It is the capital and largest city in the Brazilian state of Paraiba. It is known as "the city where the sun rises first," due to the fact it is located in the municipality of Ponta do Seixas, which is the easternmost point of the Americas.
Founded in 1585 under the name City of Nossa Senhora das Neves, Joao Pessoa is the third oldest city in Brazil and also the last country to be founded in the sixteenth century. The city is also notable for its tropical climate, nice to tourists, being the largest in the economy (industry, trade and services) and tax revenue to the state, the beauty of its beaches and especially the beautiful and numerous monuments of architecture and art Baroque.
During the Eco 92, the UN conference on the environment, Joao Pessoa was named second greenest city in the world. According to a calculation based on the relationship between number of inhabitants and green area, the city would lose only to Paris.
