Rio Grande do Norte, State in northeastern Brazil
Rio Grande do Norte is a state in northeastern Brazil with an Atlantic coastline and semi - arid regions inland . The landscape shifts between sandy beaches , dunes , and dry hinterland that reaches the border with neighboring states .
Portuguese settlers built the Fort of the Three Wise Kings in 1598 near the present capital to drive French pirates from the region . This fortification marked the start of permanent European control over the area .
The name means „Great Northern River
Visitors find accommodation and restaurants in coastal towns and smaller settlements inland . Roads connect the different regions , with the coast offering more humid conditions and the interior remaining drier .
The Barreira do Inferno , operational since 1964 , was Brazil ' s first rocket launch site and served space exploration for decades . From here , numerous scientific missions lifted off and contributed to the development of Brazilian space technology .
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