at a glance

The island is the location of a number of important companies and research centers, including Petrobras, Eletrobras and General Electric. Many research institutions, along with the Federal University, formed the Parque Tecnologico, a high-tech Technology Park, with the aim of improving the link between businesses and the academic community.

There are two beaches on the island - Catalao and Quartel- although both are not used for swimming. It is also home to a number of unique features, such as the Parque do Catalao -Catalan Park, a rainforest reserve which brings together 120 species of trees and 180 species of birds, as well as mangroves and a pond.