Paraíba

American  

[par-uh-ee-buh, pah-rah-ee-bah] / ˌpær əˈi bə, ˌpɑ rɑˈi bɑ /

noun

1. a state in E Brazil. 21,760 sq. mi. (56,360 sq. km). João Pessoa.

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Paraíba British  

/ paraˈiba /

noun

1. a state of NE Brazil, on the Atlantic: consists of a coastal strip, with hills and plains inland; irrigated agriculture. Capital: João Pessoa. Pop: 3 494 893 (2002). Area: 56 371 sq km (21 765 sq miles)

2. Also called: Paraíba do Sul. a river in SE Brazil, flowing southwest and then northeast to the Atlantic near Campos. Length: 1060 km (660 miles)

3. Also called: Paraíba do Norte. a river in NE Brazil, in Paraíba state, flowing northeast and east to the Atlantic. Length: 386 km (240 miles)

4. the former name (until 1930) of João Pessoa

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Paraíba

The researchers are now testing moringa seed extract on water collected from the Paraíba do Sul River, which supplies São José dos Campos.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026

André Magalhães, a biologist at the Federal University of São João del-Rei’s main campus, first spotted groups of glowing zebrafish swimming in the Paraíba do Sul River Basin in 2015, in slow-moving creeks.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 11, 2022

“You can see what it’s like: empty streets, shops closed, the fallen economy ” says Elba Tavares, 44, from Paraíba state in north-east Brazil.

From The Guardian ● May 21, 2020

When Yulia Molina Hernandez joined the program in March 2014, she became the first doctor at a new primary health care unit in Cabaceiras, a 5,000-person town in the state of Paraíba.

From Slate ● Apr. 14, 2020

It helps that Brazil has considerable lithium deposits — mostly in the southeastern states of Minas Gerais and Paraíba and in the northeastern states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte.

From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2020