Fernando de Noronha

Fernando de Noronha is a special group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, belonging to the country of Brazil. It is located about 354 kilometers off the coast and is part of the state of Pernambuco. The archipelago has 21 islands and smaller land pieces, but only the main island, also called Fernando de Noronha, has people living there. About 3,101 people call this island home.

The islands are special because much of them are protected nature areas. In 1988, 70% of the area became a national marine park to help keep the ocean and its animals safe. Later, in 2001, an important group called UNESCO chose these islands as a World Heritage Site. This is because the waters around Fernando de Noronha are important feeding places for many sea animals, including tuna, sharks, sea turtles, and marine mammals.

The islands are also unique in how they are governed. Instead of being part of a closer state, they are directly managed by the government of Pernambuco, even though they are closer to the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The islands have their own special time zone, which is always UTC−02:00, different from most of Brazil.

History

Discovery

Fernando de Noronha's history goes back to the early 1500s. It was one of the first lands seen in the New World because of its location. It appeared in a map in 1500 made by a Spanish mapmaker and again in 1502 by a Portuguese mapmaker, who called it "Quaresma."

The island was officially found on August 10, 1503, by a Portuguese group led by Gonçalo Coelho. It was named after the island of St. Lawrence because of the date. Another group led by Amerigo Vespucci was part of this trip and wrote about their time there.

1500–1700

Fernão de Loronha, a merchant from Lisbon, controlled the island and had a special right to trade goods like brazilwood from Brazil. This made the island an important spot for collecting these valuable materials.

1700–1900

In 1719, a famous pirate named Bartholomew Roberts visited the island for nine weeks. In 1736, French people tried to make the island their own, but soldiers from Brazil forced them to leave.

In 1832, a scientist named Charles Darwin visited the island as part of his trip on the ship HMS Beagle. He wrote about the beautiful forests he saw there.

1900–present

In the late 1800s, the island became a place where people were sent as prisoners. During World War II, an airport was built there by the United States to help planes travel between Brazil and Africa.

Today, the island is a popular place for tourists, but visitors must be careful to protect its natural environment. In 2001, it became a special World Heritage Site because of its important plants, animals, and sea life, including dolphins and sea turtles.

Geography

The Fernando de Noronha archipelago is made up of 21 islands and rocks that come from underwater mountains. The biggest island, also called Fernando de Noronha, is where people live. It is 10 kilometers long and 3.5 kilometers wide.

The islands are home to special plants and animals found only there, like certain birds and reptiles. The waters around the islands are rich with sea life, including sea turtles and dolphins. The climate is tropical with a rainy season from February to July and a dry season the rest of the year. Sadly, some non-native animals like cats and lizards were brought to the island and now harm the native wildlife. The island is protected as a marine park and an environmental area.

Energy

Until 2025, the Fernando de Noronha archipelago gets its power from the Tubarão plant, which uses biodiesel.

In November 2025, the first floating solar plant will open. It is built by Neoenergia, which is part of Iberdrola in Brazil, together with Companhia Pernambucana de Saneamento (Compesa). The plant floats on the water at the Xaréu reservoir. It can make 622 kWp of power and will create 1,083 MWh each year. This will help stop 717 tons of CO₂ from being released into the air.

The Noronha Verde project is also starting. Neoenergia is working on this. The goal is to make Fernando de Noronha the first place in Latin America that is a town on an island in the ocean and gets all its energy in a way that helps the Earth. This will use a photovoltaic plant with over 30,000 panels that can make 22 MWp of power. It will also have a system to store 49 MWh of energy in batteries.

Economy

Tourism is the main part of the island's economy. People visit to watch dolphins, go diving, and fish on special trips.

The island had a certain amount of money made from all its activities in 2005, and experts measured how well people were living there. There are banks and ATMs to help with money needs.

Tourism

Fernando de Noronha's beaches are famous for tourism and diving. Some popular beaches include Baía do Sancho, Pig Bay, Dolphins Bay, Sueste Bay, and Praia do Leão. Because of the warm water from Africa, divers can go deep without a wetsuit, and they can see clearly for up to 50 meters underwater.

The island has many beaches on one side and just a few on the other. You can walk from Praia dos Americanos through several beaches to Praia do Cachorro. The island has an airport with regular flights to Natal and Recife.