State of Bahia
Bahia State is Brazil's African heartland: Salvador was first capital (1549-1763), Pelourinho UNESCO site, Candomblé/capoeira origins, development challenges.
Bahia State anchors Brazil's African heritage—Salvador, the capital, was Brazil's first colonial capital (1549-1763) and the primary destination for enslaved Africans. This history created Afro-Brazilian culture's heartland: Candomblé religion, capoeira martial art, distinctive cuisine. Salvador's Pelourinho historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The state's 14.9 million residents make it the fourth most populous. The economy combines petroleum extraction (Recôncavo Basin), cacao cultivation (historically dominant), tourism, and increasingly petrochemicals. The Bahia Petrochemical Complex near Salvador represents industrial development, while beach resorts like Porto Seguro attract Brazilian and international visitors.
Bahia demonstrates Northeast Brazil's development challenges: lower per capita income than the Southeast, persistent poverty despite natural resources, and ongoing migration of young workers to São Paulo and other southern states. Yet cultural influence exceeds economic weight—Bahian music, food, and religious practices shaped Brazilian national identity. The state navigates between preserving heritage that attracts tourism and modernizing an economy that still underperforms relative to population.