Cairu is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (sta ...

in the North-East region of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. The municipality has a population of 18,427 with a population density of 33.3 inhabitants per square kilometer. The municipality consists of three islands: the Island of Cairu, which is only separated from the mainland by a narrow river; Tinharé Island, which has the dense tourist settlement of Morro de São Paulo to the north; and

Boipeba Island Ilha de Boipeba () is an island in the Cairu municipality in Brazil, near the Ilha de Tinharé and part of the Cairu Archipelago. It is surrounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by the Rio de l'Enfer estuary. It is a popular t ...

. The municipality contains part of the of the Caminhos Ecológicos da Boa Esperança Environmental Protection Area, created in 2003.

History

The Cairu region was home to a large population of

Aimoré The Aimoré ''(Aymore, Aimboré)'' are one of several South American peoples of eastern Brazil called Botocudo in Portuguese (from ''botoque'', a plug), in allusion to the wooden disks or tembetás worn in their lips and ears. Some called thems ...

people. The Portuguese arrived in the area early in the 16th century and soon established a sugarcane plantation. Francisco Romeo, administrator of the Captaincy of São Jorge dos Ilhéus founded a small settlement in Cairu based on its mild climate. The settlers displaced the Aimoré and the settlement, known as the Vila de Nossa Senhora do Rosário do Cairú, was established in 1608. It was located on an elevation overlooking the Tinharé Channel, which leads directly to the Atlantic Ocean. The Franciscans arrived in 1654 to build the Convent and Church of Saint Anthony on another high point in the settlement. Cairu became a major producer of manioc flour and timber in the 17th century. The town was forced to contribute 166$000 annually for three decades to fund the rebuilding of

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

after the 1755 earthquake. By 1911 the village consisted of five districts: Cairu, the village seat; Galeão; Gamboa; Morro de São Paulo; and Velha Boipeba. It was raised to city status in 1938.

Historic structures

Cairu is home to numerous colonial-period historic structures, some designated as Brazilian state or national monuments. The

historic center of Cairu History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

(''Centro Histórico de Cairu'') lacks state or federal protection, but is home to numerous historic homes, government buildings, and churches. * Convent and Church of Saint Anthony (''Convento e Igreja de Santo Antônio'') *Parish Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (''Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Rosário'') *Sobrado at Rua Direita, 34 (''Sobrado à Rua Direita, 34'') *Sobrado Grande *Former Town Hall (''Antiga Prefeitura'') *Church of Saint Francis Xavier (''Igreja de São Francisco Xavier '') *Casa com Veranda de Ferro *Fort of the Morro de São Paulo (''Fortaleza do Morro de São Paulo'') *Sítio de Morro de São Paulo *

Fonte Grande of Morro de São Paulo The Fonte Grande of Morro de São Paulo ( pt, Fonte Grande de Morro de São Paulo) is a Baroque-style fountain on Tinharé Island, Cairu, Bahia, Brazil. It dates to 1746 and was constructed by , viceroy of Brazil, to supply water to a prison, s ...

(''Fonte Grande do Morro de São Paulo'') *Forte da Ponte *Sobrado na Praça Aureliano O. de Lima *Church of the Holy Spirit (''Igreja Matriz do Divino Espírito Santo '') *Church of Saint Sebastian (''Igreja de São Sebastão'')

Transport

Cairu is served by

Morro de São Paulo Airport Morro de São Paulo Airport is the airport serving Cairu, Brazil, located in the district of Morro de São Paulo. Airlines and destinations Access The airport is located from downtown Cairu and from Morro de São Paulo. See also *List of ...

located in the district of

Morro de São Paulo Morro de São Paulo (translation: St. Paul's Hill) is one of 5 villages of the island of Tinharé in the municipality of Cairu, located in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The main beaches of the Morro de São Paulo are located on east side of the i ...

Noted resident

Portugal football international Liedson was born in Cairu.

References

Populated coastal places in Bahia Municipalities in Bahia {{Bahia-geo-stub