Geography

The State of Bahia is the southernmost state of the Northeast Region of Brazil. It has frontiers with eight other Brazilian states and has over 300 miles of warm, sandy and delightful beaches along its Atlantic coast. Bahia is south of the equator and roughly the same distance from the equator as Martinique and Barbados are (to the north of the equator). Bahia's latitude falls in the middle of the Tropic of Capricorn and has average temperatures from 75 to 85 degrees.

The sad fact is that much more of the state could be productive if better means of irrigation and modern farming techniques were introduced. The São Francisco valley to the south of Salvador has been transformed into a bountiful agricultural area in a short time.

The population of Bahia is fourth among the states in Brazil (12.6 million). Salvador is one of the largest cities in Brazil with a metropolitan population of approximately 2.8 million. The majority of Baianos live there, around the bay or along the coastal strip. Other major coastal cities include: Ilhéus, Itabuna, Valença and Porto Seguro. Major cities of the Recôncavo include: Cachoeira, Santo Amaro, Nazaré and Maragojipe.

The People

The population of Bahia is wonderfully diverse, but the demographics are a little complicated. A little history is needed. Bahia was the center of the plantation system, which started in the 16th century. Its people were either Amerindian, Portuguese or African. The Africans were primarily West Africans, and the Yoruba influence is still prominent in the state. The plantation system, which continued into the 19th century, saw the rise of the slave population and the decline of the native Amerindians. [The Amerindians still survive in the faces and features of modern day Baianos-but not as a significant distinct group.] During the 19th century, many of the slaves were sent away to work in the mines and farms of southern Brazil.

Race is a factor in Brazilian life but many Brazilians (especially the more affluent) will tell you that the socio-economic discrepancies are a matter of class and not race. This is wishful thinking, however, it is true that racial politics doesn't dominate nearly as much of the public discussion as it does in the US. Race is more a matter of family, associations, and appearance than anything else. It is interesting that the word Afro-Brasileiro is used almost exclusively for things--such as music or art-rather than people.

Baianos are fairly poor. Brazil itself has one of the most inequitable distributions of wealth in the world. However, unlike the deep south where people are well off or Rio where there are jetsetters and street urchins, Bahia has a more uniform distribution. The estimated per capita income of Bahia is well below the $3500 for all of Brazil, and with so much of the population rural and uncounted, it is difficult to estimate. There aren't a lot of rich people. The population is rather young and birth rates have not declined as they have in the rest of the country. Issues of work and health conditions are treated in the Comercio section.

Baianos are very family oriented people. Everybody is a small town is described as um primo (a cousin). If fact, friendships and family connections are considered to be very important in all phases of political and economic life. Baianos are very laid back people, and impatience is regarded as a European vice. The Bahian is always calm, sempre tranquilo.

Bahia is the principal state of the Northeast and is the 5th largest state in Brazil in area. It has more than 200,000 square miles of territory, which is about the same as France. The regions of Bahia are best understood with respect to the position of its capital Salvador. Salvador sits at the mouth of the Bay of All Saints and is in the shape of a giant letter V. One side faces the bay and the other faces the ocean. Other main cities of Bahia fall across the bay and south along the Atlantic coast-this coastal strip is called the litoral region. The area around the bay itself is called the Recôncavo. The Recôncavo has some of the most fertile land in the world and was the foundation of the Brazilian plantation system. The coastal areas of Bahia are all lush and tropical, but, and in stark contrast, to the far west of Salvador is most of the land. This area is dry and sparsely populated. This is the sertão. Think Arizona.

The main towns to the west of Salvador are Lençóis and Feira de Santana. The western part of Bahia-the sertão-is better known for a huge park called Chapada Diamantina, where you can probably guess there was a diamond rush during the 19th century. Sorry, that seems to be gone, but the magnificent ecosystem and vistas maravilhosas still draw tourists. The west is also the area of the São Francisco River, which like its cousin the Amazon, is more of a huge inland lake or sea than a simple river. There are magnificent falls as the river moves north and east toward the ocean.

The large number of free slaves and the level of intermarriage created a population that is difficult to categorize racially. Of course, everyone is a Brasilerio or Baiano, but there is no racial dividing line as there is in the US. Black Baianos are called Negros, which is not a negative word. White Baianos are called Brancos, which is also not negative. However, since most folks are a mixture of different stuff, the word Moreno (dark) is used-- which can mean anything from olive skin to black. Baianos like the word Moreno. Other words to denote mixed race people-pardo or mulatto-are more technically correct but infrequent. Baianos will say that as much as 70% of the population is black, but no one really knows. It varies by location as well. While there are many Brancos in Salvador, some areas of the Recôncovo have more than 95% Negro. There were no large numbers of Japanese or Lebanese coming to Bahia as was the case in the south of Brazil.

The language spoken is Portuguese. There are many who speak English or Spanish as a second language. For Baianos, American things are well regarded, and plenty of people have first names such as Jefferson or Mary. The most common last names are Portuguese: Santos, Silva, Santana. As in most of Latin American, people use the mother's maiden name with the father's name. For example, with a name like José Silva dos Santos, think John Jones. Because of the African influence, there are many in the black population who speak old forms of Yoruba and other West African languages. These people are normally practitioners of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé. The section on Cultura has a discussion of religious affiliation in the state.