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The capital city of the State of Bahia, Salvador, is alive with
African influence that can be seen in locally prepared dishes,
ancient ceremonies and rituals that are still being conducted,
as well as in the churches and schools of the area. Salvador
has approximately 2,250,000 residents, and is widely known as
?The City of Joy.?

The history of Salvador can be traced back to 1549, when the
city was founded by a group of Portuguese settlers. During this
time, Salvador was Brazil?s main seaport, and was important to
the sugar industry as well as the slave trade. Today, Salvador
is known for its world famous soccer teams. Also noteworthy is
the fact that Ford Motor Company has a plant in the
metropolitan area of Salvador that produces cars such as the
Fiesta, Courier and Ecosport.

The region of Salvador is situated as a small, triangular
peninsula that has diverse terrain including flat lands,
rolling hills and low lying mountains. The coastline of
Salvador is also quite diverse in that it features many
islands, mangrove swamps, sandy beaches as well as sea cliffs.

Since Salvador is located in a tropical area, the temperatures
are always hot and the humidity is always very high. The
hottest temperatures can be felt in March, and the coolest
temperatures arrive in July.

Salvador is a city that is very rich in the cultural sense.
African influence weighs heavy in this region, and the city is
home to Brazil?s oldest cathedral, which was built in 1572.
There are also more than 350 churches in this city, a majority
of them Catholic. The local cuisine centers on West African
recipes and ingredients, and includes seafood as the main
staple mixed with hot spices.

Since Salvador is a melting pot of diverse people; Indians,
Africans and Europeans, there is an eclectic mix of music,
food, religion and cultural celebrations that can be witnessed
here. Musical tastes run from Axe, known as carnival music, to
Bolero, to Reggae and Classical. Street celebrations are a
regular occurrence in Salvador, and bring together people of
many different cultures, all wanting to share a bit of
themselves, and their history, with one another. Some of the
most important festival celebrations that take place in
Salvador are Carnival, the International Fireworks Festival,
Bonfim Washing, and Christ?s Week, also known as Holy Week.

Visitors to Salvador will be introduced to beautiful
architecture, which can be seen in the cities buildings,
churches and ruins, magnificent beaches, majestic mountains,
glorious museums, as well as being able to literally taste the
culture at any of Salvador?s wonderful restaurants.

If you plan on visiting Salvador, know that there are a variety
of options for lodging; hotels, camps, apartments, flats,
hostels as well as lodges are available throughout Salvador and
are all economically priced. Any visit to Salvador will leave
one with a renewed love for the arts, a passion for history,
and a new found respect for the diverse people who make
Salvador what it is today.

About The Author: Read more travel related articles at:
http://www.brazil-magazine.com

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