What is Maceió?
[[Image:Maceio01.jpg|thumb|250px|Maceio skyline from Pajussara beach]] [[Image:Bandeira de Maceió.svg|right|250px]] [[Image:Brasão de Maceió.svg|right|200px]] '''Maceió''' is the capital of [[Alagoas]], a state in the Northeast of [[Brazil]]. It has a population of 884.320 people (estimate from the year [[2000]]) and a total area of 512 square km. The city attracts many tourists and it enjoys an important location between the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[Mundaú Lake]]. Maceió has several urban beaches which are visited by many tourists, for example, the [[beach]]es named Pajuçara, Ponta Verde, Jatiúca and Cruz das Almas, famous for their natural beauty. Maceió originated from a [[sugar cane engine]] where initially a village increased around it. Soon the place gained a [[port]], nowadays in Jaraguá district, that as long as years were gone influenced the village development transforming it into a [[city]]. Its condition of [[port city]] made Maceió to be the state capital in 1839, which was earlier on Santa Maria Madalena da Alagoa do Sul (Saint Mary Magdalene of the Southern Lake) or simply Alagoa do Sul (nowadays the historic city of [[Marechal Deodoro]]). == Main neighborhoods == [[Image:Beach in Maceió, Alagoas, Nov 2004.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Jatiuca beach in Maceio]]''Pajussara'' The community of Pajussara is on the ocean [[coast]] of Maceió, with modern streets and avenues, many shops, clubs and hotels in front of the [[sea]]. Its beach is very attractive and visited by many tourists and natives. In Pajussara beach, a nice place to go is a natural swimming pool 1.500 meters east of the coast and that is placed on a [[sand bank]] of the Atlantic Ocean. The pool is formed only when [[tide]] is low and people can get there by boat. ''Ponta Verde'' It is considered the most beautiful beach in the city. The community started from an old little farm named Ponta Verde that gave the neighborhood its name. The long extension of land was full of [[coconut trees]] and was a wild and quiet place. Currently th