The Greater Natal (lit. Grande Natal, officially Natal Metropolitan Region, lit. Região Metropolitana de Natal) is a metropolitan area located in Rio Grande do Norte state in Brazil. It consists of nine municipalities, including the capital, Natal.
The metropolitan area of Natal is known as a historical, cultural and economic center of state, with a total population of 1,263 million inhabitants.[1] The region was first officially defined on January 16, 1997. Only a few municipalities show a high level of agglomeration — namely, Natal-Parnamirim and Natal-São Gonçalo do Amarante.
The state government's greatest challenge is connecting all the cities in the metropolitan area by bus. There is a plan called "Via Metropolitana" (Metropolitan Highway) to connect all cities.
| Municipality | Area (km2) [2] | Population (2007)[3] [4] | GDP R$ (2006)[5] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natal | 170,298 | 774.230 | 7.508.466 | |
| Ceará-Mirim | 739,686 | 65.450 | 247.860 | |
| Extremoz (pt) | 125,665 | 21.792 | 96.887 | |
| Macaíba (pt) | 512,487 | 63.337 | 527.652 | |
| Monte Alegre (pt) | 200,000 | 20.590 | 63.266 | |
| Nísia Floresta (pt) | 306,051 | 22.906 | 95.767 | |
| Parnamirim | 120,202 | 172.751 | 1.269.568 | |
| São Gonçalo do Amarante | 251,308 | 77.363 | 677.341 | |
| São José de Mipibu (pt) | 293,877 | 36.990 | 172.328 | |
| Total | 2.719,574 | 1.255.409 | 10.659.135 |