natal

Natal, city, Brazil

Natal (nətäl`), city (1991 pop. 606,887), capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, NE Brazil, just above the mouth of the Potengi River. A modern city that has retained its colonial flavor and is beautifully situated among white palm-studded beaches, Natal attracts many tourists. Its port is important in the handling of coastal shipping and in the export of tungsten. There is also some light industry. Natal [Port.,=Nativity] was founded on Christmas Day, 1599. It was occupied by the Dutch from 1633 to 1654 and in 1817 was briefly the seat of a republican government until it was suppressed by imperial authorities. It grew rapidly during World War II, when an airport was built for flights to Africa. Natal has several institutions of higher learning.

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Natal, former province, South Africa

Natal (nətăl`), former province, South Africa: see KwaZulu-Natal.

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Natal

Seaport and city (pop., 2002 est.: 734,500), northeastern Brazil. It is situated near the mouth of the Potengi River on the Atlantic Ocean coast. Founded by the Portuguese in 1597 near the site of a fort, Natal was given town status in 1611. It is the capital and principal commercial centre of the state of Rio Grande do Norte; it is also a busy port and naval base. It is the seat of the State University of Rio Grande do Norte. The Marine Research Institute and the Barreira do Inferno rocket base are located in the vicinity.

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Natal

Former province, southeastern Republic of South Africa. The area was occupied for centuries by Bantu-speaking peoples. It was given the name Natal by Vasco da Gama when he sighted the harbour of Port Natal (now Durban) on Christmas Day (Portuguese Natal) in 1497. The first European settlers arrived in 1824. In 1837 Afrikaners arrived in the interior and, after they defeated the Zulu there, established the Republic of Natal. Annexed by the British in 1843, it was extended by numerous acquisitions. During the South African War, Natal was invaded by Afrikaner forces, which were checked by the British. In 1910 it became a province of the Union of South Africa and in 1961 of the Republic of South Africa. The fragmented, nonindependent black state, or homeland, of KwaZulu was later created within Natal, which was the scene of clashes by rival black factions (see African National Congress; Inkatha Freedom Party). After the South African elections of 1994, the region was united to form the province of KwaZulu/Natal.

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natal¹

of or relating to birth

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natal²

Anatomy of or relating to the buttocks

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Natal

1. a former province of E South Africa, between the Drakensberg and the Indian Ocean: set up as a republic by the Boers in 1838; became a British colony in 1843; joined South Africa in 1910; replaced by KwaZulu/Natal in 1994. Capital: Pietermaritzburg

2. a port in NE Brazil, capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, near the mouth of the Potengi River. Pop.: 1 049 000 (2005 est.)