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Bahia state

Bahia
State
Estado da Bahia
Flag of Bahia
Flag
Coat of arms of Bahia
Coat of arms
Motto: "Per ardua surgo"
(I rise through the hardship)
Location of State of Bahia in Brazil
Location of State of Bahia in Brazil
Country  Brazil
Capital and largest city Salvador
Government
 • Governor Rui Costa
 • Vice Governor João Leão
Area
 • Total 565,733 km2 (218,431 sq mi)
Area rank 5th
Population (2015)
 • Total 15,203,934
 • Rank 4th
 • Density 27/km2 (70/sq mi)
 • Density rank 12th
Demonym(s) Baiano
GDP
 • Year 2011 estimate
 • Total R$ 159,869,000,000 (6th)
 • Per capita R$ 11,340.26 (19th)
HDI
 • Year 2010
 • Category 0.660 – medium (22nd)
Time zone BRT (UTC-3)
Postal code 40000-000 to 48990-000
ISO 3166 code BR-BA
Website bahia.ba.gov.br

Bahia (locally [baˈi.ɐ]) is one of the 26 states of Brazil and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the 4th-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest by area. Bahia's capital is the city of Salvador (formerly known as "Cidade do São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos", lit. "City of Holy Savior of All Saints Bay"), located on a spit of land separating the Bay of All Saints from the Atlantic. Once a monarchial stronghold dominated by agricultural, slaving, and ranching interests, Bahia is now a major manufacturing center whose last three elections have been dominated by the Workers' Party.

The name of the state derives from the earlier captaincy of Bahia de Todos os Santos, named for Bay of All Saints (Baía de Todos os Santos in modern Portuguese), a major feature of its coastline. The bay itself was named by the explorer Amerigo Vespucci during his second voyage, when he found it on All Saints' Day (November 1), 1502. He named it after his parish church in Florence, San Salvatore di Ognissanti ("Holy Savior of All the Saints"). Over time, the bay became distinguished as the Bay of All Saints, the state as Bahia ("Bay"), and its capital first as Bahia and then finally as Salvador.


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Wikipedia

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