Mirante, Fernando de Noronha, State of Pernambuco, Brazil
Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, 354 km offshore from the Brazilian coast. The archipelago’s name is a corruption of the name of the Portuguesemerchant Fernão de Loronha, to whom it was given by the Portuguese crown for services rendered regarding wood imported from Brazil. Only the homonymous main island is inhabited; it has an area of 18.4 km2 and a population estimated at 2,718 in 2012. The archipelago’s total area is 26 km2.
Administratively, the islands are a unique case in Brazil of a special “state district” that is not part of any municipality and is administered directly by the government of the state of Pernambuco. The state district’s jurisdiction also includes the very remote Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, located 625 kilometres (388 mi) northeast of Fernando de Noronha. 70% of the islands’ area were established in 1988 as a national maritime park.
In 2001 UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site because of the importance of its environment. Its time zone is UTC−02:00all year round. The local population and travellers can get to Noronha by plane from São Paulo, Recife or Natal. An “environmental preservation” daily fee is charged from tourists upon arrival by Pernambuco State administration, while another fee is paid once to have access to the National Park attractions.
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