Itaparica is an island located at the entrance of

Todos os Santos Bay The Bay of All Saints ( pt, 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. It sits on the eastern coast of Brazil, surrounding pa ...

on the coast of the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

in the state of

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 ...

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 ...

. It is located about from the city of

Salvador, Bahia Salvador (English: ''Savior'') is a Brazilian municipality and capital city of the state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognized throughout the country and internationally for its cuisine ...

and covers . There are two municipalities on the island: Vera Cruz (87% of the land area) and

Itaparica Itaparica is an island located at the entrance of Todos os Santos Bay on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the state of Bahia, Brazil. It is located about from the city of Salvador, Bahia and covers . There are two municipalities on the island ...

(13%). Itaparica has of beaches and exuberant

tropical vegetation Tropical vegetation is any vegetation in tropical latitudes. Plant life that occurs in climates that are warm year-round is in general more biologically diverse that in other latitudes. Some tropical areas may receive abundant rain the whole ye ...

History

Itaparica was home to a large Tupinamba population. Amerigo Vespucci arrived at the island on November 1, 1501. The initial Portuguese settlement was a Jesuit outpost called Baiacu, founded in 1560, later renamed Villa do Senhor da Vera Cruz. Sugarcane and wheat were initially cultivated on the island; cattle were later introduced. The first work of hydraulic engineering in the new colony was on Itaparica: a dam to supply drinking water to the village. The island became productive within a short period of time and was attacked by British Corsairs as early as 1597. It was occupied by the Dutch between 1600 and 1647 during the Dutch Occupation of Brazil. The Dutch constructed the Forte de São Lourenço in this period. The island later became a rich source of income for the Portuguese; it hosted a naval shipyard; lime mills, a crucial building material of the period; and a whaling industry, which continued to the mid-19th century. The first steam engine in Brazil was set up on the island on the Ingá-Açu plantation. Itaparica was the scene of an important battle during the struggles of Independence of Bahia between 1821 and 1823. Many ''sobrados'', colonial-period houses, were constructed on the island to house

Pedro I of Brazil Don (honorific), Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he List of ...

and later

Pedro II of Brazil Don (honorific), Dom PedroII (2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed "the Magnanimity, Magnanimous" ( pt, O Magnânimo), was the List of monarchs of Brazil, second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. ...

Sul America Open

Itaparica is known for hosting the Sul America Open tennis competition (1986-1990). It is the former home of the

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

tournament, the

ATP Itaparica The ATP Itaparica Open is a defunct men's tennis tournament that was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit from 1986 to 1989 and the ATP Tour in 1990. The event was held in Itaparica, Brazil and was played on outdoor hard courts at Club Med Itapa ...

Access

Itaparica can be reached in about one hour by ferry from Salvador. The smaller passenger-ferry departs from near the

Mercado Modelo Mercado Modelo (Spanish and Portuguese for "Model Market") may refer to: * Mercado Modelo (Montevideo), Uruguay * Mercado Modelo (Salvador) The Historic Center ( US) or Centre ( UK; pt, Centro Histórico) of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, al ...

, while the larger car-ferry goes from about north to Bom Despacho. The state of Bahia is considering constructing a ( bridge between Salvador and Itaparica.

Noted residents

One of its most famous citizens was Brazilian writer

João Ubaldo Ribeiro João Ubaldo Ribeiro (January 23, 1941 – July 18, 2014) was a Brazilian writer, journalist, screenwriter and professor. Several of his books and short stories have been turned into movies and TV series in Brazil. Ribeiro was a member of the Br ...

References

{{Authority control Atlantic islands of Brazil Landforms of Bahia