Fortaleza, (pop. 2,141,402) is located the northeast coast of Brazil.

It's the capital of the state of Ceara. The city's main landmark is the Metropolitan Cathedral, a huge Gothic church. Fortaleza's economy depends largely on the activities of the state and city governments and on the processing and export of such products as cotton and carnauba wax.

Fortaleza was first settled in the early 1600's, when the Portuguese built a fort there. It received the status of a town in 1711. In 1799, it became the capital of Ceara. Fortaleza experienced rapid growth in the middle and late 1900's. The city now has about 10 times as many people as it had in 1950.