Mata de São João 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
. It covers and a population of 47,126 (2020 est.). Mata de São João has a population density of 73 inhabitants per square kilometer. It is located from the state capital of Bahia,
Salvador
Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to:
* Salvador (name)
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
*Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music
** ''Salvador'' ( ...
.
History
Mata de São João was settled by the Portuguese in 1549 with the arrival of Tomé de Souza in Brazil. De Souza appointed his son Garcia de Sousa d'Ávila (1528-1609) to build a fortress on the Bahia coast. De Sousa d'Ávila built the
Garcia d'Ávila Tower House and Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception complex, which consisted of a fort, a castle, and a church. The castle is a unique example of medieval architectural in the Americas. The site is now in ruins.
De Sousa d'Ávila also became one of the largest land owners in the Americas; its holdings extended from Bahia to present-day
Maranhão
Maranhão () is a state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of . Clockwise from north, it borders on the Atlantic Ocean for 2,243 km and the states of Piauí, Tocantins and ...
in the north. The Casa da Torre established numerous sugarcane plantations in the Bahia region and cattle ranches in
Sergipe
Sergipe (), officially State of Sergipe, is a state of Brazil. Located in the Northeast Region along the Atlantic coast of the country, Sergipe is the smallest state in Brazil by geographical area at , larger only than the Federal District. Serg ...
and the semi-arid sertão of São Francisco. The Casa da Torre was also a center of enslavement of native Brazilians and the importation of
African slaves
Slavery has historically been widespread in Africa. Systems of servitude and slavery were common in parts of Africa in ancient times, as they were in much of the rest of the ancient world. When the trans-Saharan slave trade, Indian Ocean sl ...
. The descendants of Tomé de Souza are also noted for their cruelty and torture of slaves at Mata de São João; their acts of barbarity are noted in the 18th-century records of the
Portuguese Inquisition
The Portuguese Inquisition (Portuguese: ''Inquisição Portuguesa''), officially known as the General Council of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Portugal, was formally established in Portugal in 1536 at the request of its king, John III. ...
.
Notable events
Mata de São João hosted
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team ( hr, Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) represents Croatia in international Association football, football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football ...
during their stay in
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 ...
at the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
.
See also
*
Sauipe
Sauipe is a district in the municipality of Mata de São João, on the northern coast of the state of Bahia, in Brazil. There are few permanent residents there, due to the very high cost of residences and the fact that almost the entire area is f ...
, a district of Mata de São João
*
List of municipalities in Bahia
This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Bahia (BA), located in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Bahia is divided into 417 municipalities, which are grouped into 32 microregions, which are grouped into 7 mesoregions.
See also
* ...
References
Populated coastal places in Bahia
Municipalities in Bahia
{{Bahia-geo-stub