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.

---

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

---

Example Sentences

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

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

The mysterious oil slicks were first spotted on the beaches of the northeastern Brazilian state of Paraíba on Aug. 30.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2019

Focussing on the northeastern state of Paraíba, she published data showing much higher rates of the birth defect than the official record reflected between 2012 and 2014, supposedly before the outbreak began.

From The New Yorker • May 11, 2016