Goias (Portuguese: Goiás) is a state of Brazil, located in the Central West region of the country. The name Goiás (formerly, Goyaz) comes from the name of an indigenous community. The original word seems to have been guaiá, meaning "the same person" or "people of the same origin." Neighboring states are (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, the Federal District, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso.
Central West is the only landlocked Brazilian region. The region offers excellent opportunities for eco-tourism activities such as exploring caves, rappelling down waterfalls or just trekking through the cerrado (an ecosystem similar, in some ways, to the savannah). It is also well known for the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, close to the Brazil's western border.
Maranhão is a state in northeastern Brazil.
Piauí is a state in Northeast Brazil. It has the shortest coastline of any northeastern state. Piauí is one of the poorest states in Brazil, and the economy is largely agricultural.
Ceará is a state in Northeast Brazil. Traditionally one of the poorest in the country, certain regions have developed almost beyond recognition over the last 20 years, mostly from tourism and light manufacturing. The population is closing in on 9 million, of which almost a third lives in the capital, Fortaleza.
The coast is quite different from the inland. While the state features a range of nice beaches, including a few of countrywide fame, the only developed destination further in is Guaramiranga.
Rio Grande do Norte is a state in
Paraiba (Portuguese: Paraíba) is a state in Northeast Brazil
Pernambuco is a state in the Northeast region of Brazil.
Alagoas is a state in Northeast Brazil.
Sergipe, on the coast of Northeast Brazil, is the country's smallest state.