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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.
Map of Greater Natal, Natal - State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
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. The region was first officially defined on January 16, 1997. Only a few municipalities show a high level of agglomeration: Natal-Parnamirim and Natal-São Gonçalo do Amarante are the clear examples.
The great challenge of the state government is still connect by bus all the cities in the metropolitan area. There is a plan called "Via Metropolitana" (Metropolitan Highway) to connect all cities.