Sobral

Sobral, city, northwestern Ceará estado (state), northeastern Brazil, on the Acaraú River. It was given town rank in 1773 and raised to city status in 1841. The city is a commercial, cotton-milling, and agricultural-processing centre; fishing also is important. Railroads and highways link Sobral to Fortaleza to the east and to other communities in Ceará and Piauí states. Pop. (2010) 188,233.