(Redirected from Salvador da Bahia):''This article is about the Brazilian city. For other names including "Salvador", see
Salvador,
San Salvador and
São Salvador.''
'Salvador' (in full, 'São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos', or in literal translation: "Holy Savior of All Saints' Bay") is a
city on the northeast coast of
Brazil and the capital of the northeastern
Brazilian state of
Bahia. The city was for a long time also known as 'Bahia', and appears under that name (or as ''Salvador da Bahia'', ''Salvador of Bahia'' so as to differentiate it from other Brazilian cities of the same name) on many maps and books from before the mid
20th century. Salvador is the 3rd biggest Brazilian city, after
São Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro, and it is the biggest city in
Northeastern Brazil, being a cultural reference in Brazil for its cuisine, music and architecture. Its metropolitan area is the richest of Nordeste. 80% of the population of Salvador is of
Black African origin, and African influence in all cultural aspects of the city turns it into the epicenter of ''negro'' culture in Brazil. The historical center of the Salvador, frequently called
Pelourinho, is extremely rich in historical monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries and has been declared a
World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 1985.
History
Although ''
Baía de Todos os Santos'' (All Saints Bay) was first encountered by
Europeans and christened in 1502, the city of Salvador was not founded until 1549 by a fleet of
Portuguese settlers headed by
Tomé de Sousa, the first
Governor-General of Brazil. Built in a high cliff overlooking All Saints bay as the first colonial capital of
colonial Brazil, it quickly became its main
sea port and an important center of the
sugar industry and the
slave trade. Since its birth, Salvador was divided into an upper and a lower city. The upper city was the administrative and main religious area and it was where the majority of the population lived. The lower city was the financial center, with a port and market. In the last century,
funiculars and an
elevator, the ''Elevador Lacerda'', were built to link both areas.
Market (''Mercado Modelo'') by the bay.
The city became the seat of the first
Catholic bishop of Brazil in 1552, and is still an ecclesiastical power center of Brazilian Catholicism. By 1583, there were 1,600 people residing in the city, and it quickly grew into one of the largest cities in the
New World, surpassing any
colonial American city at the time of the
American Revolution in 1776.
Salvador was the capital city of the Portuguese
viceroyalty of
Grão-Pará and its province of
Bahia de Todos os Santos. The
Dutch Republic captured and sacked the city in May of 1624, and held it along with other NE ports until it was re-taken by the Portuguese in April of the following year.
Salvador was the first capital of Brazil and remained so until 1763, when it was succeeded by
Rio de Janeiro, the new economic power center of that era. The city became a base for the Brazilian independence movement and was attacked by Portuguese troops in 1812, before being officially liberated on
July 2 1823. It settled into graceful decline over the next 150 years, out of the mainstream of Brazilian industrialization. It remains, however, a national cultural and tourist center.
By 1948 the city had some 340,000 people, and was already Brazil's fourth largest city. By 1991 the population was 2.08 million.
In the
1990s, a major city project cleaned up and restored the old downtown area, the ''Pelourinho'', or ''Centro Historico'' ("Historical Center"). Now, Pelourinho is a cultural center, and the very heart of Salvador.
Salvador has been the birthplace of many noted Brazilians, including musicians such as song-writer
Dorival Caymmi,
Música Popular Brasileira (MPB or ''Brazilian Popular Music'') star
Gal Costa, and
Grammy Award winner
Gilberto Gil. Gil later went on to be a city council member (''vereador'') and is currently the Brazilian Minister of Culture. Also internationally recognized are the city's
Blocos Afros, such as
Olodum,
Ara Ketu, and
Ilê Aiyê. Notable writers associated with Salvador include
Jorge Amado, considered one of Brazil's greatest authors and fabulists, and
João Ubaldo Ribeiro. The famous Brazilian visual artist
Carybé is based in Salvador as well. Current celebrities born in Salvador include supermodel
Adriana Lima.
Toponymy
The city's name, ''São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos'', is the portuguese for "Saint Savior of All Saints' Bay". The city was, for a long time, known as "Bahia" (bay), passing this name to all the lands near it, naming the state of Bahia. The city is also known as "Roma Negra", portuguese for "Black Rome", because it is said that Salvador da Bahia has 365 churches, and it is a center of ''
Candomblé'', an african-based religion. The other nickname is "''Capital da Alegria''" or "Capital of Joy", because of its carnaval, the biggest street party in the planet.
View of Salvador.
Geography
Salvador is located on a small, roughly triangular peninsula that separates
Todos os Santos Bay from the open waters of the
Atlantic Ocean. The bay, which gets its name from having been discovered on
All Saints' Day forms a superb natural harbor, and Salvador is a major export port, lying at the heart of the ''
Recôncavo Baiano'', a rich agricultural and industrial region encompassing the northern portion of coastal Bahia. The local terrain is diverse ranging from flat to rolling to hills and low mountains. A particularly notable feature is the escarpment that divides Salvador into the ''Cidade Alta'' ("Upper Town") and the ''Cidade Baixa'' ("Lower Town"), the former some 85m (275ft) above the latter
[1], with the city's famous cathedral and most administrative buildings standing on the higher ground. A gigantic elevator (the first installed in Brazil), known as ''
Elevador Lacerda'' has connected the two sections since 1873, having since undergone several upgrades.
The coastline is equally diverse, featuring sandy
beaches, sea cliffs,
mangrove swamps, and a number of islands, the largest of which,
Itaparica, includes a famous resort area.
Itapuã Beach.
Climate
Salvador has a typical
tropical climate, with warm to hot temperatures and high relative humidity all throughout the year. However, these conditions are relieved by a near absence of extreme temperatures and pleasant trade winds blowing from the ocean. March is the warmest month, with mean maximum of 30°C (86°F) and minimum of 24°C (75°F); July experiences the coolest temperatures, with means of 26°C (79°F) and 21°C (70°F). The absolute maximum and minimum are respectively 38°C (100°F) and 12°C (54°F). Unlike in the area further inland (known as the ''Sertão''), rainfall in Salvador is quite abundant, with a total yearly average of 201cm (83"), being heaviest in May at 33cm (12.8") and generally tapering off until reaching a nadir of 11cm (4.4") in January.
Tropical cyclones and
tornadoes are unknown in the area.
[2][3]
Vegetation
Salvador is in a region of
Tropical rainforests. Rainforests are characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 2,000 mm (about 78 inches or 2 meters) and 1700 mm (about 67 inches). The soil can be poor because high rainfall tends to leach out soluble nutrients. There are several common characteristics of tropical
rainforest trees. Tropical rainforest species frequently possess one or more attributes not commonly seen in trees of higher latitudes or trees in drier conditions on the same latitude.
Demographics
As of the census of 2006, the population was 2.65 million people, making it the third largest in
Brazil by population, behind
São Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro. The Salvador Metropolitan Region as a whole is home to approximately 3.35 million people.
Local ladies (''bahianas'') with typical,
African-influenced clothes.
Ethnic groups
Most people in Salvador are either of black or mixed white/black (''pardo'') ethnic background. According to the 2006 PNAD census, the makeup of the city was:
:
''Source: PNAD (IBGE-Brazilian Institute of Statistics)''
Municipality of Salvador, built in the 2nd half of 17th century.
City government
Salvador is governed by a ''prefeito'' (mayor). The current mayor (since 2005) is João Henrique Carneiro, of the
PMDB party.
The city also has a body of 41 ''vereadores'' (municipal deputies), who need in the ''Camara Municipal de Salvador''. The Municipality is a historical relic built around 1660.
Education
Portuguese language is the official language of schools. But
English language and
Spanish language are part of the official
high school curriculum.
Colleges and universities
The city has several
universities:
★
Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA,
★ Universidade do Estado da Bahia - UNEB (State University of Bahia),
★ Universidade Católica do Salvador - UCSal (Catholic University of Salvador).
★ Universidade Salvador - UNIFACS (Salvador University)
★ Faculdade de Tecnologia e Ciências (College of Technology and Science)
★ Faculdade Ruy Barbosa (FRB)
★ see also
List of universities in Brazil
Old houses in the historical centre.
Historical Centre
The Historical Centre of Salvador was designated in 1985 a
World Heritage Site by
UNESCO. The city represents a fine example of 16th century urbanism with its higher administrative town and its lower commercial town, and a large portion of the city has retained the old character of its streets and colourful houses. Its considerable wealth and status during colonial times (as capital of the colony during 250 years) is reflected in the magnificence of its colonial palaces, churches and convents, most of them dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. These include:
★
Cathedral of Salvador: Former
Jesuit church of the city, built in the second half of the 17th century. Fine example of
Mannerist architecture and decoration.
★
Convent and Church of São Francisco: Franciscan convent and church dating from the first half of the 18th century. The
Baroque decoration of the church is among the finest in Brazil.
★
Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim:
Rococo church with
Neoclassical inner decoration. The image of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim is the most venerated in the city, and the Feast of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim (''Festa do Nosso Senhor do Bonfim'') in January is the most important in the city after
Carnival.
Culture
The culture of Salvador is a very rich mix of European and African influences, evident in the religion, cuisine, music and other cultural manifestations. It is considered the most African-influenced State in Brazil.
Literature
As the capital of
colonial Brazil until 1763, Salvador was an important cultural centre since the 16th century, as reflected in the large number of prominent literary figures associated with colonial Salvador, usually educated in the religious schools of the convents of the city and in the
University of Coimbra in Portugal. ''Frei Vicente do Salvador'' (1564-1635), a Bahia-born franciscan friar who studied in the Jesuit School of Salvador, was the author of the first book on Brazilian History written by a Brazil-born author.
Gregório de Mattos, born in Salvador in 1636, was also educated by the Jesuits. He became the most important
Baroque poet in colonial Brazil for his religious and satirical works.
Father António Vieira was born in Lisbon in 1608 but raised and educated in the Jesuit school of Salvador and died in the city in 1697. His erudite
sermons have earned him the title of best writer of the
Portuguese language in the Baroque era.
After the
Independence of Brazil (1822) Salvador continued to play an important role in Brazilian literature. Important 19th century writers associated with the city include
Romantic poet
Castro Alves (1847-1871) and diplomat
Ruy Barbosa (1849-1923). In the 20th century, Bahia-born
Jorge Amado (1912-2001), although not born in Salvador, helped popularise the culture of the city around the world in novels like ''
Jubiabá'', ''
Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos'' and ''
Tenda dos Milagres'', which are plotted in Salvador.
Religion
In Salvador, religion is a major contact point between European and African influences. Salvador was the seat of the first
bishopric in colonial Brazil (established 1551), and the first bishop, ''Pero Fernandes Sardinha'', arrived already in 1552. The
Jesuits, led by the
Manuel da Nóbrega, also arrived in the 16th century and worked in converting the
indigenous peoples of the region to
Catholicism.
Most slaves in Bahia were brought from
Sub-Saharan Africa, especially
Yoruba-speaking people (''Iorubá'' or ''Nagô'' in Portuguese) from present-day
Nigeria. Slaves were required to convert to Catholicism, but their original religion -
Candomblé - has survived in spite of prohibitions and persecutions. In part, slaves managed to preserve their religion by mixing Catholic and Candomblé mythology in a phenomenon of
religious syncretism. Even today, many people that declare themselves Catholic may also take part on rituals in Candomblé ''terreiros'' (temples).
Candomblé is based on the cult of the
Orishas (''Orixás''), like
Obatala (''Oxalá''), father of humankind;
Ogoun (''Ogum''), god of the war and iron;
Yemaja (''Iemanjá''), goddess of the sea, rivers and lakes. These religious entities have been syncretised with some Catholic entities. For instance, Salvador's
Feast of Bonfim, celebrated in January, is dedicated to both Our Lord of Bonfim (
Jesus Christ) and Oxalá. Another important feast is the Feast de Yemaja every February 2nd, on the shores of Vermelho river in Salvador.
Cuisine
The local cuisine, spicy and based on seafood (shrimps, fish), strongly relies on typically African ingredients and techniques, and is much appreciated throughout Brazil. The most typical ingredient is ''
azeite-de-dendê'', an oil extracted from a palm tree (''Elaeis guineensis'') brought from
West Africa to Brazil during colonial times.
Traditional dishes include ''
caruru'', ''
vatapá'', ''
acarajé'', ''bobó-de-camarão'' and ''abará''. Some of these dishes, like the acarajé and abará, are also used as offerings in
Candomblé rituals.
Capoeira
Capoeira is a unique mix of
dance and
martial art of Afro-Brazilian origin, combining agile dance moves with unarmed combat techniques. Its origins go back to the times of slavery, and Salvador is considered the centre of origin of the modern capoeira branches. In the first half of the 20th century, Salvador-born masters
Mestre Bimba and
Mestre Pastinha founded capoeira schools and helped standartise and popularise the art in Brazil and the world.
Capoeira practices are accompained by special music and songs. Musical instruments used in capoeira music include the
caxixi,
atabaque and
berimbau, percussion instruments of African origin.
Drummers of Afro-Brazilian musical group
Olodum.
Museum
Salvador has Afro-Brasileiro museum, Arte da Bahia museum, Arte Moderna da Bahia museum, Memorial dos Governadores Bahia, Gastronômico da Bahia museum, Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado and Geográfico da Bahia museum.
Carnival
According to the
Guinness Book, the carnival of Salvador de Bahia is the biggest street party in the planet. In an entire week, almost one million people join the street carnival of this city, that is divided in circuits- Barra/Ondina, Campo Grande and Pelourinho (the historical downtown area). The music played in carnival are Axé and Samba-reggae.
There are a lot of "blocos" in the carnival, the "blocos afros" like Malé Debalé, Olodum and Filhos de Gandhi being the most famous of them.
Theatre
Castro Alves Theatre (TCA),
Sala do Côro (mini Theatre in Castro Alves Theatre),
IRDEB Theatre(TV Educativa),
SENAC Theatre(Pelourinho),
ICÉIA Theatre,
Museu Eugênio Teixeira Leal Theatre(Pelourinho),
Barra Theatre,
Espaço Xisto Theatre,
Maria Betânia Theatre,
Jorge Amado Theatre,
Diplomata Theatre,
Sesi Rio Vermelho Theatre,
Vila Velha Theatre,
XVIII Theatre,
ISBA Theatre,
Santo Antônio Theatre ,
ACBEU Theatre,
Anchieta Theatre,
Nazaré Theatre,
ICBA Theatre,
Gamboa Theatre
Gregório de Mattos Theatre,
Módulo Theatre,
Miguel Santana Theatre,
Cultural Theatre,
Cine Casa do Comércio Theatre,
Dias Gomes Theatre(Sindicato dos Comerciários),
Plataforma Theatre.
Human rights
Salvador is also home to the oldest, continuous
gay rights and
human rights organization in Brazil, the
Grupo Gay da Bahia (GGB). Established by Dr.
Luiz Mott in
1980 and currently headed by
Marcelo Cerqueira, GGB has played a central role in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality movement both in Bahia and across Brazil, and has helped to educate the local population on
HIV and AIDS prevention and human rights abuses. Salvador's
gay pride parade is now one of the largest in Brazil.
Communication
Salvador has the newspapers Correio da Bahia, A Tarde, Tribuna da Bahia; the main television networks are TV Salvador, TV Bahia, Rede Bahia; Band Bahia, TV Aratu, TVE-BA and TV Itapoan and there are also several radio stations.
Infrastructure
International airport
Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport is located in an area of more than 6 million square meters between sand dunes and native vegetation. The road route to the airport has already become one of the city’s main scenic attractions. The airport’s use has been growing at an average of 14% a year and now is responsible for more than 30% of passenger movement in Brazil’s Northeast. Nearly 35 thousand people circulate daily through the passenger terminal. The airport generates more than 16 thousand direct and indirect jobs, to serve a daily average of over 10 thousand passengers, 250 takeoffs and landings of 100 domestic and 16 international flights.
Port
The
port of Salvador is the one of the busiest in
Brazil.
Highways
BR-324, BR-101 and BR-116.
Salvador today
''Elevador Lacerda'', a lift that connects the lower and higher towns.
The
Human Development Index in the city is at 0.805.The city's official literacy rate is 81%. As of the late 1990s, the average monthly income was
R$ 1,108.00 (about
US$ 447). Sanitation is a problem in the poorer neighborhoods. About 1/3 of the residents have neither
sewage hookups nor
septic tanks but the Bahian state government is trying to rectify this problem through projects like Bahia Azul ("Blue Bay") and Viver Melhor ("Living Better"). The city has a few open sewers which drain into the sea, leading many tourist guides to advise tourists not to swim in the water on the bay side of the city, such as Porto da Barra, and instead suggesting beaches on the Atlantic Ocean side of the peninsula such as Itapuã, Pituba and Stella Maris.
Salvador is noted for its large
Carnival celebrations, which include a strong Afro-Brazilian musical and spiritual component.
Esporte Clube Bahia and
Esporte Clube Vitória are Salvador's main football teams. Esporte Clube Bahia has won 2 national titles - in Brazil's cup in 1959 and the Brazilian League in 1988 - while Esporte Clube Vitoria was a runner up in the Brazilian league in 1992.
Salvador is an important
tourist destination and is the second most popular destination in Brazil. Chief among the points of interest are its famous ''Pelourinho'' (named after the colonial
pillories that once stood there) district, its magnificent historic churches, and its
beaches.
Ford Motor Company has a plant in the Salvador Metropolitan Area, in the city of
Camaçari, assembling the
Ford Courier,
Ford EcoSport and
Ford Fiesta.
Salvador currently has a
Metro System under construction (although recent visits suggest that construction has been severely delayed). The Metro is projected to have two lines and will be integrated with bus and rail services. The first stage of the metro was to have been ready in 2006 (or, with delays, by early 2007).
Salvador has an international airport named
Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport. In addition to domestic and regional services, it has non-stop flights to
Lisbon,
Madrid,
Frankfurt,
Montevideo,
Santiago,
Buenos Aires,
Asunción and
Miami. Its
IATA airport code is SSA and it is the sixth busiest airport in the country, the first in northeastern Brazil, behind
Congonhas International,
Guarulhos International,
Juscelino Kubitschek International,
Santos Dumont Regional and
Galeão International.
Places to visit near Salvador
Interesting places to visit near Salvador include
★ the island of
Itaparica - can be visited either by a car-ferry, or a smaller foot-passenger ferry which leaves from near the
Mercado Modelo near the
Lacerda Elevator.
★ Linha Verde, or "green line" of towns and cities, with exquisite beaches, north of Salvador heading towards
Sergipe state
★
Cachoeira - 2 hours by bus: a great centre of
Candomblé with a Pousada (hotel) in the
convent.
★
Morro de São Paulo - an exotic island which can be reached by ferry from Salvador (1 hr), by plane, or by bus to Valença and then by 'Rapido' ('fast') speedboat or smaller ferry.
Sister Cities
★
Los Angeles,
United States
★
Luanda,
Angola
★
Lisboa,
Portugal
★
Harbin,
China
★
Firenze,
Italy
★
Cayenne,
France
External links
★
Official tourism site (English)
★
Bahia-online.net
★
Salvador De Bahia Digital Media Archive (photos, laser scans, panoramas)
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