and minimum of accompanied by higher humidity and much more rain. The natural vegetation surrounding Maceió is tropical rainforest. Rainforests are characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between . The soil can be poor because high rainfall tends to leach out soluble nutrients. Economy One substantial local industry is based on chemical products from brine pumped from deep wells on the outskirts of Maceió. Another substantial industry is the production of ethanol and sugar from sugarcane grown in the region. In the last thirty years the tourist industry has transformed the coastal areas of the city into vibrant centers of entertainment for Brazilian and foreign tourists (Americans, Italians, French, Germans, Argentinians, etc.). These coastal neighborhoods include coconut palm trees, playgrounds, squares, open-to-the-public football, volleyball, and basketball fields, residential buildings, bars, nightclubs, tourist-oriented shops, restaurants, banks, hotels, and gambling houses (slot machines and bingo only, since casino games are illegal in Brazil). The GDP for the city was R$23,400,000,000 (); The per capita income for the city was R$22,976.51 (). Strong point in the municipality's economy is tourism. Maceió has a great potential to attract tourists due to its natural beauties and great cultural diversity. In addition, Maceió offers several leisure options and modern spaces for business, such as the new Cultural and Exhibition Center of Maceió, in the Jaraguá District. In September 2005, the new Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport, one of the most modern in Brazil, was inaugurated. The Jaraguá neighborhood was very popular during the end of the 1990s, with large investments by the Maceió prefecture. Nowadays, the Jaraguá is a commercial district, equipped with banks, museums, pubs and colleges. Nordeste Invest, an event of tourism and real estate investments of international scope, happened in Maceió in the editions of years 2006 and 2009. Gallery Education University level institutions include: Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL); Universidade Estadual de Alagoas (Uneal); Universidade de Ciências da Saúde de Alagoas (Uncisal); Centro de Ensino Superior de Maceió (CESMAC); Faculdade de Alagoas (FAL); Instituto Federal de Alagoas (IFAL); Faculdade Maurício de Nassau Faculdade Pitágoras de Maceió Top high schools of the city are: Maria Montessori (the best according to ENEM), Colégio Oswaldo Cruz (A.K.A. COC) Colégio Santa Úrsula, Colégio Intensivo, Colégio Marista de Maceió, Colégio Santa Madalena Sofia, Colégio Contato and others. (All private) Culture American jazz and rock and almost all Brazilian styles and dances are