It’s important to learn the Brazilian states and their capitals, especially if you plan on traveling in Brazil. Today, we’re going to review them and also see what some of the states and cities mean in English when translated from Portuguese.

Acre – Rio Branco [sharp, pungent, acrid] [White River]
Alagoas – Maceió
Amapá – Macapá
Amazonas – Manaus [Amazon]
Bahia – Salvador [Bay] [Savior]
Ceará – Fortaleza [Fort]
Distrito Federal – Brasília [Federal District]
Espírito Santo – Vitória [Holy Spririt] [Victory]
Goiás – Goiânia
Maranhão – São Luís [Saint Louis]
Mato Grosso – Cuiabá [Thick Forest]
Mato Grosso do Sul – Campo Grande [South Thick Forest] [Big Field]
Minas Gerais – Belo Horizonte [General Mines] [Beautiful Horizon/Skyline]
Pará – Belém
Paraíba – João Pessoa [John Person]
Paraná – Curitiba
Pernambuco – Recife [Reef]
Piauí – Teresina
Roraima – Boa Vista [Good View]
Rondônia – Porto Velho [Old Port]
Rio de Janeiro – Rio de Janeiro [January River]
Rio Grande do Norte – Natal [Great River of the North] [Christmas]
Rio Grande do Sul – Porto Alegre [Great River of the South] [Happy Port]
Santa Catarina – Florianópolis [Saint Catherine] [Floriano City]
São Paulo – São Paulo [Saint Paul]
Sergipe – Aracaju
Tocantins – Palmas [Palms]