Rio Grande do Norte (lit. "Large River of the North", ) is one
of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the
country, on the edge of the South American continent. Because of
its geographic position, Rio Grande do Norte has a strategic
importance. It is the land of the folklorist Câmara Cascudo and
is second in the world having the purest air, second only to
Antarctica, according to NASA. Its 410 km (254 mi) of sand, much
sun, coconut palms and lagoons are responsible for the fame of
beaches, such as the secluded white sandy shores of Praia de
Cajueiro, Genibapu (to the north of the capital, Natal), with
sand dunes reaching 50 m (164 ft) in height. The beach of Baía
Formosa, the prettiest of the south coast, has falésias,
stretches with reefs and very popular for surfing. To the south,
the beach of Sagi, a little more rustic, has clear waters and
small dunes. In Natal, beside beaches, there are other tourist
attractions, such as the fortress of Reis Magos and the Parque
das Dunas, the second