Recife is the fourth-largest urban agglomeration in Brazil with 4,054,866 inhabitants, the largest urban agglomeration of the North/Northeast Regions, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco in the northeast corner of South America. As the first slave port in the Americas, Recife was founded in 1537 during the early Portuguese colonization of Brazil as the main harbor of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, known for its large scale production of sugar cane. The city is located at the confluence of the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers before they flow into the South Atlantic Ocean and is a major port on the Atlantic. The many rivers, small islands and over 50 bridges found in Recife city center characterize its geography and led to the city being called the 'Brazilian Venice'.