Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

January 30, 2008 by lindsey
Filed under International

Salvador is the capital of the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. It was the first major port and the capital of colonial Brazil for almost two centuries. From 1500 to 1815, a significant portion of the country’s sugar, gold and diamond trade passed through the city. It was a golden age for the town, when magnificent homes and churches resplendent in gold decoration were built. Many of the city’s baroque churches, private homes, squares, and even the hand-chipped paving bricks have been preserved as part of Brazil’s historic legacy.

Today, the Salvador is not only one of the country’s oldest metropolitan areas, but also one its most populous, ranking third behind São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with nearly 2.5 million residents.

Notable for its cuisine, music and architecture, Salvador is the most “african” of all brazilian metropolitan areas with over 80% of the population being of Black African origin. The African influence in all cultural aspects of the city turns it into the epicenter of “Negro culture” in Brazil.

(click photos to enlarge)