Rio Grande do Norte (lit. "Great Northern River", in reference to the mouth of the Potenji River, Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁi.u ˈɡɾɐ̃dʒi du ˈnɔʁtʃi]) is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern region of the country, occupying the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. Because of its geographic position, Rio Grande do Norte has a strategic importance. The capital and largest city is Natal. It is the land of the folklorist Luís da Câmara Cascudo and, according to NASA, it has the purest air in the Americas. Its 410 km (254 mi) of sand, much sun, coconut palms and lagoons are responsible for the fame of beaches. Rocas Atoll, the only such feature in the Atlantic Ocean, is part of the state. The main economic activity is tourism, followed by the extraction of petroleum (the second largest producer in the country), agriculture, fruit growing and extraction of minerals, including considerable production of seasalt, among other economic activities. The state is famous for having many popular attractions such as the Maior cajueiro do mundo (world's largest cashew tree), the dunes and the dromedaries of Genipabu, the famous beaches of Ponta Negra, Maracajaú and Pipa's paradise, the Carnatal the largest off-season carnival in Brazil, the Forte dos Reis Magos is a medieval fortress, the hills and mountains of Martins, the Dunas Park the second largest urban park in the country, and several other attractions. The state is also closest to the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.
The Newton Navarro Bridge, is one of the biggest cable-stayed bridge of Brazil located in the city of Natal, capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte. It connects North Zone and the cities of the north coast to the South Zone and other regions of the city crossing Potengi River.
The main purpose is to ease the usual heavy traffic in Igapó bridge and to improve access to the future Greater Natal International Airport and its adjacent areas, also increasing the flow of tourism in the north coast and improving access of the inhabitants of the North Zone to the downtown and main zones.
It is named upon Newton Navarro, an important local artist.