas, and cashews (the fruit and the nuts).

In fact, the largest cashew tree in the world is located near the coast in the neighborhood of Pirangi, south of the city center. This tree has a circumference of 500 metres and occupies an area of 7,300m², making it 70 times the size of average cashew trees.