Espírito Santo (; ) is a
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
in
southeastern 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 ...
. Its capital is
Vitória, and its largest city is
Serra.
With an extensive
coastline
A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attractions.
The state is divided into 78 municipalities. The capital, Vitória, is located on an island, which borders the municipalities of
Vila Velha,
Cariacica, and
Serra. These municipalities, plus the outer cities of
Fundão and
Guarapari, constitute the state's main
metro area. In the northern extremes of Espírito Santo is Itaúnas, in the municipality of
Conceição da Barra, which is a tourist location known for its sand
dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
s and
forró
The term forró () refers to a musical genre, a rhythm, a dance and the event itself where forró music is played and danced. Forró is an important part of the culture of the Northeastern Brazil, Northeastern Region of Brazil. It encompasses ...
tradition.
The
Captaincy of Espírito Santo was carved out of the
Captaincy of Bahia in the 18th century, during the
colonial rule of Brazil, and named after a 16th-century captaincy covering roughly the same area of coast. Following the elevation of Brazil to a
constituent kingdom of the
United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves in 1815, prompted by the
transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil, Espírito Santo was elevated to a
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
. After the
independence of Brazil
The independence of Brazil comprised a series of political and military events that led to the independence of the Kingdom of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves as the Empire of Brazil, Brazilian Empire. It is c ...
in 1822, it became a province of the newly established
Empire of Brazil
The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and Uruguay until the latter achieved independence in 1828. The empire's government was a Representative democracy, representative Par ...
, and after Brazil
became a republic in 1889, it was granted statehood. In the early 20th century, its current state symbols were adopted.
Etymology
Espírito Santo's namesake is the Christian
Holy Ghost (also known as the Holy Spirit).
Demonym
Debate exists as to the origin of the term ''capixaba'', the unofficial
demonym
A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...
for those born in Espírito Santo. "Capixaba" is
Tupi for "corn hair", reportedly because the blond hair of the European settlers reminded the
Amerindian
In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...
natives of the golden color of corn. A more mainstream explanation is that the name is a metaphor for a corn-grower; Vitória Island is known to have been full of corn
plantations in the early centuries of Portuguese rule in Brazil. A third etymology is from the name of a local tribe, borrowed by the
Portuguese during the colonial period.
Originally, ''capixaba'' referred only to people from Vitória, but in common parlance, it eventually came to refer to those born anywhere in the state. The official state demonym, however, is "espírito-santense".
History
Espírito Santo was first inhabited by
Amerindians
In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...
, whose different tribes were usually semi-nomadic, but precolonial Brazil has no recorded history. The area was colonized by the Portuguese starting in the 16th century, and received African slaves, and later, European immigrants of various origins.
Colonial era and Empire of Brazil

The Captaincy of Espírito Santo, a hereditary
fief
A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
, was granted to
Vasco Coutinho by
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate (), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, as monarch. Manu ...
around three decades after the Portuguese
first landed in Brazil in 1500. He arrived at the captaincy to serve his term on 23 May 1535, bringing a retinue of 60 soldiers, colonists, slaves, and servants. They settled on Vitória Island and around the Bay of Vitória.
The capital was at first established in
Vila Velha, but due to frequent raids by Amerindians, it was moved to the current capital of Vitória, founded on 8 September 1551, on an island near Vila Velha, which was later named Vitória Island.
In 1556, after the arrival of European missionaries, the cities Serra,
Nova Almeida, and Santa Cruz were founded.
The captaincy remained under the influence of Coutinho's family for 140 years. It was elevated to
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
status in 1821, following the 1815 elevation of Brazil to a constituent kingdom of the
United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves
The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was a pluricontinental monarchy formed by the elevation of the Portuguese colony named State of Brazil to the status of a Realm, kingdom and by the simultaneous union of that Kingdom of Br ...
, prompted by the 1808
transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil. The Portuguese court were fleeing the
Napoleonic Invasion of Portugal (1807).
After the
Independence of Brazil
The independence of Brazil comprised a series of political and military events that led to the independence of the Kingdom of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves as the Empire of Brazil, Brazilian Empire. It is c ...
in 1822, Espírito Santo's provincial status was kept, and it was headed by an appointed provincial president. Emperor
Pedro II, who was on good terms with the provincial president, visited the Espírito Santo in 1860, during one of his tours of Brazil.
Modern history
In 1889, with the advent of the
First Brazilian Republic, Espírito Santo was made one of the
states
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of Brazil.
Afonso Cláudio de Freitas Rosa was appointed the first
governor of the state by the provisional government. He was followed by four other appointed governors (
José Horácio Costa,
Constante Gomes Sodré,
Henrique da Silva Coutinho, and
Antônio Gomez Aguirre) until the first elected governor of Espírito Santo,
Alfeu Adolfo Monjardim de Andrade e Almeida, was
inaugurated on 7 June 1891.
During the
Vargas Era, state governors were
indirectly elected by
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
. A short period of democracy existed during the
Second Brazilian Republic
The Second Brazilian Republic, officially the Republic of the United States of Brazil, was the period in Brazilian history between 1930 and 1937, during the Vargas Era. It began with the Revolution of 1930, led by Getúlio Vargas, and was div ...
; Carlos Monteiro Lindenberg was elected governor. However, after the
1964 ''coup d'état'', governors were once again chosen by the national assembly. After Cristiano Dias Lopes, Arthur Carlos Gerhard Santos,
Élcio Álvares, and Eurico Rezende were chosen in this fashion, the military government
slowly redemocratized, culminating in the adoption of Brazil's current
1988 Constitution. Democratic elections were held for the filling of every term, up to the incumbent,
Renato Casagrande.
Economy

During the first three centuries of Portuguese
colonialism
Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an Imperialism, imperialist project, colonialism c ...
, the main
cash crop
A cash crop, also called profit crop, is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate a marketed crop from a staple crop ("subsi ...
was
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
, until coffee, in high demand in Europe, overtook it in the mid-19th century. During the colonial era, periods of
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...
occurred, when agriculture was neglected, leading to
food shortages, but not as much gold was found in Espírito Santo, as in the neighbouring states of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
and
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
. Another reason for the subdued expansion was the colonial administration's prohibition of the laying roads leading into Minas Gerais, as gold could be
smuggled through the state.
Geography
With , it is about the size of Estonia, or half the size of Portugal, and has a variety of habitats including coastal plains, lakes, mountainous forests, mangroves and many others.
The
volcanic island
Geologically, a volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term high island can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed ...
s of
Trindade and Martim Vaz, east of
Vitória in the southern Atlantic Ocean, are part of Espírito Santo.
Location
This Brazilian state is in the east of the southeastern subdivision of Brazil, which also contains the states of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, Minas Gerais and
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), the state of
Bahia
Bahia () 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 (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
(N), the state of
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
(N and W), and the state of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
(S). Espírito Santo's main cities (outside the
Greater Vitória region) are
Cachoeiro de Itapemirim,
Colatina,
Linhares
Linhares is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, north of the state capital, Vitória, Brazil, Vitória. It is the largest municipality by area in the state, at 9,501.6 km2, and has a population o ...
,
São Mateus and
Aracruz.
Rivers
The main river serving the state is the
Doce (English: Sweet River). Other important river basins include the basin, the northern branch of the inlets flowing into the sea near Vitória, and the Jucu River Basin, which flows into the sea at roughly the same place, but corresponds to the southern branch.
Climate
Espírito Santo's climate is tropical along the coast, with dry winters and rainy summers. North of
Doce River is generally drier and also hot. In the mountainous regions in the south and southwest of the state, the tropical climate is strongly influenced by altitude, and the average temperatures are lower.
Lakes
One of the most important lake districts in Brazil lies on the banks of the Doce River. The area contains some 26 large lakes, the biggest of which is called
Juparanã Lagoon.
Topography
The state can be divided into two areas: the low lying coastline and the highland area known as ''Serra'' (where one can find the 2,890 meter tall
Pico da Bandeira
Pico da Bandeira, or Bandeira Peak ( Portuguese for ''Flag Peak'', ), is the third highest mountain in Brazil, situated on the border of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais states. It is the highest point in both states. It was considered the hig ...
), which is part of the larger
Serra do Caparaó range.
Demographics
According to the
2022 census, 3,833,712 people were residing in the state. The census revealed: 1,908,803 Brown (multiracial) (49.8%), 1,479,275 White (38.6%), 429,680 Black (11.2%), 11,617 Indigenous (0.3%) and 4,268 Asian (0.1%).
The population density was . Urbanization: 82.2% (2006);
Population growth
Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The World population, global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to aroun ...
: 2% (1991–2000); Houses: 1,056,000 (2006).
Education
Educational institutions
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo(UFES) (Federal University of Espírito Santo)
Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo(IFES)
Faculdade Multivix(Multivix)
Faculdades Integradas Espírito-santenses(FAESA) (Faculdades Integradas Espírito-santenses)
Universidade Vila Velha(UVV) (Vila Velha University)
Centro Universitário do Espírito Santo(Unesc-ES)
Culture
The precolonial Amerindians groups in Espírito Santo were the
Tupiniquim,
Temininó,
Aymoré,
Puri
Puri, also known as Jagannath Puri, () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state ca ...
, and
Botocudo. They have largely been absorbed into the Portuguese-Brazilian civilization, and few live in reservations or tribes.
Especially in the 16th century, several towns in Espírito Santo were founded with primarily Amerindian populations converted to Catholicism, such as Serra and
Santa Cruz. Amerindian food has left its legacy in ''capixaba'' culture; the fish-based ''
Moqueca capixaba ''is the state dish, among other local typical seafood dishes.
One large ethnic group in the state is known as Turcos. Technically from the region that is now Syria and Lebanon, they came to the state fleeing World War I. As at the time, they were Ottoman Empire citizens, they were commonly called "Turcos" (Turks). Large communities were established in the southern part of the state. Now, their descendants control a good share of the local commerce. The Arab-Brazilians of Espírito Santo are generally
Maronite Christians.
About 60–75% of the population of Espírito Santo has Italian ancestry, making it the state with the highest percentage of Italian descendants in Brazil.
They founded many towns in the area and have significant influence on ''capixaba'' society. A number of traditional Italian dance groups are still in the state, as are Italian culture festivals, such as the one held in
Venda Nova do Imigrante. Italian food is also an important part of ''capixaba'' cuisine. Italian pasta and cheeses, such as
mozzarella
Mozzarella is a Types of cheese#Semi-soft cheese, semi-soft non-aged cheese prepared using the ('stretched-curd') method with origins from southern Italy.
It is prepared with cow's milk or buffalo milk, taking the following names:
* or mozz ...
, are produced locally. Small-scale farming, which is turning increasingly towards
agrotourism, is appealing to its Italian roots to exploit that market.
Germans
Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
were among the first colonists to cultivate land away from the coastal zone, and were a strong influence. The first German settlement,
Santa Isabel, was founded in 1844, and still stands. Like today's ''capixaba'' Italian community, they still hold on to many aspects of their ancestors' homeland's culture, as represented in festivals such as the Sommerfest in
Domingos Martins. Domingos Martins also hosts a Colonization Museum, where one can find old photos, artifacts, and documents pertaining to that settlement movement.
Espírito Santo is home to the biggest community of
East Pomeranian speakers in the world. More than a century after arriving to Espírito Santo, East Pomeranian continues to be spoken and remains an important part of Espírito Santo's heritage for many people. To this day, they continue centuries-old customs within their communities.
Between 1858 and 1862, a group of Dutch settlers from
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen migrated to the state. In the area of Santa Leopoldina, their dialect of Dutch, which they call ''Ollans'' but is in fact a variety of Zeeuws-Vlaams influenced by Pomeranian, is still spoken by about 20 speakers. It is therefore severely endangered.
The first African slaves in Espírito Santo arrived in Vitória in 1609, and years of slavery ensued. Espírito Santo, though, was still to play a significant part in the Brazilian abolitionist movement in the guise of its slave rebellion of 1848–1849, which required the intervention of imperial troops. Slavery began to lose its economic importance in Espírito Santo after that event.
Pinning down the exact numbers of immigrants of several ethnic groups from Europe is difficult. Many of these groups came to Espírito Santo under a common
Austrian–Hungarian passport, or in the case of the Tyroleans, under an Italian passport. Tyrolean settlers were both of German and Italian language and concentrated in the region of Santa Leopoldina and Santa Teresa.
Romanians
Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...
(especially from
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
and
Bukovina
Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...
) and
Roma usually arrived under Austrian passports. Large groups of
Romani people
{{Infobox ethnic group
, group = Romani people
, image =
, image_caption =
, flag = Roma flag.svg
, flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress
, po ...
settled in Espírito Santo's countryside in the late 19th century.
Economy
The
service sector
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...
is the largest component of GDP at 50%, followed by the industrial sector at 44%. Agriculture represents 5% of GDP (2004). Espírito Santo's exports consisted mainly of manufacturing of iron and steel 35.8%, iron ore 25.2%, paper 17.6%, coffee 7.7%, and
granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
6.5% (as of 2002).
Espírito Santo is Brazil's highest steel-producing state. The main crops grown are coffee, sugarcane, and fruits (mostly coconuts, bananas and
papaya
The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae, and also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within ...
s). The livestock industry is represented primarily by cattle raised for milk and beef. Industry consists mainly of canning, forestry, textiles, and iron and steel works. The latter two are concentrated around
Cariacica and the
Vale do Rio Doce ironworks.
Vitória is an important port for the exporting of iron and steel; the state is among the biggest steel-producing regions the world. In
São Mateus, petroleum reserves have been found on the continental shelf, and are being commercially exploited.
In agricultural production, coffee, sugarcane, papaya, banana, and coconut stand out. It also produces
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
, oranges, and beans.
In 2020, Espírito Santo was the largest producer of ''
Coffea canephora
''Coffea canephora'' (especially ''C. canephora var. robusta'', so predominantly cultivated that it is often simply termed ''Coffea robusta'', or commonly robusta coffee) is a species of coffee plant that has its origins in central and weste ...
'' in Brazil, with a 66.3% share of the total (564.5 thousand tons, or 9.4 million 60 kg bags). In 2017, Minas accounted for 54.3% of the total national coffee production (first place), Espírito Santo accounted for 19.7% (second place) and São Paulo, 9.8% (third place).
Brazil is the world's biggest productor of sugarcane, with 672 million tons/year. In 2020, Espírito Santo harvested almost 3 million tons.
Espírito Santo was the seventh-largest national producer of bananas in 2018, with 408 thousand tons. Brazil was already the second-largest producer of the fruit in the world, currently in third place, losing only to India and
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
, and produced 6.7 million tons in the same year.
Espírito Santo was the largest Brazilian producer of papaya in 2018, with 354 thousand tons. Brazil produced 1.06 million tons in the same year. The state was the fifth-largest producer of coconuts in Brazil in 2009, with 157 million fruits. In 2018, the state also produced cassava, in a small amount compared to Brazilian production: 115,000 tons, with the country producing 17 million tons. Espírito Santo had an orange production of around 18,000 tons in 2018, the country's 14th-largest producer state.
In the north of the state, beef cattle are raised and fattened, and the meat industry was developed; the meat is mainly shipped to Rio de Janeiro, in addition to supplying the region of Vitória. In the south, dairy farming is practiced, and milk is sold, through cooperatives, in the markets of Rio de Janeiro and Vitória. More recently developed are silviculture and fruit-growing, with use for canned fruit and cellulose production.
The total number of chickens in the state is about 9.2 million birds, and that of cattle exceeds 1.8 million head. Important reserves of granite are known and used, and extraction of natural gas and oil is increasing. Sands and marbles are also important products of Espírito Santo
extractivism
Extractivism is the removal of natural resources particularly for export with minimal processing. This economic model is common throughout the Global South and the Arctic region, but also happens in some sacrifice zones in the Global North in Eu ...
.
The state's subsoil is rich in minerals, including oil, with considerable reserves of limestone, marble, manganese, ilmenite, bauxite, zirconium, monazites, and rare earths, although not all are being explored. In mineral extraction, exploration of reserves of marbles, limestone, and dolomite is happening in the Cachoeiro de Itapemirim area.
Although relatively small, the industrial park in Espírito Santo is home to chemical, metallurgical, food, and paper and cellulose industries.

About
industry, Espírito Santo in 2017 had an industrial GDP of R$21.3 billion, equivalent to 1.8% of the national industry. It employed 168,357 workers in the industry. The main industrial sectors are: extraction of oil and natural gas (23.0%), construction (20.5%), industrial services of public utility, such as electricity and water (12.3%), metallurgy (7.5 %), and pulp and paper (6.6%). These sectors concentrate 69.9% of the state's industry.
In 2012, the export basket of Espírito Santo was based on iron ore (52.49%), crude oil (10.87%), chemical pulp made of soda or sulphate wood (10.01%), stone or construction (5.58%), and coffee (4.42%). Espírito Santo exports iron produced in Minas Gerais.
In the mineral extractive industry, in 2019, Rio de Janeiro was the largest producer of oil and natural gas in Brazil, with 71% of the total volume produced. São Paulo comes in second place, with an 11.5% share of total production. Espírito Santo was the third-largest producer state, with 9.4%. In recent years, Espírito Santo has stood out in the production of oil and natural gas. With several discoveries made, mainly by Petrobras, the state left the fifth position in the Brazilian ranking of reserves, in 2002, to become one of the largest oil province in the country, with total reserves of 2.5 billion barrels. About 140 thousand barrels a day are produced. Oil fields are located both on land and at sea, in shallow, deep, and ultra-deep waters, containing light and heavy oil and unassociated gas.
In the urban centers of the capital and Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, practically all the main units of the Espírito Santo transformation industry are concentrated. The steel industries are located in the capital Vitória: Companhia Ferro e Aço de Vitória, iron ore pelletizing plant of Companhia Vale do Rio Doce; lumber, textiles, crockery, instant coffee, chocolates and refrigerators. In the Itapemirim river valley, cement, sugar and alcohol, and canned fruit industries are developed.
The 10 largest industrial companies in Espírito Santo are:
Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (mining),
ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal S.A. is a Luxembourg-based multinational steel manufacturing corporation, headquartered in Luxembourg City. It is ranked second on the list of steel producers behind Baowu, and had an annual crude steel production of 58 millio ...
Tubarão (steel mill), Samarco Mineração (mining),
Aracruz Celulose
Aracruz Celulose S.A. was a Brazilian manufacturer of Pulp (paper), pulp and paper, founded in May 1972. In 2009 it merged with Votorantim Celulose e Papel, VCP and was renamed Fibria. The new company maintained its headquarters in São Paulo, a ...
, Fertilizers Heringer,
ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal S.A. is a Luxembourg-based multinational steel manufacturing corporation, headquartered in Luxembourg City. It is ranked second on the list of steel producers behind Baowu, and had an annual crude steel production of 58 millio ...
Sul Fluminense (steel mill), Escelsa (electricity distribution company),
Garoto (the largest chocolate factory in Latin America and the most important industrial food company of the state) and Sol Coqueria. Espírito Santo is a major steel producer, due to two steel mills present in its territory: ArcelorMittal Tubarão (formerly
Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão) in the capital Vitória, which in 2018 produced 7 million tons of crude steel of the 35.4 million produced in the country; and ArcelorMittal Sul Fluminense (formerly
Votorantim Siderurgia), also in the capital, which produced 1 million tons of crude steel in the same year.
In the paper and cellulose sector, Brazilian pulp production was 19.691 million tons in 2019. The country exported US$7.48 billion in pulp this year, $3.25 billion only to China. Brazilian forest-based industry exports totaled $9.7 billion ($7.48 billion in cellulose, $2 billion in paper, and $265 million in wood panels). Paper production was 10.535 million tons in 2019. The country exported 2.163 million tons. In 2016, the paper and cellulose industry in the south of the country represented 33% of the national total. Espírito Santo stands out in this sector. In 2018, $920 million were traded in the sale of cellulose to the foreign market, the third-strongest Espírito Santo product in the export balance. In 2016, the top five states producing logs for paper and cellulose (mainly
eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...
) were: Paraná (15.9 million m
3),
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
(14.7 million m
3), Bahia (13.6 million m
3), Mato Grosso do Sul (9.9 million m
3), and
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
(7.8 million m
3). Together, they correspond to 72.7% of the national production of 85.1 million m
3. Espírito Santo, 9th place, had a production of 4.1 million m
3. São Mateus, north of Espírito Santo, was the best-city in the Southeast, as the sixth-largest producer of roundwood for paper and cellulose in the country. The 10 largest producing municipalities had 22.9% of the country's production. They were the cities of Telêmaco Borba (PR), Três Lagoas (MS), Caravelas (BA), Mucuri (BA), Ortigueira (PR), São Mateus (ES), Dom Eliseu (PR), Nova Viçosa (BA), Water Clara (MS), and Ribas do Rio Pardo (MS).
The tertiary sector is underdeveloped throughout the state, but commercial activity acquires a certain importance with iron ore exports from Minas Gerais, through the Vitória a Minas Railway, and is shipped at the ports of Atalaia and Ponta do Tubarão. The connection of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to the city of Rio de Janeiro, though, by paved highway, allowed the incorporation of the region into the Rio de Janeiro milk basin and facilitated the export of agricultural products, such as coffee, corn, manioc, rice, and vegetables.
The state's tourist activity is concentrated on the coast, where beaches, such as Itaúnas and Guarapari, are popular. The peak of Bandeira, the third-highest in the country, is another tourist destination. Lately, a new type of tourism has gained prominence: gastronomic, in which typical ''capixaba'' cuisine, heir to different cultures, is appreciated.
The road system is organized from the BR-101, which crosses Espírito Santo from north to south, bordering the coast. The state has 30,100 km of highways, but only 10% are paved.
Tourism
Tourism plays an ever-increasing role in the state's economy and is a leading destination in Brazilian
domestic tourism
Domestic tourism is tourism involving residents of one country traveling only within that country. Such a vacation is known as a domestic vacation (British: domestic holiday or holiday at home). For large countries, such as Russia, Brazil, Canada, ...
, although international tourism is present, though rarer. Tourist destinations include coastal areas such as Guarapari,
Jacaraípe, and
Manguinhos, and mountain retreats such as Domingos Martins. Guarapari is also a local tourist destination, known for its black sand beaches. Coastal cuisine is an attraction, with ''moqueca capixaba'' and other local seafood dishes among traditional offerings. Inland, there are many natural attractions, such as the national parks of
Pedra Azul and
Caparaó.
Transportation
Port
The port of Vitória is the most difficult to access among Brazilian ports. The bay on which it is located is extremely narrow with rocks, reefs and mountains, making it challenging for freighters and maritime cruisers to reach the
docks. This narrow approach also results in ships passing closely to population centers. In Vitória, ships sail in close proximity to cars and pedestrians. The location of the port in the city center also results in scheduling complications with limitations resulting from traffic constraints. Currently, the main use of the port is for ship and oil-platform repairs as well as international shipping.
Airports
Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport, which serves Vitória, is located on just over . Since construction of its first section, finished in 1946, the airport has undergone several expansions and modernizations, but current demand has surpassed its capacity of 560,000 passengers a year. The passenger terminal has a constructed area of nearly , a check-in concourse, 25 check-in counters and boarding and arrival lounges. The recent construction of new aircraft parking boxes on the
aprons has increased the airport's operational efficiency.
In 2003, more than 1.2 million passengers used the airport, and in 2004 this rose to some 1.25 million. Vitória is one of the 32 airports in the
Infraero
Empresa Brasileira de Infraestrutura Aeroportuária (abr. Infraero) is a Brazilian government corporation founded in 1973, authorized by Law 5,862, that is responsible for operating the main List of the busiest airports in Brazil, Brazilian com ...
network that has a cargo terminal. In May 1999, the first direct international freight connection to the United States began operating in Vitória, facilitating American imports to the state of Espírito Santo. As of 2018, there are five such flights per week. A new runway and terminal were due at the end of 2007, but several budget inconsistencies were found and construction was halted.
Highways serving Espírito Santo
*
BR-101
*
BR-259
*
BR-262
*
BR-482
Statistics
* Vehicles: 1,811,993 (December 2016)
* Mobile phones: 4,417,825 (March 2015)
* Municipalities: 78 (2014)
Flag
The
flag
A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...
of Espírito Santo is a horizontal
triband of blue, white, and pink, with the
state motto, ''Trabalha e Confia'' (English: "Work and trust
God">/nowiki>God/nowiki>"), written across the middle band. This motto is a truncated version of the Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
motto "work as if everything depended on you, and trust as if everything depended on God", well spread by Spanish Catholic missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
José de Anchieta, and was chosen by Jerônimo Monteiro, who was governor of Espírito Santo from 1908 to 1912. The flag was designed in 1908, with colours inspired by those of Our Lady of Victory (), the state's patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
, wearing traditional Portuguese clothing. It is one of the few flags in the world to use pink.
See also
* List of municipalities in Espírito Santo
This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Espírito Santo (ES), located in the Southeast Region of Brazil. Espírito Santo is divided into 78 municipalities, which are grouped into 13 microregions, which are grouped into 4 mesoregio ...
* Federative units of Brazil
The federative units of Brazil () are subnational entities with a certain degree of autonomy (self-government, self-regulation, and self-collection) and endowed with their own government and constitution, which together form the Brazil, Federat ...
References
External links
*
Official website
*
Brazilian Portal with information about Espírito Santo and Brazil
*
The German Colonists in the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Espirito Santo
Federative units of Brazil
*
States and territories established in 1889
1889 establishments in Brazil
Former Portuguese colonies