Nordeste (A Região geoeconômica do Nordeste The Socio-Geographic Division of the Northeast) is the oldest populated and currently the second most populous area of Brazil (42,822,100 in 1990). It's area is approximately 1,542,271 km², made up of the official region of the Northeast Region, minus the western half of Maranhão, but including the north of Minas Gerais - the Jequitinhonha Valley.