Petrolina

Petrolina is a city located in the southernmost point of the state of Pernambuco, in Brazil. The population was 281.851 in 2009 in a total area of 4756.8 km². It is situated on the left bank of the São Francisco River across from its twin city of Juazeiro, Bahia. The two cities, making up an urban area of almost 520.000 people, are connected by a modern bridge. Sobradinho dam, enclosing Sobradinho Lake, the second largest artificial lake in the world, is located 26 kilometers upriver. Road connections are made by BR-407, connecting Feira de Santana, near Salvador, and Picos... located in the state of Piauí. There are railroad connections in Juazeiro made by the Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica. The Petrolina Airport is mainly for regional flights , plus the international exportation of fresh fruits produced by irrigation agro-poles. The origin of the name "Petrolina" comes from the merging of the original name "Pedra Linda", or "Beautiful Rocks". The growth of Petrolina and its sister city Juazeiro is the result of the construction of the Sobradinho dam and the abundant availability of water for irrigation in these desert soils.
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