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| State of Bahia | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bahia |
| Settlement type | State |
| Capital | Salvador |
| Established | 1549 |
| Area km2 | 565733 |
| Population | 14812676 |
| Pop year | 2020 |
State of Bahia Bahia is a federative unit in northeastern Brazil centered on the city of Salvador, known for its Afro-Brazilian heritage, Atlantic coastline, and role in colonial and modern Brazilian affairs. The state spans vast coastal plains, interior plateaus, and river basins, linking historic ports like Salvador and Porto Seguro with inland cities such as Feira de Santana and Vitória da Conquista. Bahia's cultural landscape includes syncretic religions, musical traditions, and architecture shaped by figures like Tomé de Sousa, Pedro Álvares Cabral, and movements including the Colonial Brazil era and the Pernambucan revolt.
Bahia occupies much of Brazil's eastern seaboard between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chapada Diamantina, featuring the Recôncavo Baiano bay, the São Francisco River basin, and the Mata Atlântica and Caatinga biomes. Coastal municipalities such as Ilhéus, Itacaré, Morro de São Paulo and Porto Seguro host beaches, while inland regions include the plateaus around Jacobina and the national parks near Chapada Diamantina National Park and Cairu. Climate zones range from tropical monsoon on the coast to semi-arid in the interior influenced by the Equatorial Atlantic current and seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
Bahia's documented history began with European landings by expeditions linked to Pedro Álvares Cabral and early colonial governors like Tomé de Sousa establishing Salvador as the first capital of Colonial Brazil. The state was a major node in the Atlantic slave trade, connecting ports to sugar plantations and gold mining in the Goiás and Minas Gerais regions; African heritage was transmitted through peoples from West Africa and the Bight of Benin. Bahia saw uprisings including the Bahian revolt episodes and participation in independence movements alongside leaders such as João VI-era actors and later figures like Bahia's rebels during the Praieira Revolt springing from socioeconomic tensions. In the 20th century urban reforms, industrialization, and cultural movements involved actors like Joaquim Nabuco, Carlos Gomes, and institutions such as the Federal University of Bahia.
The population includes descendants of indigenous groups such as the Tupi and Pataxó, European colonists from Portugal, and African diasporic communities from regions including Benin and Angola. Major municipalities include Salvador, Feira de Santana, Vitória da Conquista, Ilhéus, and Camaçari. Religious life features practitioners of Candomblé, Catholic Church (Brazil), and evangelical denominations connected to figures and organizations like Dom Hélder Câmara and churches in Salvador's Pelourinho. Notable demographic shifts occurred during twentieth-century internal migration to São Paulo and Brasília, influenced by projects such as the Rede Ferroviária Federal and industrial complexes at Camaçari.
Bahia's economy combines agriculture, industry, and services, with key commodities including cacao from Ilhéus, sugarcane plantations near the Recôncavo, and soy and cotton in the west. Industrial hubs around Camaçari host petrochemical and automobile facilities tied to firms such as Petrobras and multinational assemblers, while port infrastructure at Salvador, Ilhéus, and Porto Sul facilitates exports to European Union and United States markets. Tourism focused on historic sites like Pelourinho, festivals such as Carnival in Salvador, and coastal resorts supports hospitality chains and cultural enterprises. Economic policy has been influenced by state agencies and federal programs during administrations connected to parties like the Workers' Party (Brazil) and Brazilian Democratic Movement.
Bahia is a center of Afro-Brazilian culture exemplified by artists like Carmélia Alves, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and religious leaders such as Mãe Menininha do Gantois. Musical genres including samba-reggae, axé, and MPB evolved alongside dances, capoeira circles associated with practitioners like Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha, and culinary traditions featuring acarajé, moqueca and dendê oil tied to family-run kitchens and street vendors in the Pelourinho and Rio Vermelho. Festivals and cultural institutions include Salvador's Carnival, the Festa de Iemanjá in Itapuã, and museums like the Museu Afro-Brasileiro at the Federal University of Bahia. Literary and artistic currents engaged authors and intellectuals such as Jorge Amado, Joaquim Nabuco, and cultural movements like the Modernist movement (Brazil).
The state's executive branch is headed by a governor elected under the framework of the Constitution of Brazil (1988), with a unicameral Legislative Assembly in Salvador and municipal governments in cities like Feira de Santana and Ilhéus. Bahia's political life has included prominent politicians associated with parties such as the Workers' Party (Brazil), Brazilian Social Democracy Party, and Progressistas (Brazil), and notable officeholders have interacted with federal administrations led by figures such as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Public institutions involved in security include state-level law enforcement cooperating with federal agencies like the Federal Police (Brazil) and judiciary organs of the Superior Court of Justice when matters reach national scope.
Major transport corridors include federal highways such as BR-101 and BR-116, rail links historically connected to the Rede Ferroviária Federal, and air connections via Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport in Salvador and regional airports in Ilhéus and Vitória da Conquista. Seaports at Port of Salvador and industrial terminals at Camaçari enable cargo movements for commodities and manufactured goods, while projects like the proposed Porto Sul aim to expand export capacity. Water management relies on river systems such as the São Francisco River and infrastructure including reservoirs and irrigation schemes influenced by national programs like the National Integration Plan.