Maranhão

Maranhão is a state in Brazil. Located in Brazil's Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million, an area of 332,000 km², and is divided into 217 municipalities. Clockwise from the north, it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, with a coastline of 2,243 km, and by the states of Piauí, Tocantins, and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent among Northeastern Brazilian Portuguese dialects. Maranhão is featured in literary works such as Exile Song by Gonçalves Dias and Casa de Pensão by Aluísio Azevedo.