Linhares is a

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

in the state of

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attracti ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, north of the state capital, Vitória. It is the largest municipality by area in the state, at 9,501.6 km², and has a population of 176,688 people as of 2020. The municipality is named in honor of Rodrigo de Souza Coutinho,

Count of Linhares Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

, who was a minister in the Brazilian government in the first two decades of the 19th century. The city took international knowledge, being the residence of Miss Gay Brazil 2013 and 2014.

History

The area today known as Linhares was once inhabited by the Botocudo. The town, founded by Europeans on August 22, 1800, was destroyed by the Indians during a war in 1809. The area was visited by Brazilian Emperor

Dom Pedro II ''Don (honorific), Dom'' PedroII (Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga; 2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed the Magnanimous (), was the List o ...

in 1860. An island he set foot on is still known as the Emperor's Island. Linhares became a municipality in 1945, when it was detached from the municipality of

Colatina Colatina is the second largest city in the north of Espírito Santo, Brazil, 127 km north of the capital Vitória and on the trainline from Vitória to Minas Gerais. It lies on the banks of the Doce River The Doce River ( , "Sweet River ...

Economy

The economy of Linhares is mostly based on commerce, agriculture, cattle and oil.

Geography

Linhares is characterized by undulating lowlands and numerous lakes. The town sits on the

Doce River The Doce River ( , "Sweet River") is a river in southeast Brazil with a length of . The river basin is economically important. In 2015, the collapse of a dam released highly contaminated water from mining into the river, causing an ecological d ...

amidst its 69 lakes. The climate is hot, tropical, and humid, typically with a dry winter season and a more humid summer. The main freshwater lagoons in the region are: Japaranã-Mirim, Palmas, Durão, Palminhas, Aguiá, Monsarás, Limão, Feia, Combóios, Piabanha, Óleo, Pau Grosso, Terra Alta and Patrão. The

Juparanã Lagoon The Juparanã Lagoon is a lagoon located between the municipalities of Linhares, Rio Bananal and Sooretama, in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. It is one of the largest lagoons in the country in freshwater volume. The main access is throug ...

(freshwater) is also the second largest in water volume in the country. There is an official nudist beach called

Barra Seca Barra Seca is an official nude beach in Brazil. While elsewhere in Brazil people are generally prohibited to be naked in public places, in Barra Seca you must be nude in the family area (the main part of the beach). Around the periphery of the be ...

60 km to the east of Linhares. The municipality contains part of the

Comboios Biological Reserve Comboios Biological Reserve () is a biological reserve in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Location Comboios Biological Reserve is in the municipalities of Aracruz and Linhares, Espírito Santo. The coastal biome reserve which has an area ...

, a fully protected area. It also contains part of the

Sooretama Biological Reserve Sooretama Biological Reserve ( is a Biological reserve (Brazil), biological reserve in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. History The area at present occupied by the reserve consists of two areas; one of was formerly the Parque de Refugio e ...

, a strictly protected conservation unit created in 1982 when two earlier units were merged. It contains the

Goytacazes National Forest The Goytacazes National Forest () is a national forest in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Location The Goytacazes National Forest is in the municipality of Linhares, Espírito Santo. It has an area of . It is on the south side of the Doce ...

, created in 2002.

Climate

Transportation

Linhares is served by Antônio Edson de Azevedo Lima Airport.

References

Areias Brancas, Linhares

Guia do Turista

External links

* * {{Authority control Populated places established in 1800 Populated coastal places in Espírito Santo Municipalities in Espírito Santo