Salvador, Bahia

Salvador is the capital city of the state of Bahia in Brazil. It is one of the oldest cities in the Americas, founded in 1549 by Tomé de Sousa.

The city is famous for its colorful buildings, especially in the Historic Center. This area was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. Salvador is also known for its lively music and big Carnival celebrations.

With over 2.4 million people, Salvador is a big and important city. It is a center for business, education, and tourism. The city sits near the Bay of All Saints and the Atlantic Ocean, making it a beautiful coastal location.

History

See also: Timeline of Salvador, Bahia

Salvador is on a small peninsula between the Bay of All Saints and the Atlantic Ocean. Explorer Gaspar de Lemos first saw it in 1501, after Cabral found Brazil. Later, explorer Amerigo Vespucci saw the bay on All Saints' Day in 1502 and named it for that day and his church in Florence.

The city was founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers led by Tomé de Sousa, making it one of the oldest European cities in the Americas. It was Brazil’s first capital and a busy port for trade. The city grew with many different cultures, especially from Africa, which helped shape its music, food, and traditions.

Salvador has many important old buildings and places, like the Pelourinho neighborhood. In 1985, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site. Today, Salvador is famous for its lovely beaches, such as Porto da Barra Beach, and it hosted big events like the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Geography

Climate

Salvador has a tropical rainforest climate. This means the weather stays similar all year. The temperature does not change much. December and January are the driest months, with less than 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain. April, May, and June are the wettest months, with each month getting at least 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain.

Demographics

See also: Demographics of Brazil and Demographics of South America

In 2010, Salvador was the third-largest city in Brazil, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Today, it is the 5th largest city in Brazil. The city had many families and some couples of the same gender. Most of the people in Salvador are women.

Ethnic groups

According to the 2022 census, about 2.4 million people live in Salvador. Many people in Salvador come from different backgrounds. Some have African roots, others from European countries, and some from Native American groups. The city has a rich mix of cultures from Benin, Angola, Congo, Senegal, and Mozambique.

Religion

See also: Religion in Brazil, Protestantism in Brazil, and Roman Catholic Church in Brazil

Salvador has many churches and religious groups. The city has a long history with the Roman Catholic Church, which arrived when the city was founded. Over time, many different religious groups have come to the city.

Many people in Salvador follow a religion called Candomblé, which mixes African beliefs with Catholicism.

Source: IBGE 2010.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Brazil

Salvador has been very important in Brazil's history. Because it is on the northeast coast, the city was a key place for the Portuguese Empire when Brazil was a colony. It kept strong trade links with Portugal and Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia.

Salvador was Brazil's main city until 1763 when the capital moved to Rio de Janeiro. In recent years, many tall office and apartment buildings have been built next to older colonial houses and shops.

Salvador is a very popular place to visit in Brazil, second only to Rio de Janeiro. Tourism and cultural activities help create jobs and bring money, supporting the arts and protecting historic sites.

Visitors love the famous Pelourinho district, historic churches, and beautiful beaches. Salvador has modern tourism facilities, including many places to stay, from budget hostels to luxury hotels. Building new structures is a big part of the city's work, with developers from Spain, Portugal, and England investing in the area.

JAC Motors plans to build a factory near Salvador, creating many jobs and making cars for the world.

In 2001, Monsanto Company opened a large plant near Salvador to make important materials for farming products. This was a big investment and became the company's biggest plant outside the United States.

Government and politics

Salvador has been important in Brazil's history because it was the country's first capital. The city's leaders have often come from families with European roots, even though many people in Salvador have African roots. This has made it difficult for Afro-Brazilians to have a large voice in the city's government.

Since January 2021, the mayor of Salvador has been Bruno Soares Reis from the União Brasil party. Mayors serve for four years and work with a deputy mayor, who is also elected for four years. The city has 43 councilors who help make decisions for the community.

See also: List of mayors of Salvador, Bahia Further information (in Portuguese): Salvador City Council

Tourism and recreation

Salvador has a long coastline with many beaches. There are 80 kilometers of beaches in the city. Some beaches are next to All Saints Bay, and others are by the Atlantic Ocean, like Porto da Barra Beach.

These beaches are great for different fun activities. Some are calm for swimming, sailing, diving, and fishing. Others have big waves for surfers. There are also beaches with reefs that make natural pools for children to play.

Near Salvador, there are many interesting places to visit. Porto da Barra Beach was once named one of the best beaches in the world. You can take a ferry to Itaparica Island to see beautiful views. There is also a highway with lovely beaches going toward Sergipe state, and Morro de São Paulo, an island with small villages you can reach by ferry, plane, or bus.

The city has many shops and museums. One famous museum is the Museum of Modern Art of Bahia, designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi. It shows modern Brazilian art and has live music events. Other museums talk about the African influence on Brazilian culture and life from long ago.

Salvador also has several parks. Jardim dos Namorados Park, opened in 1969, has playgrounds, sports areas, and a place for concerts. Park of the City has a flower square with thousands of plants. Pituaçu Park is a big green space with a pond, paths for bicycles, and an outdoor art museum with many sculptures and paintings.

The city has many old buildings with beautiful design, like churches and forts built hundreds of years ago.

Jardim dos Namorados Park is next to Costa Azul Park and covers 15 hectares in Pituba. Many families used to visit there in the 1950s. It opened as a place to relax in 1969 and was updated in the 1990s. Now it has an amphitheater for 500 people, sports courts, playgrounds, and parking for cars and buses.

Park of the City is an important area for protecting Atlantic forest. It was updated in 2001 and now has 720 square meters of green space in the city center. One of its highlights is Praça das Flores, a flower square with over five thousand plants and flowers.

Besides nature, the park has special events for children every October.

Pituaçu Park was created in 1973 and covers 450 hectares, making it one of the few ecological parks in an urban area in Brazil. It is surrounded by Atlantic forest and has many plants and animals. There is also an artificial pond built in 1906, originally to supply water to the city.

In the park, you can enjoy many fun activities. You can ride cycloboats on the pond or cycle along a 38-kilometer path around the whole reserve. There is also a museum in the park called Espaço Cravo. It is an outdoor museum with 800 pieces of art by Mario Cravo, including totems, winged figures, shapes, drawings, and paintings.

• Colonial architecture in Salvador

  Cathedral Basilica of Salvador, built between 1657 and 1679.

[Church of Nossa Senhora da Penha, Salvador](/wiki/Church_of_Nossa_Senhora_da_Penha,_Salvador), built between 1723 and 1784.

Church and Convent of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, built in 1681.

[Church da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (Salvador)](/wiki/Church_da_Ordem_Terceira_de_São_Francisco_\(Salvador\)), built between 1702 and 1705.

[Church do Santíssimo Sacramento e Sant'Ana](/wiki/Church_do_Santíssimo_Sacramento_e_Sant'Ana), built between 1696 and 1702.

• _(cropped).jpg)

  Church and Convent of São Francisco, Salvador, built between 1686 and 1752.

[Church and Hospice of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem](/wiki/Church_and_Hospice_of_Nossa_Senhora_da_Boa_Viagem), built in 18th century.

[Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos](/wiki/Church_of_Nossa_Senhora_do_Rosário_dos_Pretos,_Salvador), built in the 18th century, with current decoration executed between the 1870s and 1890s.

Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, built between 1696 and 1702.

Education

Salvador has many places for people to study. It has several universities, like Universidade Federal da Bahia and Universidade Católica do Salvador. There are also many primary and secondary schools, such as Pan American School of Bahia and Colégio Marista, where students can learn and grow.

Public safety

Salvador has some safety challenges. It is important for visitors and residents to stay informed and take proper precautions. The city works to keep its community safe.

Culture

See also: Culture of Brazil

Salvador's culture comes from Native-Indian, African, and European people. This mix is seen in the city's religion, food, traditions, and customs. African culture is very important here.

Literature

Gregório de Mattos, born in Salvador in 1636, was a famous Baroque poet from Brazil. He wrote religious and funny poems. Father António Vieira was born in 1608 and grew up in Salvador. He was known for his powerful sermons in the Portuguese language.

After Brazil became independent in 1822, Salvador kept an important role in Brazilian literature. Famous writers from the 1800s include Castro Alves, a Romantic poet, and Ruy Barbosa, a diplomat. In the 1900s, Jorge Amado helped make Salvador famous around the world with his novels.

Cuisine

Salvador's food is spicy and full of seafood like shrimp and fish. It uses special ingredients and ways of cooking from Africa. A key ingredient is azeite-de-dendê, oil from a palm tree brought from West Africa.

Local dishes often use coconut juice. They also make sweet treats from sugar cane and coconut. In Salvador's markets, you can find traditional foods. Restaurants along the coast serve many dishes using palm tree oil.

Popular foods include caruru, vatapá, acarajé, bobó-de-camarão, moqueca baiana, and abará. Salvador also has restaurants with foods from other parts of Brazil, like Minas Gerais and the Northeast region.

Capoeira

Capoeira is a special mix of dance and martial art from Afro-Brazilian culture. It combines dance moves with fighting moves. Capoeira started in Quilombo dos Palmares and Salvador is where modern capoeira began. Today, capoeira is enjoyed by people all over.

Museums

Salvador's history and culture are kept safe in its museums. The Museu de Arte da Bahia (MAB) is the oldest in the state, showing paintings and special items from the past. Other museums protect important pieces of the city's history. The Museum of Modern Art of Bahia is located in a historic building.

Some churches and monasteries also have museums. New museums have opened in old forts. Other well-known museums in Salvador include Museu do Cacau, State Museum of Geology, and Museu Rodin Bahia.

Public art

The streets of Salvador are full of colorful murals and sculptures, many made by the artist Bel Borba.

Carnival

Main articles: Bahian Carnival and Brazilian Carnival

The Bahian Carnival is one of the biggest parties in the world. For a whole week, many people celebrate along the streets and squares. The carnival features lots of music, dance, and colorful parades.

Music at the carnival includes axé and samba-reggae. Famous groups, called blocos, take part, with well-known ones being blocos afros such as Malé Debalé, Olodum, and Filhos de Gandhi.

Parades happen on different routes. The Osmar Circuit is the oldest. The Downtown Circuit runs through the city center and Pelourinho. The Dodô Circuit follows the coast. The Osmar Circuit is where the most traditional groups parade.

Music

Salvador is home to groups called "blocos-afros," such as Ilê Aiyê, Olodum, and Timbalada. These groups celebrate African culture through their music and dance.

Libraries

The first books in Salvador were brought by the Jesuits.

Handcrafts

Bahia is famous for its handmade crafts using simple materials like straw, leather, clay, wood, seashells, and beads. Craftsmen often make items showing Catholic saints or Candomble deities. They also create good luck charms and pieces showing nature and local wildlife.

Salvador is known worldwide for its musical instruments. The main place to buy crafts is Mercado Modelo, Latin America's largest craft market.

You can also find crafts at Instituto de Artesanato de Mauá and at Instituto do Patrimônio Artístico e Cultural (IPAC).

Transportation

Airport

Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport is 6,900 square metres big. It is between sand dunes and native vegetation. The airport is 28 km north of Central Salvador. The road to the airport is one of the city's main scenic routes.

Salvador Air Force Base - BASV is a base of the Brazilian Air Force in Salvador.

Port

Main article: Port of Salvador

The Port of Salvador is in the Bahia de Todos os Santos. As the state's economy grows, the port handles more cargo each year. It is the busiest port for containers in the North and Northeast regions and the second biggest exporter of fruit in Brazil.

Metro

Main article: Salvador Metro

The Salvador Metro System started in 2014. The first part ran between Lapa and Acesso Norte stations. It was later extended to include more stations up to Pirajá. Together, these parts make up Line 1. By 2018, the system covered 32 km and had 20 stations, connecting with the bus network.

The main investors in Metro Salvador are Spanish companies Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, Dimetronic, and ICF. Plans include new trains, signals, and communication equipment. Funding also comes from a loan from the World Bank and contributions from governments.

The metro system was created to improve travel in the city before the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Line 2 will connect with Line 1 to link Magalhães International Airport to Downtown Salvador and the Fonte Nova Stadium. Line 2 will also connect to Rótula do Abacaxi and the nearby beach city of Lauro de Freitas.

Monorail

The two-line SkyRail Bahia monorail network is planned to open in 2022.

Highways

The BR-101 and BR-116 federal highways run through Bahia from north to south, linking Salvador to the rest of the country. At the Feira de Santana junction, you can take the BR-324 state highway. The city has many coach companies from across Brazil. BR-242 connects to BR-116 toward the middle-western region. Important state highways include BA-099, which connects to the north coast, and BA-001, linking to the south of Bahia. Buses travel to most major cities in Brazil, such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Brasília, as well as nearby places.

The main bus station is in Iguatemi, offering direct buses to big cities and many places in the state. The second floor has counters for different bus companies, while the first floor includes a small supermarket and a place to store luggage overnight. Across the street is a large shopping center called Iguatemi, with a food court connected by a pedestrian crossing.

Four paved highways connect the city to the national highway system. Heading north from the Farol (lighthouse) de Itapoã are many kilometres of beaches. These beaches can be reached using the BA-099 highway or the Line of Coconut and Green Line, a toll road. This road runs alongside dunes with white sand and a coast lined with coconut palms. The coastal communities vary from fishing villages to Praia do Forte.

Further information: Ladeira da Preguiça

Public transportation statistics

People in Salvador typically spend about 94 minutes each weekday using public transport. About 33% of riders spend more than two hours each day on public transport. The average waiting time at a stop or station is 33 minutes, and 70% of riders wait over 20 minutes each day. On average, people travel about 8 km in one trip using public transport.

Neighborhoods

Although Salvador was planned by the Kingdom of Portugal, it grew naturally over time. The city spread beyond its original walls and now has many neighborhoods. There are 17 zones to help organize the city, but neighborhoods are still very important.

Salvador has many neighborhoods in three main areas: West, South, and East. In the West Zone, you can find Pelourinho, Comércio, and the Old Downtown. The South Zone has Barra with beaches, Vitória with tall buildings, and Campo Grande with important squares. The East Zone includes richer neighborhoods like Itaigara and Pituba. The Northwest area, called Cidade Baixa, has neighborhoods like Periperi with a large Afro-Brazilian community.

Pelourinho

Main article: Historic Center (Salvador)

The Historic Center of Salvador became a World Heritage Site in 1985. It shows beautiful old Portuguese city planning from the 1500s, with colorful houses and streets.

Pelourinho has many old buildings like palaces, churches, and convents. Famous spots include the Cathedral of Salvador, the Convent and Church of São Francisco, and the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. The Mercado Modelo and the Lacerda Elevator are also popular places to visit.

Sports

Salvador is a place where people enjoy many different sports. The city is famous for football, with two big teams: Esporte Clube Bahia and Esporte Clube Vitória.

Other sports are also popular in Salvador. Volleyball is enjoyed by many, especially since Brazil won a gold medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics. There are also beach volleyball events. Basketball is played by many students, and there are courts in places like Bahia Sol square. Sailing and rowing are popular too, with many events in the city's waters.

Consular representations

Some countries have offices in Salvador to help their citizens. These include:

• Argentina (Consulate)
• Portugal (Consulate-General)
• Spain (Consulate-General)

International relations

Salvador works with special partnerships with cities around the world. These are called twin towns and sister cities.

Notable people

Salvador, Bahia, has been home to many famous people in sports, music, and acting. Some well-known names include Acelino Freitas and Robson Conceição, both famous boxers, as well as Tony Kanaan, a well-known race car driver. The city has also produced musicians like Carlinhos Brown and Daniela Mercury, and actors such as Wagner Moura.