Olinda, city in eastern Brazil, in Pernambuco State, a port on the Atlantic Ocean, near Recife. A leading beach resort and art center in an area of sugar plantations, the city has sugar-processing and cigar- and textile-manufacturing industries.
Olinda, long the most important city in northern Brazil, was prominent in early colonial history, traces of which are found in the old churches and buildings. The monasteries of São Francisco and São Bento have art collections, and the regional museum, state museum, and sugar museum are of interest. Also in the city are the fort of São Francisco, called the Cheese Fort; the Prefeitura, or government house of the captains general; and the Joaquim Nabuco Institute. Founded in 1535, Olinda was the capital of a Portuguese colonial captaincy until it was succeeded by Recife; from 1630 to 1654 it was under Dutch rule. Population (1996 estimate) 349,380.
