a state of NE Brazil, on the Atlantic: forested and humid in the northwest, with high plateaus in the east and south. Capital: São Luís. Pop: 5 803 224 (2002). Area: 328 666 sqkm (128 179 sq miles)
Maranhão in American English
(ˈmɑʀəˈnjə̃u)
state of NE Brazil: 128,713 sq mi (333,365 sq km); pop. 4,930,000; cap. São Luís