City South America
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is a big city by the sea in Brazil. It is warm all year and has lots of sandy beaches.
Fortaleza is the capital of the state of Ceará, on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Brazil. It began as a small fort in the 1600s and grew into a port and one of the most visited beach resorts on Brazil's north coast. Brazil's statistics office estimated 2,578,483 people in mid-2025.
Fortaleza, capital of Ceará, grew from a 17th-century fort and port (IBGE, Universalis). It became a town (vila) in 1699, a municipality in 1726 and a city in 1823. IBGE estimate for 1 July 2025: 2,578,483 (2022 census: 2,428,708), Brazil's fourth-largest city in City Population's 2025 list.
Photo: Johan Fredriksson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Fortaleza
Fortaleza is a big city in Brazil. It is next to the Atlantic Ocean.
Long ago it was a small town. Now millions of people live there.
Fortaleza is the capital of the state of Ceará, on the Atlantic coast in the northeast of Brazil. Universalis says it was only a town of 48,000 people in 1900.
Today it is one of Brazil's biggest cities. IBGE, Brazil's statistics office, estimated 2,578,483 people on 1 July 2025, and the 2022 census counted 2,428,708.
Universalis: a Brazilian city, capital of the state of Ceará, a port built from the 17th century, when Portuguese colonists settled this part of the Brazilian Northeast to grow plantation crops for Europe; 48,000 inhabitants in 1900.
Population: IBGE estimate for 1 July 2025, municipality of Fortaleza (CE), 2,578,483. Censuses via City Population (urban area of the municipality): 2,141,402 (2000), 2,452,185 (2010), 2,428,708 (2022); rank 4 in Brazil in City Population's 2025 calculation.
- Country
- Brazil (capital of the state of Ceará)
- People in Fortaleza (IBGE estimate, 1 July 2025)
- 2,578,483
- 2022 census
- 2,428,708
- In 1900
- 48,000 people (Universalis)
Red roofs and tall towers
In this picture you see lots of red roofs, some very tall buildings and a long street with palm trees. Big white clouds float in the blue sky.
This photo of Fortaleza was taken from high up on 25 June 2021. Below are many low buildings with red-tiled roofs, and a long, straight avenue lined with palm trees runs off toward the distance. Tall white buildings stand among them, and more towers rise on the skyline under big white clouds.
About 1.1 kilometers from the city's center point, the Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture is a place for art and culture, and Praia de Iracema is a beach neighborhood.
Commons: 'Vista de Fortaleza, Ceará', own work by Esquilo, CC BY-SA 3.0, 25 June 2021; categories: 2021 in Fortaleza, Views of Fortaleza, Photos by Esquilo.
Wikidata (from the city point Q43463): Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture (Q5305525), cultural center, 1.10 km NE; Praia de Iracema (Q7237777), neighborhood, 1.71 km NE.
- Photo
- a view of Fortaleza, 25 June 2021
- Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture
- a cultural center in Fortaleza (Wikidata)
- Praia de Iracema
- a seaside neighborhood of Fortaleza (Wikidata)
From a small fort to a big city
Long ago, a small fort was built here. Later Fortaleza became a town, and then a city.
IBGE's history says a small fort was built at the mouth of the Ceará River in 1612, and in 1649 a new fort was built beside the Pajeú stream. Fortaleza became a town (vila) in 1699, a municipality (município) on 13 April 1726 and a city in 1823.
IBGE remembers the brave raft fishermen (jangadeiros) led by Francisco José do Nascimento, called the 'Sea Dragon'. They stopped enslaved people from being shipped through the port, and from 1884 Ceará became Brazil's pioneer in ending slavery.
IBGE 'Histórico': on 20 January 1612 a small fort was raised at the bar of the Ceará River; in 1649 a new fort was built on high ground beside the Pajeú stream; on 12 October 1812 the foundations of the present fortress were laid on the site of the ruined fort, which was disarmed in 1910 and kept as a historic monument. Administrative history: vila by royal order of 13 February 1699, installed 1700; município by royal resolution of 9 March 1725, installed 13 April 1726; city by imperial acts of 1823. Raft fishermen led by Francisco José do Nascimento, the 'Dragão do Mar', blocked the movement of enslaved people through the capital's port, making Ceará the pioneer state of abolition in Brazil from 1884.
- 1612
- a small fort was built at the mouth of the Ceará River (IBGE)
- 1726
- the municipality (município) of Fortaleza was installed, on 13 April (IBGE)
- 1884
- Ceará led Brazil in ending slavery, after Fortaleza's raft fishermen stopped enslaved people from being shipped through the port (IBGE)
A port and a metro
Ships come to Fortaleza's port. People ride the metro trains to get around the city.
Fortaleza has been a port since the 1600s, Universalis says, and it lists exports and tourism among the activities that helped the city grow.
Today people can travel across the city on the Fortaleza Metro, a rapid transit system. One of its lines is named after Mucuripe, a district to the east.
Universalis: a port built from the 17th century; its port and administrative role was later joined by food and textile industries; the city's growth answers the development of industry, cashew growing, exports and tourism.
Wikidata: Fortaleza Metro (Q1847969), 'rapid transit system in Fortaleza, Brazil'; Mucuripe line (Q10318709), 'Metro line in Fortaleza'; Mucuripe (Q3327381) 4.78 km E of the city point.
- Port
- a port built from the 17th century (Universalis)
- Fortaleza Metro
- a rapid transit system in Fortaleza (Wikidata)
- Mucuripe
- a district of Fortaleza, about 4.8 km east of the city's Wikidata point (Wikidata)
Hot all year, with rain in the first half
Fortaleza is hot all year long. Most of the rain falls from February to May.
In the World Meteorological Organization's averages for Fortaleza for 1961 to 1990, the average daily high stays between 29.1 °C and 30.7 °C all year, and the average low between 21.8 °C and 24.7 °C.
The rain comes mostly in the first half of the year. February to May each average more than 200 millimeters, and April is the wettest, with 348.1 millimeters. From August to November less than 32 millimeters falls each month, and November is the driest, with 13.4.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Fortaleza (3.78° S, 38.58° W; Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia), 1961–1990: mean daily maximum 29.1 °C (May, August) to 30.7 °C (November, December); mean daily minimum 21.8 °C (July) to 24.7 °C (January). Precipitation sums to 1,642.3 mm; April (348.1 mm) and March (338.6 mm) are the wettest months, November (13.4 mm) the driest. Days with at least 0.1 mm add up to 167.
- Average daily highs (WMO, Fortaleza, 1961–1990)
- 29.1 °C (May and August) to 30.7 °C (November and December)
- Average daily lows (same table)
- 21.8 °C (July) to 24.7 °C (January)
- Rain in a year (sum of the monthly averages)
- about 1,642 mm
Beaches, cashews and culture
Many visitors come to Fortaleza to enjoy its beaches. Cashew nuts grow in the area, and factories make food and cloth.
Universalis calls Fortaleza one of the most visited beach resorts on Brazil's north coast. Factories in the city make mainly food and textiles, and cashew growing, exports and tourism all helped the city grow.
The Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture carries the nickname of the raft fisherman who helped end slavery in Ceará.
Universalis: one of the most frequented seaside resorts of the north coast, which saw a property boom in the early 21st century; industries mainly food and textiles; growth reflects industry, cashew-nut growing, exports and tourism.
Wikidata: Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture (Q5305525), cultural center, 1.10 km NE of the city point; IBGE: 'Dragão do Mar' was the name given to Francisco José do Nascimento.
- Beach resort
- one of the most visited on Brazil's north coast (Universalis)
- Industries
- mainly food and textiles (Universalis)
- Cashews
- cashew growing is among the activities behind the city's growth (Universalis)
Fortaleza on the map
Find Brazil on the globe. Fortaleza is on its north coast, near the equator, beside the Atlantic Ocean.
Fortaleza lies at about 3.7° south and 38.5° west, on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Brazil, not far south of the equator.
Measured from the city's center point on Wikidata, the Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture is about 1.1 kilometers northeast, Praia de Iracema about 1.7 kilometers northeast and Mucuripe about 4.8 kilometers east.
Fortaleza lies at about 3.73° S and 38.53° W (Wikidata point Q43463; the Natural Earth/sheet point is 6.46 km WSW of it). From the Wikidata point: Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture (Q5305525) 1.10 km NE; Praia de Iracema (Q7237777) 1.71 km NE; Mucuripe (Q3327381) 4.78 km E. The WMO station point (3.78° S, 38.58° W) is 8.25 km SW of the Wikidata point.
- Latitude
- about 3.7° south
- Longitude
- about 38.5° west
- Coast
- the Atlantic coast of northeastern Brazil (Universalis)
Amazing facts
-
Long ago, Fortaleza's raft fishermen were called jangadeiros!
IBGE tells how Fortaleza's raft fishermen, led by the 'Sea Dragon', Francisco José do Nascimento, refused to let enslaved people be shipped through the port.
IBGE: jangadeiros led by Francisco José do Nascimento, the 'Dragão do Mar', stopped the transit of enslaved people through the capital's port; Ceará became the pioneer of abolition in Brazil from 1884.
-
In 1900, Fortaleza was a small city. Now it is more than 50 times bigger!
Fortaleza had 48,000 people in 1900 (Universalis) and about 2,578,483 in 2025 (IBGE): more than 50 times as many.
48,000 (1900, Universalis) to 2,578,483 (IBGE estimate 2025): a factor of about 53.7.
-
In Fortaleza, April gets lots of rain, but November gets almost none.
In the WMO table, April brings Fortaleza 348.1 millimeters of rain, but November only 13.4 millimeters.
WMO table for Fortaleza (1961–1990): April 348.1 mm, November 13.4 mm, a ratio of about 26.
-
Fortaleza's old fort was built of wood and palm-tree posts.
IBGE says Fortaleza's early fort was made of wood and carnaúba palm stakes and had to be repaired many times.
IBGE: built of wood and carnaúba stakes, the fort was repaired several times until it collapsed; the foundations of the present fortress were laid on 12 October 1812.
Words to know
- fortress
- a large, strong fort built to protect a place
- jangada
- a raft with a sail used by fishermen in northeastern Brazil
- abolition
- the ending of a practice by law, such as slavery
- beach resort
- a seaside town where many people go on vacation
- cashew
- a curved nut that grows on a tropical tree
- estimate
- an official count worked out from records instead of asking everyone
Discovery challenge
-
Fortaleza is a city in which country?
Fortaleza is the capital of a state in which country?
Fortaleza, capital of Ceará, is in which country?
- Brazil
- Peru
- Mexico
Show the answer
Brazil
Brazil!
Brazil.
Brazil.
-
Fortaleza is the capital of which Brazilian state?
Fortaleza is the capital of which state?
Of which Brazilian state is Fortaleza the capital?
- Ceará
- Bahia
- Amazonas
Show the answer
Ceará
Ceará!
Ceará.
Ceará.
-
What did Fortaleza start as long ago?
According to IBGE, what was built at the mouth of the Ceará River in 1612?
IBGE's history begins with what kind of structure raised at the bar of the Ceará River in 1612?
- A small fort
- A lighthouse
- A bridge
Show the answer
A small fort
A small fort!
A small fort.
A small fort (fortim).
-
Who helped end slavery in Fortaleza's state?
Who stopped enslaved people from being shipped through Fortaleza's port?
According to IBGE, which group, led by Francisco José do Nascimento, blocked the transit of enslaved people through the port?
- Raft fishermen
- Train drivers
- Bakers
Show the answer
Raft fishermen
Raft fishermen!
Raft fishermen (jangadeiros).
The jangadeiros (raft fishermen).
-
Which month is the rainiest in Fortaleza?
In the WMO table, which month gets the most rain in Fortaleza?
WMO table for Fortaleza (1961–1990): which month has the highest precipitation, 348.1 mm?
- April
- November
- August
Show the answer
April
April!
April.
April (348.1 mm).
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Fortaleza on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Brazil, just south of the equator.
- Explain how a small fort and a port can grow into a big city.
- Describe how ordinary people, like the raft fishermen of Fortaleza, helped end slavery.
- Read a tropical climate table with a rainy season and a dry season.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why do you think the raft fishermen's choice mattered so much?
- How might a city change when it grows from 48,000 to millions of people?
- Why do some places get almost all their rain in a few months?
Try at home or in class
- Growth bars: draw one block for 48,000 people in 1900, then estimate how many blocks 2,578,483 would need.
- Rain chart: make a bar chart of Fortaleza's monthly rain and color the rainy months.
- Raft model: build a small raft from craft sticks and test whether it floats in a tub of water.
Key vocabulary: fortress, jangada, abolition, beach resort, cashew, estimate
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Fortaleza , Encyclopædia Universalis
- Fortaleza: Histórico (municipal history) , IBGE, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
- Estimativas da população residente nos municípios brasileiros, 1 July 2025 , IBGE, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
- Brazil: Cities , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística
- Fortaleza: climatological information , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- File:Vista de Fortaleza, 2021.jpg (Esquilo, June 2021) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.