Someone asked me this--I realized I take for granted the use of "Bahia" when talking to friends and family about where we live. It prompted me to find out a bit more, particularly since yesterday was Bahian Independence Day celebrating their independence from Portugal in 1823.
Bahia is a northeastern state of Brazil, of which Salvador is the capital. It is approximately 564,692 square kilometers, making it the 5th largest state in Brazil. It borders the Atlantic ocean its eastern coast. That is where you will find those postcard perfect stretches of palm-tree lined sandy beaches. The inland areas are diverse--rolling hills, rivers, dunes, mountains, canyons, waterfalls--though i will add an personal comment here that the roads *stink* and road signs, well, it seems those aren't really important around here. It is beautiful though, make no mistake.
The population of the state in 2008 was estimated around 14 million, approximately 3 million in Salvador. Bahia has strong African influences in food, culture and customs as Salvador was the processing point for the slave trade from Africa in colonial times. I plan to write more about these influences as I have a chance to explore them. In the meantime, I would like to thank Wikipedia for providing the factoids.
I didnt realize just how many people were in Bahia! And if you dont mind I am going to steal your map since I've had people asking where Minas is! Hopefully Sidnei and I will be able to do some traveling and come to those picturesque places!
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