General Information

Location: Situated in the Northeast of Brazil, Maranhão shares borders with the Atlantic Ocean, and the Brazilian States of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará.

Area: 331,983 km². It’s the second largest State in the Northeast region and the eighth largest in Brazil.

Coast: 640 km of coastline, divided between beaches and the Lençóis Maranhenses desert.

Population: 7.1 million inhabitants, of whom more than one million are residents in the capital.

Local time: GMT (-3:0)

Temperature: Mild, with an annual average temperature of 26.1 °C (max. 33 °C and min. 20 °C).

Rainfall: Mainly from January to June.

Diversity of ecosystems:

• Amazon Rainforest;
• Savannahs;
• Mangroves;
• Open Sea Delta;
• A desert with crystalline water lagoons (Lençóis Maranhenses);
• And much more.

Map of Maranhão showing its geography and key features