The Paraíba do Norte River, also known simply as the Paraíba River, is a river in Paraíba state of northeastern Brazil. The river originates in the Borborema Plateau, and it flows northeast to empty into the Atlantic Ocean north of João Pessoa, the state capital. Its estuary, full of little islands—among them Restinga—is the habitat of a range of animal species, as well as a number of ecosystems such as: lakes, mangroves, the Atlantic Forest and salt marshes.