Recife Metropolitan Area is the largest urban metropolitan area of the Northeast/North regions and the fifth in Brazil with 3,768,902 inhabitants in 2008.Is among with another large cities the first nine established metropolitan regions in Brazil (created by federal supplementary law 14/73 of 8 June 1973). It has one important international airport, two important internationals ports (Suape and Recife), one integrated metro-bus service, many Universities, Hospitals, Museums, Theatres, Historic Monuments, Shopping centers, international Hotels and a large industrial Cluster. Its now passing through a time of economic euphoria in the early construction in the Suape port of a Petrobras refinery, a petrochemical pole and the largest ship builder in South America.I ts area of influence (4th largest in Brazil) covers the entire states of Pernambuco, Paraíba, Alagoas in addition with the interior of the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Piauí, Maranhão, Ceará and Bahia.