Bay of All Saints

Baía de Todos os Santos All Saints' Bay
Salvador and the Bay of All Saints in April 1997
Location	Bahia, Brazil
Coordinates	12°48′S 38°38′W / 12.800°S 38.633°W / -12.800; -38.633
River sources	Paraguaçu River Subaé River Jaguaripe River
Ocean/sea sources	Atlantic Ocean
Basin countries	Brazil
Surface area	1,223 square kilometers (472 sq mi)
Average depth	9.8 meters (32 ft)
Settlements	Salvador
References

The Bay of All Saints (Portuguese: Baía de Todos os Santos), also known as All Saints' Bay and Todos os Santos Bay, is the principal bay of the Brazilian state of Bahia, to which it gave its name. Todos os Santos Bay sits on the eastern coast of Brazil, surrounding part of Bahia's capital Salvador and opening to the Atlantic Ocean. It covers 1,223 square kilometers (472 sq mi), making it the largest bay in Brazil.

Farol da Barra (Barra Lighthouse), on the site of a historic fort, stands at the entrance of the bay. The Bay of All Saints is shallow along much of its area with an average depth of 9.8 meters (32 ft). The Paraguaçu River travels 500 kilometers (310 mi) to empty into the bay and the coastal lowlands of the Reconcavo Basin are at its mouth. It contains 91 islands, the largest being Ilha de Itaparica at its entrance.

The Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci was the first European to visit the bay, during his second expedition to the Americas. He entered the bay on All Saints' Day (November 1), 1501. He named the Bay of the Holy Savior of All the Saints after the date and his parish church in Florence, San Salvatore di Ognissanti. Initially, the bay, its principal settlement, and the captaincy around it all shared the same name, but they were eventually distinguished, the state becoming simply Bahia, the bay becoming the Bay of All Saints, and the city becoming first Bahia and now (usually) Salvador.