Mossoró

Mossoró (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Portuguese pronunciation: [mosoˈɾɔ]) is the second most populous city[2] in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and also the largest municipality of that state. It is equidistant (four hours' drive) from Natal (approximately 277 km or 172 miles), the state capital of Rio Grande do Norte, and from Fortaleza (approximately 260 km or 161.5 miles), the capital of the state of Ceará. It is also in the heart of Brazil's salt production area. Situated in the Oeste Potiguar mesoregion, Mossoró is the country's largest land-based petroleum producer.[3] To Brazilians, the main historical distinctions of the city are the driving off an attack by Lampião and his gang of "social bandits" (see Cangaço) that plundered entire towns in the sertão during the 1920s and 1930s; and also the fact that the city freed its slaves five years before the Lei Áurea abolished slavery in the rest of the country in 1888. Mossoró was also the first city to give women the right to vote in Brazil (Professor Celina Guimarães Viana cast the first vote in 1928), sparking a movement among other cities and states in Brazil that culminated in the official recognition of women's suffrage by the national government in 1934. Mossoró is one of the hottest cities in all of Brazil. It has semi-arid climate with a temperature range of mean lows around 22.7 °C (72.9 °F) and mean highs around 33.4 °C (92.1 °F) throughout the year.[4] However, it is not uncommon for temperatures to exceed 35 °C (95 °F) throughout the year, with temperatures approaching 45 °C (113 °F) unexceptional. The sultriest temperatures are registered from October to January.