São Mateus is the eighth oldest

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' ...

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 ...

and the seventh most populous in the

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 ...

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 ...

. Founded on September 21, 1544, it gained municipal autonomy in 1764. Originally named ''Povoado do Cricaré'', it was renamed São Mateus in 1566 by Father

Joseph of Anchieta José de Anchieta y Díaz de Clavijo, SJ (Joseph of Anchieta; 19 March 1534 – 9 June 1597) was a Canarian Jesuit missionary to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in the second half of the 16th century. A highly influential figure in Brazil's h ...

. According to 2019

IBGE The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. IBGE performs a decennial national cen ...

estimates, its population is approximately 130,000 inhabitants. São Mateus is considered a milestone in the colonization of Espírito Santo's territory. It has the largest Afro-descendant population in the state, a legacy of the Port of São Mateus, which, until the mid-19th century, was a major entry point for enslaved Africans in Brazil. The municipality also includes descendants of Italian immigrants, who contributed to the colonization of its rural hinterlands. Its economy is driven by service provision and the exploration and production of

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

. Petroleum fields were discovered in the 1970s, with further expansion in the 1980s. In the 2000s, the North Capixaba Terminal was established in the Campo Grande region to handle the region's production output. Located at a

latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...

of 18º42'58"

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and a

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...

of 39º51'21"

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

, São Mateus sits at an altitude of 36 meters. Its total area is , representing 5.12% of Espírito Santo's territory. It borders Boa Esperança,

Pinheiros Pinheiros (, "pine trees") is a district in the subprefecture of the same name in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Prior to development, the land which this borough occupies was dominated by the dense forest which contained a Brazilian subtropi ...

, and

Conceição da Barra Conceição da Barra is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Espírito Santo. The city is the northernmost coastal city of the state. Its population was 31,273 (2020) and its area is 1,188.044 km². Geography The municipality contains t ...

to the

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

; São Gabriel da Palha,

Vila Valério Vila Valério is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Its population was 14,073 (2020) and its area is 464 km2. The municipality contains part of the Sooretama Biological Reserve, a strictly protected conservation u ...

, Jaguaré, and

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 ...

to the

south South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

; the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

to the

east East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

; and Nova Venécia to the

west West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. It is from the state capital, Vitória. São Mateus is also known for its strong tourism appeal, both historical and seasonal. The carnival in Guriri, the municipality's main beach resort, is one of the liveliest in the state and is nationally recognized, attracting many tourists, particularly from

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 ...

Etymology

From its founding in 1544 until the mid-16th century, the small settlement along the banks of the

São Mateus River The São Mateus River is a river primarily in Espírito Santo state in eastern Brazil., United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Course The São Mateus River rises in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais in the municipality of São F ...

was known as ''Povoação do Cricaré''. The name São Mateus honors the evangelist Matthew, as Father

, during one of his pilgrimages through the then Captaincy of Espírito Santo in 1566, celebrated a mass on September 21, Saint Matthew's Day. Following the custom of naming places and geographical features after the saint of the day, Anchieta renamed the ''Povoação do Cricaré'' to São Mateus.

History

Pre-Cabral period

Before Portuguese colonization, the São Mateus region was inhabited by Aimorés, also known as Botocudos. Funerary urns found in the Barra Nova region in the 1960s, along with ceramic pieces unearthed near the Roberto Silvares Hospital in 1998, are attributed to the Tupi ethnic group, to which the Aimorés do not belong, and are dated from the 10th century to the 16th century. Manuscripts from the early colonization period report the presence of

cannibalistic Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is also well documente ...

Indians in the region. Unlike other Tupi Indians, these did not know how to swim but were skilled at rowing and working with clay. Efforts by Jesuit priests to catechize the indigenous population were unsuccessful. Afonso Brás, the first missionary in the Captaincy of Espírito Santo, wrote in a 1551 letter that after receiving baptism, the Indians fled, returning to their beliefs and customs.

Arrival of the first colonizers

There is no precise date or record of the first settlers' names, but oral tradition suggests Portuguese colonizers arrived in São Mateus around 1544. Alarmed by frequent indigenous attacks, settlers from Vasco Fernandes Coutinho's group reportedly split up, abandoning the Captaincy of Espírito Santo. Some fled to neighboring captaincies or moved inland, possibly heading north toward the

. The lack of records from the early colonization years leads to speculative hypotheses. One suggests São Mateus may have been settled by shipwreck survivors. Father

's accounts note that in 1596, while passing through the São Mateus River, he celebrated mass for shipwrecked individuals, though no documentation confirms this as historical fact. More likely, the first colonists came from the neighboring Captaincy of Porto Seguro, led by Pero do Campo Tourinho. The earliest documented Portuguese presence in the region relates to the Battle of Cricaré, which occurred in late January 1558. Another record is a letter describing a Jesuit mission by Father Fernão Cardin, who visited the Village of São Mateus in September 1583.

Slave trade

The entry of

enslaved Africans Slavery has historically been widespread in Africa. Systems of servitude and slavery were once commonplace in parts of Africa, as they were in much of the rest of the Ancient history, ancient and Post-classical history, medieval world. When t ...

into the municipality occurred through the Port, beginning in the colonial period and intensifying in the 19th century, particularly after the 1850 ban on the transatlantic slave trade until the

abolition of slavery Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. T ...

. At its peak, 16 companies at the port were exclusively engaged in this trade. The arrival of slave ships at the Port was eagerly anticipated by the population, especially buyers, hoping to select the best ones. Onboard, enslaved Africans were prepared: men and women were oiled, wounds and tumors covered with rust and gunpowder, and in cases of intestinal infections, their anuses were stuffed with tow. Once disembarked, chained in single file, they were driven to the market, where their physical condition and tribal origins were examined. Preference was given to those with slender shins, heels set back, and small buttocks, deemed ideal for fieldwork. Notably, São Mateus recorded the seizure of the last clandestine

slave ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting Slavery, slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea ( ...

on the Brazilian coast in 1856, following the 1850 law banning the African slave trade. Some ships carried over 300 captives, who arrived naked, malnourished, and chained, enduring voyages lasting over 90 days. Many succumbed to the harsh conditions and were thrown overboard. Between 1863 and 1887, 606 enslaved Africans were traded in the city, including 326 men and 269 women. Prices varied based on factors like sex, age, occupation, and physical condition, and were influenced by events such as the 1850 transatlantic trade ban. According to municipal registry records, slave prices rose significantly from 1868, reaching 1,028,500

réis The first official currency of Brazil was the real (pronounced ; pl. ''réis''), with the symbol Rs$. As the currency of the Portuguese empire, it was in use in Brazil from the earliest days of the colonial period, and remained in use until 1942 ...

for men and 1,018,750 réis for women, a sharp increase from the previous year's averages of 375,000 réis for men and 637,916 réis for women.

Italian immigration

The state of

was the first to receive a significant wave of Italian immigrants around 1874, driven by major political changes in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

during the early 19th century. These changes caused internal conflicts in the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

, severely impacting its northern regions' populations. Simultaneously, the 1888 abolition of slavery led to a shortage of skilled labor for coffee plantations. In São Mateus, the first group of Italians arrived at the Port in 1887, at the request of the Baron of Aimorés, who, anticipating the abolition of slavery, requested immigrants from the Kingdom of Italy's consulate in Brazil to work on his farm along the Cravo Waterfall on the

. Successive arrivals of Italian immigrants continued at the old port until the end of the 19th century. Upon arrival, they were treated similarly to enslaved Africans, displayed in public squares for landowners to select. They were forced to show their hands for inspection; those with rough, calloused hands were chosen for farm work, while those with soft hands were labeled lazy and left to fend for themselves at the port.

Elevation to village status

With the discovery of gold in

in the second half of the 17th century, the Portuguese government, fearing loss of control, took measures to prevent adventurers from accessing the mines. In 1764, Thomé Couceiro de Abreu, the ombudsman of the Captaincy of Porto Seguro, following orders from the

Portuguese Crown This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the n ...

, extended beyond his captaincy's territorial limits to elevate the settlement to village status. This was deemed necessary to prevent intrusions via the São Mateus River into the newly discovered gold mines. The chosen name, Villa Nova do Rio de São Mateus, was the same given by Anchieta. This occurred on September 27, 1764. At the time of its elevation to village status, the settlement of São Mateus, located on a high plateau, had two streets flanking the Main Church. Four alleys extended from these streets to Córrego da Bica, then called Córrego do Mato. The two main streets had a few masonry houses where wealthier landowners lived, while less affluent residents, slaves, servants, and dependents lived in mud houses along the alleys. During this period, the Captaincy of Espírito Santo was directly administered by the

, as its donataries struggled with the challenging task. Consequently, the village was subordinated to the Captaincy of Porto Seguro until January 1823. Measures included street measurements, the construction of a town hall and jail, and the installation of a whipping post.

Creation of the municipality

On April 3, 1848, by decree of the president of the then Province of Espírito Santo, Dr. Luiz Pedreira de Couto Ferraz, Villa Nova do Rio São Mateus was elevated to city status, retaining the name São Mateus given by the first colonizers. The people of São Mateus learned of this news after April 13, 1848, when correspondence was sent to the municipal council. To celebrate, a grand festival was held on April 21, 22, and 23 of the same year. Upon becoming a municipality, São Mateus' territory spanned 13,588 km², equivalent to 29.8% of Espírito Santo's territory. The ''

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

'' was established on March 23, 1853. The first district created in the municipality was Serra dos Aimorés in 1886, later renamed Nova Venécia. In 1891, the first territorial division created the municipality of

. In 1935, the district of Barra de São Francisco was created, becoming a municipality through Decree-Law 15,177 on December 31, 1943. In 1949, the districts of Barra Nova, Boa Esperança, Nestor Gomes, and Nova Verona were established, with Nova Venécia gaining autonomy via State Law No. 767 on December 11, 1953. Boa Esperança became a municipality through State Law No. 1912 on December 28, 1963. In 1964, the districts of

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 ...

, Itauninhas, and Jaguaré were created, with the latter becoming a municipality on December 13, 1981, via Law No. 3445.

Geography

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the municipality's area is , making it the second largest municipality by area in

. Of this, is

rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

and is

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

. Located in the northeast of Brazil's Southeast Region, in the North Coast Mesoregion of Espírito Santo (São Mateus Microregion), it is from the border with

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 ...

, at a

of 18º43’15” South and a

of 39º51’46” West. Its neighboring municipalities are

to the north,

and Boa Esperança to the northwest, Nova Venécia to the west, São Gabriel da Palha and

to the southwest, Jaguaré and

to the south, with the

to the east.

Topography

The topography of São Mateus is predominantly flat, with the municipal seat at above sea level. The central region consists of

Tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...

plateaus with a gentle slope toward the coast, ranging from 30 to 100 meters in height. The western part features

granitic A granitoid is a broad term referring to a diverse group of coarse-grained igneous rocks that are widely distributed across the globe, covering a significant portion of the Earth's exposed surface and constituting a large part of the continental ...

formations up to 350 meters, while the coastal area is flat with flood-prone regions and dunes, not exceeding 4 meters in altitude. Three distinct soil types are found in the municipality: * Precambrian Zone: Predominantly gneissic, part of the Brazilian Crystalline Shield, extending from the Nestor Gomes district to the border with Nova Venécia. This soil type is also found in the bed of the

. * Tertiary Zone: The predominant soil, characterized as dystrophic and

podzolic Podzols, also known as podosols, spodosols, or espodossolos, are the typical soils of coniferous or Taiga, boreal forests and also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia. In Western Europe, podzols develop on he ...

red-yellow

latosol Latosols, also known as tropical red earth, are soils found under tropical rainforests which have a relatively high content of iron and aluminium oxides. They are typically classified as oxisols (USDA soil taxonomy) or ferralsols (World Reference ...

, with medium to low fertility and a pH around . Composed of sedimentary plateaus with

argillites Argillite () is a fine-grained sedimentary rock composed predominantly of indurated clay particles. Argillaceous rocks are basically lithified muds and oozes. They contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles. The argillites grade into shal ...

and

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

, these plateaus, ranging from to , start in the Pedra d'Água neighborhood and extend to the Precambrian Zone in Nestor Gomes. * Quaternary Sediment Zone: Found along valleys, riverways, and coastal plains, forming the sandy strip from Pedra D'Água to the

. It includes the Barra Nova district with

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...

formations, as well as the

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

s of Nativo and Campo Grande, and the

swamps A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

of Suruaca.

Hydrography

The municipality contains three hydrographic basins. The Doce River Basin covers a small area in the Suruaca Valley region. The Itaúnas River Basin encompasses a small portion of the Itauninhas district, while the São Mateus River Basin is the most extensive, draining over 90% of the municipality's area. The São Mateus River Basin, also known locally as the Cricaré River, spans approximately . It drains ten municipalities across

and Espírito Santo, emptying into the

. Its main tributaries include the Cotaxé River, also known as the ''North Branch of the São Mateus River'', Preto, Mingal da Vovó River, Panela Velha River, and Pirapococa River. Notably, this river has a rare

distributary A distributary, or a distributary channel is a stream channel that branches off and flows a main stream channel. It is the opposite of a ''tributary'', a stream that flows another stream or river. Distributaries are a result of river bifurc ...

, the Mariricu River. The city also has of coastline, featuring beaches such as Abricó, Aldeia do Coco, Barra Nova, Bosque, Brejo Velho, Caramujo, Gameleira, Guriri, Campo Grande, Oitizeiro, Ranchinho, and Urussuquara, with Guriri being the most famous.

Climate

The climate of São Mateus is classified by the

Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. IBGE performs a decennial national cen ...

as a

tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(type ''Aw'' according to the

Köppen classification Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

), with an average annual temperature of around 24 °C, featuring rainy

summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

s with high

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...

s and milder

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

s. The annual

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

index is approximately , with November and December being the wettest months. Air humidity is relatively high, with an

insolation Solar irradiance is the power per unit area ( surface power density) received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of the measuring instrument. Solar irradiance is measured in watts per square metre ...

time of per year. According to the

National Institute of Meteorology The National Institute of Meteorology () is the national meteorological organization of Brazil, responsible for weather forecasting, collecting climate data, and alerting the public of extreme weather. It is part of the Ministry of Agriculture, L ...

(INMET), since 1971, the lowest recorded temperature in São Mateus was on August 12, 1997, and the highest was on February 25, 2006. The highest 24-hour precipitation accumulation was on November 22, 2008. The wettest month was November 2000, with , followed by November 2008 () and November 2001 ().

Ecology and environment

In São Mateus, the coastal region was historically dominated by

restinga Restingas () are a distinct type of coastal tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest in eastern Brazil. They form on sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils, and are characterized by medium-sized trees and shrubs adapted to the drier and n ...

. The remaining restinga is part of the

Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve The Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, or Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve (MABR, ), is a biosphere reserve covering remnants of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, including fully protected and sustainable use conservation units and buffer zones. It ...

, and the entire São Mateus coastline is within the buffer zone of the

Abrolhos Marine National Park The Abrolhos Marine National Park ( ) is a national park that was established in 1983 covering most of the Abrolhos Archipelago area in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Location The park was established on 6 April 1983. It covers about . It became ...

. In the plateaus and river valleys, the original cover was Atlantic Forest, rich in

hardwoods Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes ...

. Most of the Atlantic Forest has been replaced by monoculture reforestation (

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 ...

), livestock farming, and crops such as

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

, and

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diameter ...

. However, some biodiversity persists in undisturbed patches, including

bromeliads The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

s, indaiá palms, golden trumpet trees, pumpwoods, purple glory trees, and

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

s. The only ecological station in the municipality is Barra Nova. Its creation was a condition imposed on

Petrobras Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by and Trade name, trading as the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a Brazilian state-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ...

for the establishment of the North Capixaba Terminal in the Barra Nova district. This area is considered extremely important for

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s, and

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s, and serves as a spawning ground for four of the seven species of

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerh ...

s worldwide. According to the

National Institute for Space Research The National Institute for Space Research (, INPE) is a research unit of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, the main goals of which are fostering scientific r ...

(INPE), in 2013, only (7%) of the municipality's area was covered by native vegetation, including of Atlantic Forest, of

, of

s, and of floodplain vegetation. Preserved areas are home to animals such as

spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

, and

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

among

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

tortoise Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like o ...

s, and

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s among

reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

s and

toad Toad (also known as a hoptoad) is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. In popular culture (folk taxonomy ...

s among

parakeet A parakeet is any one of many small- to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally has long tail feathers. Etymology and naming The name ''parakeet'' is derived from the French word ''perroquet'', which is reflect ...

pigeon Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

thrushes The thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former subfamily Saxicolinae, which includes the chats and European robins, as Old World flycat ...

tanager The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...

s, and

toucan Toucans (, ) are Neotropical birds in the family Ramphastidae. They are most closely related to the Semnornis, Toucan barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful Beak, bills. The family includes five genus, genera and over ...

s among

s; and

giant otters The giant otter or giant river otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to . Atypical of musteli ...

capybara The capybara or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') is the largest living rodent, native to South America. It is a member of the genus '' Hydrochoerus''. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara (''Hydrochoerus isthmi ...

otters Otters are carnivorous mammals in the Rank (zoology), subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic animal, aquatic, or Marine ecology, marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae Family (biology), family, whi ...

, and

marmoset The marmosets (), also known as zaris or sagoin, are twenty-two New World monkey species of the genera '' Callithrix'', '' Cebuella'', '' Callibella'', and ''Mico''. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term ...

s among

Demographics

In 2010, the

(IBGE) recorded a population of inhabitants. According to the census that year, were men and were women. Of the total, lived in the

and in the

. In the first decade of the 21st century, São Mateus' population grew by 20.56%, making it one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Espírito Santo during this period. According to 2014 statistics, the population was , ranking as the seventh most populous in the state. In 2010, inhabitants (25.80%) were under 15 years old, (68.56%) were aged 15 to 64, and (5.64%) were over 65. The

life expectancy Human life expectancy is a statistical measure of the estimate of the average remaining years of life at a given age. The most commonly used measure is ''life expectancy at birth'' (LEB, or in demographic notation ''e''0, where '' ...

at birth was 75.6 years, and the

total fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that are born to a woman over her lifetime, if they were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through their lifetime, and they were t ...

was 2.0 children per woman. The

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

(HDI-M) of São Mateus is considered high, at 0.735 in 2010 according to the

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

(UNDP), ranking as the eighth highest in Espírito Santo and 897th in Brazil. The education index was 0.655, the longevity index was 0.843, and the income index was 0.719. From 2000 to 2010, the proportion of people with a per capita household income of up to half the minimum wage decreased by 49.7%. In 2010, 84.6% of the population lived above the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, 9.7% were at the poverty line, and 5.7% were below it. The

Gini coefficient In economics, the Gini coefficient ( ), also known as the Gini index or Gini ratio, is a measure of statistical dispersion intended to represent the income distribution, income inequality, the wealth distribution, wealth inequality, or the ...

, measuring

social inequality Social inequality occurs when resources within a society are distributed unevenly, often as a result of inequitable allocation practices that create distinct unequal patterns based on socially defined categories of people. Differences in acce ...

, was 0.577, where 1.00 is the worst and 0.00 is the best. The wealthiest 20% of the population accounted for 60.9% of the municipal income, 19.9 times higher than the 3.1% share of the poorest 20%.

; Demographic evolution of São Mateus Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:700 height:340 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:130000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:50000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:10000 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:1764 text:1764 bar:1827 text:1827 bar:1940 text:1940 bar:1950 text:1950 bar:1960 text:1960 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1991 text:1991 bar:1996 text:1996 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2006 text:2006 bar:2010 text:2010 bar:2015 text:2015 PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left bar:1764 from:0 till: 453 bar:1827 from:0 till: 6255 bar:1940 from:0 till: 24250 bar:1950 from:0 till: 39850 bar:1960 from:0 till: 39706 bar:1970 from:0 till: 41147 bar:1980 from:0 till: 55083 bar:1991 from:0 till: 73830 bar:1996 from:0 till: 81894 bar:2000 from:0 till: 90460 bar:2006 from:0 till: 102955 bar:2010 from:0 till: 109067 bar:2015 from:0 till: 124575 PlotData= bar:1764 at: 453 fontsize:S text: 453 shift:(-10,5) bar:1827 at: 6255 fontsize:S text: 6,255 shift:(-10,5) bar:1940 at: 24250 fontsize:S text: 24,250 shift:(-10,5) bar:1950 at: 39850 fontsize:S text: 39,850 shift:(-10,5) bar:1960 at: 39706 fontsize:S text: 39,706 shift:(-10,5) bar:1970 at: 41147 fontsize:S text: 41,147 shift:(-10,5) bar:1980 at: 55083 fontsize:S text: 55,083 shift:(-10,5) bar:1991 at: 73830 fontsize:S text: 73,830 shift:(-10,5) bar:1996 at: 81894 fontsize:S text: 81,894 shift:(-10,5) bar:2000 at: 90460 fontsize:S text: 90,460 shift:(-10,5) bar:2006 at: 102955 fontsize:S text: 102,955 shift:(-10,5) bar:2010 at: 109067 fontsize:S text: 109,067 shift:(-10,5) bar:2015 at: 124575 fontsize:S text: 124,575 shift:(-10,5)

Ethnicities and migration

São Mateus is a

multiracial The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races (human categorization), races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicity, ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used ...

city, originally populated by Indians, Portuguese,

Africans The ethnic groups of Africa number in the thousands, with each ethnicity generally having their own language (or dialect of a language) and culture. The ethnolinguistic groups include various Afroasiatic, Khoisan, Niger-Congo, and Nilo-Sahara ...

, and, from the late 19th century,

Italians Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...

. According to the 2010 IBGE census, based on self-declaration, the population consisted of '' pardos'' (57.29%),

whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...

(28.17%),

blacks Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical ch ...

(13.61%),

Asians "Asian people" (sometimes "Asiatic people")United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purposes. is an umbrella term ...

(0.83%), and

indigenous people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

(0.09%). In the same year, inhabitants were Brazilian (99.88%), of whom were

native-born ''Jus soli'' ( or , ), meaning 'right of soil', is the right of anyone born in the territory of a state to nationality or citizenship. ''Jus soli'' was part of the English common law, in contrast to ''jus sanguinis'' ('right of blood') assoc ...

(99.82%) and were naturalized Brazilians (0.06%), and were foreigners (0.12%). By

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of birth, were born in the Southeast Region (88.77%), in the

Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...

(9.47%), in the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

(0.60%), in the

(0.35%), and in the Central-West (0.27%). were natives of Espírito Santo (78.56%), with born in the municipality (54.13%). Among the from other states (27.30%),

had the largest presence with residents (7.14%), followed by

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 ...

with (2.02%), 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 ...

with (1.05%). Studies indicate that economic inequality disproportionately affects the black population, particularly women, who have lower education levels and wages. According to IBGE, the black population grew from 10,680 (1970 Census) to 77,112 (76.31% of 101,051) by 2006.

Religion

According to the 2010 census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), São Mateus' population is predominantly composed of

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

(57.41%),

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

(33.23%), people without religion (8.68%), and

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

(1.19%). There are also Spiritists (0.58%), followers of new Eastern religions (0.05%),

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West and Central Africa, especi ...

practitioners (0.05%),

Umbanda Umbanda () is a religion that emerged in Brazil during the 1920s. Deriving largely from Kardecist spiritism, Spiritism, it also combines elements from African diasporic religions, Afro-Brazilian traditions like Candomblé as well as Roman Catho ...

practitioners (0.04%), esoterics (0.02%), and

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

(0.01%). Additionally, had undetermined or multiple religious affiliations (0.14%), and did not know how to answer. The municipality's history records various other forms of religiosity, such as “Mesas de Santo,” “Cabula,” or “Pemba,” led by Saint Barbara, Saint Mary,

Cosmas and Damian Cosmas and Damian ( – or AD) were two Arab physicians and early Christian martyrs. They practised their profession in the seaport of Aegeae, then in the Roman province of Cilicia. Cosmas and Damian were third century Arabian-born twin ...

, and Saint Cyprian.

Roman Catholic Church

According to the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, São Mateus is part of the

Ecclesiastical Province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

of Vitória do Espírito Santo, headquartered in Vitória. The city serves as the

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

of the Diocese of São Mateus, established by

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

through the

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...

''Cum Territorium'' on February 16, 1958, when it was separated from the then Diocese of Espírito Santo, now the Archdiocese of Vitória. The city's communities are governed by three parishes: the Parish of

Saint Matthew Matthew the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist. The claim of his g ...

in Centro, the Parish of Saint Daniele Comboni in Guriri, and the Parish of Saint Anthony in the Santo Antônio neighborhood. In October 2015, the Diocese of São Mateus had Dom Paulo Bosi Dal’Bó as its titular bishop, with Dom Aldo Gerna as emeritus bishop. At that time, the diocese included 30 diocesan priests, 10 Comboni Fathers, 2

Capuchin friars The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbr. OFMCap) is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of Franciscans, Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of three "Religious institute#Nomenclature, F ...

, 2

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

s, and 9

Benedictine nuns The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, they ...

living in

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

at the Benedictine Monastery of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Evangelical Churches

Although the city developed within a predominantly Catholic social framework, it is now possible to find the presence of various Protestant denominations. The city is home to a wide range of Protestant or Reformed faiths, with notable representation from the

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

with members, the

Baptist Church Baptists are a denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers ( believer's baptism) and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches generally subscribe to the doctrines of ...

with , the

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG; ; , IURD) is an international Evangelical Neo-charismatic movement, Neo-charismatic Christian denomination with its headquarters at the Temple of Solomon (UCKG), Temple of Solomon in São Paulo, B ...

with members, and the Maranatha Christian Church with members.

Politics and administration

According to the municipal

organic law An organic law is a law, or system of laws, that form the foundation of a government, corporation or any other organization's body of rules. A constitution is a particular form of organic law. By country France Under Article 46 of the Constitutio ...

, enacted on April 5, 1990, municipal administration is carried out by the

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

and

legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

powers. João dos Santos Neves, the then President of the Municipal Government, was the first representative of the executive power. Prior to this, the City Council managed the administration entirely. Amadeu Boroto, from the

Brazilian Socialist Party The Brazilian Socialist Party (, PSB) is a political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1947, before being abolished by the military regime in 1965 and re-organised in 1989 after the re-democratisation of Brazil. It elected six Governors in 201 ...

(PSB), was elected mayor in the 2012 municipal elections, securing a total of votes (69.27% of voters), with Keydson Quaresma Gomes as

deputy mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor and assistant mayor) is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many local governments. Duties and functions Many elected deputy mayors are members of the loca ...

. The legislative power is exercised by the

municipal chamber 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 gov ...

, composed of eleven councilors elected for four-year terms, in accordance with Article 29 of the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

. As of January 2015, the chamber consisted of four seats held by the

(PSB), two by the

National Mobilization Party The National Mobilization (, MOBILIZA) is a political party in Brazil founded by politicians from the States of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais on April 21, 1984, advocating for agrarian reform, termination of debt payments, ending of relations ...

(PMN), one by the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

(PSD), one by the

Communist Party of Brazil The Communist Party of Brazil (, PCdoB) is a List of political parties in Brazil, political party in Brazil. The PCdoB officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist theory. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and Student ...

(PCdoB), one by the Humanist Party of Solidarity (PHS), one by the

Workers' Party Workers' Party is a name used by several political parties throughout the world. The name has been used by both organisations on the left and right of the political spectrum. It is currently used by followers of Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, Maoism ...

(PT), and one by the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). The chamber is responsible for drafting and voting on fundamental laws for the administration and the executive, particularly the participatory budget (Budget Guidelines Law). The city is the seat of the São Mateus Judicial District, classified as a third-tier jurisdiction, covering only the municipality itself. In December 2014, there were registered voters, representing 2.923% of the total in the state of Espírito Santo. São Mateus has two sister cities:

Sondrio Sondrio (; ; ; archaic or ; ) is an Italian city, ''comune'' and administrative centre for the province of Sondrio, located in the heart of the Valtellina. , Sondrio counted approximately 21,876 inhabitants. In 2007, Sondrio was named the Alpine ...

(

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

) and

Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...

(

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

). The initiative to adopt Sondrio as a sister city originated from the Diocese of São Mateus, as Bishop Emeritus Dom Aldo Gerna hails from that city. The partnership with Luoyang, initiated by the municipal executive, aims to foster commercial cooperation between the two cities.

Subdivisions

The municipality of São Mateus is divided into five districts: Barra Nova, Itauninhas, Nestor Gomes, Nova Verona, and the Seat. According to the 2010 demographic census, the Seat had inhabitants, followed by Barra Nova with , Nestor Gomes with , Itauninhas with , and Nova Verona with . In 2015, the city had 56

neighborhoods A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

divided into six zones: 15 neighborhoods in the East Zone, 15 in the West Zone, 9 in the Central Zone, 8 in the South Zone, 7 in the Cricaré Lowland, and 2 in the North Zone. Among the neighborhoods, Guriri stands out as the most populous, with inhabitants in 2010.

Districts of São Mateus.

Neighborhoods

Central Zone

North Zone

South Zone

East Zone

West Zone

Baixada do Cricaré

Economy

In 2012, São Mateus's

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

(GDP) was approximately one billion four hundred million

reais The Brazilian real ( pl. '; sign: R$; code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real replaced the cruzeiro real in 1994. ...

, accounting for 49.8% of the total GDP of its microregion, making it the largest in the region and the eleventh in the state. Of the total GDP in that year, R$ 278,692,000 came from the

primary sector The primary sector of the economy includes any industry involved in the extraction and production of raw materials, such as farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining. The primary sector tends to make up a larger portion of the economy in d ...

, R$ 245,387,000 from the

secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in constructi ...

, R$ 854,086,000 from the

tertiary 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 ...

, and R$ 96,320,000 were collected from

taxes A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

on products net of subsidies at current prices. The per capita GDP was R$ 13,184.81. In 2010, 71.3% of the population over 18 years old was economically active, with an unemployment rate of 8.7%. ;Primary sector In 2012, the primary sector generated approximately 280 million reais in São Mateus, making it the second-largest contributor to the GDP. In 2010, of the employed population aged 18 or older, 22.75% worked in agriculture and 2.82% in extractive industries. Among the primary activities, notable are the extraction of

and

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

silviculture Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, as well as quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests ...

, and the cultivation of

. Other significant crops include

macadamia ''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia—specifically, northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland. Two species of the genus are comm ...

Horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

and livestock farming are also important, though to a lesser extent. *

Petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

and

: The first productive oil and gas fields in Espírito Santo were discovered in São Mateus in 1967. According to the Espírito Santo Institute for Research, Technical Assistance, and Rural Extension (INCAPER), in 2013, an average of 2,800

barrels A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids ...

of oil were produced daily from 150 onshore wells and the Cação Platform, with the municipality accounting for 23% of the state's oil production. *

Silviculture Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, as well as quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests ...

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 ...

is the main crop in the municipality, introduced by

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 ...

in the early 1970s. In 2013, 745,124

cubic meters The cubic metre (in Commonwealth English and international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or cubic meter (in American English) is the unit of volume in the International System of Units (SI). Its symbol is ...

of this wood were harvested, with 700,581 m³ used for

pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit * Pulp (band), an English rock band Engineering * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture ...

production, 15,537 m³ for

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ca ...

, and 29,006 m³ for various other purposes. *

Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

: São Mateus is the third-largest producer of

in Brazil. In 2010, the municipality produced approximately 75 million fruits annually, representing 3.66% of national production, 25% of the Southeast Region, and about 48% of Espírito Santo's production, using 3,740 ha of planted area. *

Macadamia ''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia—specifically, northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland. Two species of the genus are comm ...

: Macadamia production makes São Mateus the second-largest producer of this fruit in Brazil. Introduced in the second half of the 1980s, it yielded just over 300 tons annually in 2012, using approximately 500 ha of planted area. Notably, about 98% of this production is exported to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

. *

Coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

: The municipality is notable for producing conilon coffee, being the sixth-largest producer in the state. According to IBGE, in 2013, 21,000 tons of this grain were produced on 12,500 ha, with an average yield of 1,620 kilograms per hectare, generating approximately 82 million

in revenue. *

Black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diameter ...

: Espírito Santo is the second-largest producer of black pepper in Brazil, with São Mateus as its largest producer. In 2013, IBGE estimated a production of 4,480 tons on 1,600 ha, with an average yield of 2,880 kilograms per hectare, generating approximately 52 million reais in revenue. *

: Apart from

, no other fruit crop stands out significantly. However, in 2013, the municipality produced 6,720 tons of

bananas A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – berry (botany), botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa (genus), Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called pla ...

, 900 tons of

lemons The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

, 56,700 tons of

papayas 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 ...

, 75 tons of

mangoes A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast Asi ...

, 6,000 tons of

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis'', commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to the region of southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its ...

, and 210 tons of

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

. *

Animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...

: In 2013, IBGE estimated a herd of 88,732

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

, 5,100

pigs The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

, 2,080

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

, 227 buffalo, 4,520

horses The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 milli ...

, 408

goats The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the famil ...

, and 49,220 birds, including 9,610 Chicken, hens. The city produced 9,406 liters of milk from 8,509 cows, 27,000 dozen chicken eggs, and 108,000 kilograms of honey. Additionally, 85,000 kilograms of tilapia were produced in captivity. ;Secondary and tertiary sectors In 2010, 6.45% of the employed population worked in the manufacturing industry, with the secondary sector contributing 245,387,000 reais to the municipal GDP, currently the smallest contributor among the three production sectors. Nevertheless, the industrial sector has shown the most growth, driven by the establishment of industrial plants such as the North Espírito Santo Terminal, as well as automobile factories, such as those of Volare and Agrale. In 2010, among the economically active population, 8.80% worked in construction, 1.06% in public utilities, 15.06% in commerce, and 37.21% in services, with the tertiary sector generating the largest share of the municipal GDP in 2012: R$ 854,086,000.

Infrastructure

Healthcare

In 2009, the municipality had 63 healthcare facilities, including Hospital, hospitals, Emergency department, emergency services, Community health center, health centers, and Dentistry, dental services, with 32 public and 31 private facilities. These provided 165 Hospital bed, beds for hospitalization, with 123 in public facilities and 42 in private ones, the latter also serving the Sistema Único de Saúde, Unified Health System (SUS). In 2012, 68.8% of births in the municipality were Caesarean section, C-sections, and 1% of children were born without Prenatal care, prenatal exams. There was one maternal death among 1,748 births, representing a rate of 57.2 deaths per 100,000 births, and 20.5% of children were born to teenage mothers (under 20 years old). In 2013, 96.1% of children under one year old had up-to-date vaccination records. In 2012, 21 cases of HIV/AIDS, AIDS were reported, with nine in men and twelve in women. In 2011, there were 648 cases of Dengue fever, dengue, two of malaria, and one of leishmaniasis. According to the

(IBGE), in 2012, there were 512 deaths in São Mateus hospitals, with 384 men and 242 women. The most frequent causes included 167 deaths from Respiratory disease, respiratory diseases, 124 from Cardiovascular disease, circulatory diseases, 72 from Digestive disease, digestive diseases, and 58 from external causes such as accidents, injuries, and poisonings. The city has a public municipal pharmacy providing free medications. Additionally, the municipality conducts vaccination campaigns against influenza in May and against rabies in the same month.

Education

In 2013, the average Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) for São Mateus public schools was 5.4 for early years and 4.3 for final years. The municipality ranked among Brazil's municipalities for early years and for final years. Among Espírito Santo's 78 municipalities, São Mateus ranked 36th for early years and 30th for final years. The

(HDI) for education was 0.655 in 2010, compared to Brazil's 0.849, up from 0.251 in 1991. In 2012, the municipality had approximately enrollments in public and private schools. According to IBGE, of the 81 preschool institutions, 71 were public municipal schools, and 10 were private. Of the 90 Primary school, elementary schools, 69 were public municipal schools, 11 were public state schools, and 10 were private schools. Of the 13 High school, high schools, six were public state schools, one was a public federal school, and six were private schools. There were 282 preschool teachers, elementary school teachers, and 306 high school teachers. In 2010, 55.68% of youths over 18 had completed elementary education, and 43.49% had completed high school. Additionally, 96.28% of children aged 5 to 6 were attending school. In 2015, São Mateus had the Espírito Santo Federal Institute (IFES) offering technical education and two federal higher education institutions: the North Espírito Santo University Center (CEUNES), part of the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) and a campus of the Espírito Santo Federal Institute (IFES).

Public safety and crime

As in most medium and large Brazilian municipalities, crime remains a concern in São Mateus. In 2012, the homicide rate was 68.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the sixth most violent municipality in Espírito Santo and the 93rd in Brazil. Considering citizens identifying as Black or White, the homicide rate was 93.3 per 100,000 for those identifying as Black and 9.5 for those identifying as White. The suicide rate was 3.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, ranking 21st in the state and 1008th nationally. The traffic accident mortality rate was 63.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, the second highest in the state and 54th nationally. The municipality has two prison facilities. The São Mateus Provisional Detention Center, opened in 2009, has spaces for temporary detainees or those awaiting trial. The São Mateus Regional Penitentiary, managed privately, is recognized as a model for prison management. Opened in 2011, it houses 534 inmates, including 76 women. In 2011, a Municipal Civil Guard, named Citizen Guard, was established to protect and defend municipal public property and its users. São Mateus is home to the 13th Battalion of the Military Police of Espírito Santo State. Established on June 22, 2010, from the Fifth Independent Company, it covers São Mateus,

, Jaguaré, and Pedro Canário. As of January 2015, Lieutenant Alex Voney de Almeida was its commander. The city is also home to the Eighteenth Regional Police Station of the Civil Police and a Federal Police of Brazil, Federal Police station.

Housing, services, and communications

In 2010, according to

, São Mateus had permanent private households, with in urban areas and in rural areas. Of these, were built with coated masonry, with uncoated masonry, 167 with reused wood, 97 with prepared wood, 66 with coated stucco, 26 with uncoated stucco, 11 with straw, and 52 with other materials. In 2010, of the households, were houses, were apartments, 73 were rooms or tenements, and 50 were houses in villages or condominiums. Regarding occupancy, households were owned, were rented, were loaned, and 52 were in other conditions. For water supply, households had access to the general network, used wells, springs, or cisterns, 223 relied on water trucks, 165 used rainwater stored in cisterns, 24 used rivers, lakes, streams, or creeks, and 124 had other sources. For waste disposal, households had garbage collected, burned their waste, 221 dumped it on vacant lots, 87 buried it, two disposed of it in rivers or the sea, and 42 used other methods. Finally, households had electricity, while 129 did not. The Autonomous Water and Sewage Service (SAAE) is responsible for water supply and sewage treatment. Currently, SAAE serves 80% of households with treated water. The municipality has two Water treatment plant, water treatment plants: one in the seat, which draws water from the

, and another in Guriri, which draws from the Mariricu River and has equipment for Desalination, desalinating brackish water during dry periods. Espírito Santo Centrais Elétricas S.A. (Escelsa), a subsidiary of EDP Brasil, supplies electricity to São Mateus, serving 67 of Espírito Santo’s 78 municipalities. Internet services, including dial-up and broadband (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, ADSL), are offered by various free and paid Internet service provider, providers. Mobile phone services are provided by Claro Company, Claro, Oi (telecommunications), Oi, TIM Group, Tim, and Vivo (telecommunications company), Vivo. The area code (Direct distance dialing, DDD) for São Mateus is 027, and the postal code (Código de Endereçamento Postal, CEP) ranges from 29930-210 to 29949-990. In January 2015, São Mateus had two newspapers: Tribuna do Cricaré and Folha Acadêmica. It also had five radio stations, including Rádio Cricaré at 1120 Amplitude modulation, AM and four Frequency modulation, FM stations: Rádio Ilha 87.9 FM, Rádio Kairós 94.7 FM, Rádio Musical 105.1 FM, and Rádio SIM 105.9 FM.

Transportation

;Air São Mateus is served by the Tancredo de Almeida Neves Airport. During the 1950s, this aerodrome received regular flights from the now-defunct Navegação Aérea Brasileira, NAB. Currently, it has no commercial routes but is equipped to handle helicopters and aircraft with up to 50 passengers. Plans exist to extend its runway from m to m and replace its nighttime lighting, which is currently activated only on request. ;Road São Mateus has a well-developed road network connecting it to various cities within the state and major metropolitan areas of the Southeast Region. The first highway was opened between 1937 and 1938, linking São Mateus to the then-village of

. According to the Espírito Santo Department of Highways (DER-ES), the municipality is crossed by three List of highways in Brazil, federal highways: BR-101 (Brazil highway), BR-101, which runs along Brazil’s entire coastline and is Privatization, privatized in Espírito Santo; Rodovia Fernão Dias, BR-381, starting in São Mateus and connecting to

and

; and BR-342 (Brazil highway), BR-342, linking Espírito Santo to

. Ten state highways pass through the area, and six of them have been paved. One is still under construction, another is being expanded, and the remaining routes are in natural condition. São Mateus lacks a public Bus station, bus terminal, but has two private terminals: one owned by Viação Águia Branca, serving itself and Itapemirim (bus company), Viação Itapemirim, and another owned by Viação São Gabriel, serving itself, Viação Gontijo, Viação São Geraldo, and Viação Nacional. ;Urban The Municipal Secretariat of Works, Infrastructure, and Transportation oversees traffic control and maintenance, including road inspections, driver and pedestrian behavior, traffic engineering projects, paving, road construction, and management of services such as taxis, alternative transport, buses, charters, and school transport. Public passenger transport has been operated by Viação São Gabriel Ltda. since 1975. The city also offers taxi and motorcycle-taxi services. In 2013, according to IBGE, the city had a fleet of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, pickup trucks, scooters, trucks, 659 vans, 371 buses, 164 tractor-trailers, 148 utility vehicles, 117 tractors, and other vehicle types. Railway From 1923 to 1941, São Mateus was served by the São Mateus Railway, which connected it to Nova Venécia, then a settlement under São Mateus’s jurisdiction. The railway had a 60 cm gauge and facilitated the transport of timber and coffee from the region to the city’s former river port, as well as local passenger services. It spanned 68 km of track without connecting to other railways. Its operation was short-lived, ceasing in 1941 when it was dismantled, and its rails and materials were sold by the State Government. The proceeds funded the construction of a water tank in the city, now located near the Municipal Historical Museum. Few traces of the old railway remain in São Mateus, except for its former headquarters building, repurposed for other uses. The railway’s former trackbed was replaced by the Miguel Curry Carneiro Highway (ES-381), now part of BR-381, with this section owned by the State Government, explaining the name change.

Culture

Theater, music, and events

São Mateus was the first city in Espírito Santo to have a theater. The city has a history of various theater groups, including the Mateense Amateur Theater Group (GRUMATA), the Improvisando Arte Teatral Group (IMPROART), the Popular Theater Group, the Elenco Theater Academy, the Epic Theater Group, the Gêneses do Interlúdio Theater Company, and the Ascensão Theater Group, which has staged the Passion of Christ in the Ponte neighborhood since 1987. The city has an orchestra, also serving as a marching band, called Lira Mateense. Founded on September 21, 1909, it is, alongside the Espírito Santo State Symphony Orchestra, one of the state’s two main musical groups. It offers free music education to youths and adults and is currently led by conductor Datan Coelho. Several other popular music bands have gained state and national recognition, including the defunct Bandoasis and Black-Out Band, the former Pinzindim group, and the forró group Trio Chapahalls. Regarding events, the National Theater Festival (FENATE) is traditionally held in July, featuring street theater performances and performing arts workshops. Performances take place at Mesquita Neto Square in Centro and Largo do Chafariz in the Port of São Mateus, where theater groups compete for the Anchieta Trophy. Other events include festivals for

in September and Benedict the Moor, Saint Benedict in December, the city’s patron saints; the city’s anniversary, celebrated with national shows, agricultural exhibitions, and civic parades, held on September 21 but spanning several days; the Guriri Road Fest, a national motorcycle rally held in Guriri Island since 2003; the Summer Festival, featuring nationally known bands in Guriri; and New Year's Eve, with regional or national artists and fireworks, alongside other smaller events.

Tourist attractions

São Mateus is among Brazil’s List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities and boasts one of Espírito Santo’s most significant colonial architectural ensembles, the Port buildings, designated a heritage site by the State Culture Council in 1976. In the upper city, the municipality’s oldest heritage assets, built between the 18th and 19th centuries, are located. The municipality also features beaches, rivers, waterfalls, dunes, and mangroves. Notable attractions include: ;Natural attractions *Guriri Beach: The municipality’s main beach, located from downtown. It features rough, warm waters forming natural pools at low tide. From September to March, sea turtles nest on the beach, which is recognized for its conservation efforts. These efforts balance high tourist traffic with measures such as adjusted lighting and restricted construction in nesting areas. Four of the world’s seven sea turtle species nest in Guriri. *Barra Nova Beach: Located km south of Guriri, at the River mouth, mouth of the Mariricu River. It features a fishing village, Mangrove, mangroves, Lagoon, lagoons, and Reef, reefs. The beach formed after an artificial bar was opened by Commander (order), Commander Reginaldo Gomes da Cunha, brother of the Baron of Aymorés, to drain the Suruaca Lagoon for livestock farming. *Urussuquara Beach: Located near the border with

, characterized by

vegetation along the shore, fine yellowish sand in some areas, Dune, dunes, Mangrove, mangroves, a stretch of Atlantic Forest, and the River mouth, mouth of the Barra Seca River. Its strong waves make it an ideal spot for surfing and Centropomus, snook fishing. "Urussuquara" is a Tupi language, Tupi term meaning "large spot-winged wood quail’s den," from ''uru'' (spot-winged wood quail), ''usu'' (large), and ''kûara'' (den). *Waterfalls: Within the municipality, there are three waterfalls, all located along the

: the Cachoeira do Inferno, situated at kilometer 47 of the Rodovia Fernão Dias, São Mateus x Nova Venécia Highway, characterized as a rapid stretching over 1,000 meters in length, mistakenly named a waterfall. Its name is linked to the existence of a pool known as Caldeirão do Diabo (Devil’s Cauldron), responsible for the deaths of many swimmers; the Cachoeira da Jararaca, located just downstream from Cachoeira do Inferno, which is the most frequented by swimmers among the three; and the Cachoeira do Cravo, located 3 km from the administrative center of the Nestor Gomes District, distinguished by the large mansion on the banks of the São Mateus River, built in the 19th century by the Baron of Aymorés to serve as a water-powered Engenho, mill.

Cultural Attractions

*Old Church: The ruins of the Old Church are the symbol of the municipality and its main postcard. Contrary to common belief, it never functioned as a church. Its construction began in the early years of the 19th century at the request of the Jesuits, designed to exceed 300 meters in length. The funding for its construction came from a 1% tax on everything exported through the former Port. However, the project was halted in August 1853 by a decision of the Municipal Council, which argued that expanding the Parish Church would cost five times less and that completing the Old Church would require over 50 years. The construction used stones brought as ballast on ships docking at the port, laid with mortar made from lime and whale oil. *Houses in the Port: The Houses in the Port of São Mateus are a group of buildings constructed along the banks of the

, starting from the late 18th century. Originally, most of these mansions were built with stone masonry, with internal and side walls made of plaster. The construction of these buildings gave rise to a large cluster of houses around a square used for loading and unloading ships docking in São Mateus. With the opening of the first highways, starting in 1938, when the road connecting São Mateus to

was inaugurated, the economic activities at the port began to decline. Ship transport waned, and the old port lost its major commercial houses, which relocated to the upper city. The abandoned mansions were then occupied by prostitutes, leading to architectural modifications in several of them. In 1968, following numerous crimes related to prostitution, the expulsion of prostitutes was ordered, and the mansions were designated as heritage sites by the State Culture Council in 1976. *Biquinha: This is a water reservoir built in 1880, with a system to capture water from springs located at the base of the São Mateus River valley slope, below the cathedral grounds, to supply drinking water to the port’s fountain. It is part of São Mateus’ Historical Heritage. *Projeto TAMAR: The research base of TAMAR in Guriri was established in 1988, housing a visitor center that also serves as the Guriri Open Sea Turtle Museum. Key attractions include an aquarium, two turtle observation tanks, and an exhibition of life-sized replicas and silhouettes of the five sea turtle species. During the reproductive season in the summer, the release of hatchlings is organized in the late afternoons.

Cuisine

The proximity of São Mateus to other states and the origins of the municipality’s settlers have contributed to a highly diverse cuisine, with a strong Bahia, Bahian influence, characterized by heavily seasoning, seasoned dishes, including vatapá, acarajé, Canjica (dish), mungunzá, Caruru (food), caruru, Quibebé, quibebe, moqueca, and seafood from the region. Regarding moqueca, São Mateus offers both the moqueca, Bahian moqueca, prepared with palm oil, coconut milk, and

, and the traditional moqueca capixaba, which does not use these ingredients and may or may not be accompanied by shrimp sauce. One of the most traditional delicacy, delicacies in the municipality is the Menticirrhus americanus, southern kingcroaker moqueca, a small freshwater fish. This moqueca is not sold in restaurants, being a privilege of the city’s traditional families. Additionally, the municipality consumes various freshwater and marine fish, including Centropomus, snook, hake, catfish, Leporinus, piau, Stellifer, stardrum, and ''hoplias''. Shellfish and crustaceans, such as crab, crabs and mussel, mussels, are also highly appreciated. Products made from cassava, such as cassava flour, beiju, and tapioca, are also characteristic foods of the municipality, prepared artisanally by families descended from quilombola, ''quilombolas''. The Italian colonizers contributed to the popularity of pasta dishes, with the municipality widely consuming dishes such as spaghetti, agnolini, pizza, polenta, gnocchi, and pancake, pancakes, among others. Some families descended from Italian immigrants still maintain the tradition of preparing a homemade pasta known as tagliatelle.

Sports

São Mateus currently has the Associação Atlética São Mateus as its only active professional Association football, football club, having previously hosted the activities of the now-defunct Matheense Football Club. The Associação Atlética São Mateus was founded on December 13, 1963, and among its notable campaigns, it participated in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, 2011 Brazilian Football Championship – Série D and the Campeonato Capixaba, 1st Division of the Campeonato Capixaba, winning the championship in 2009 and 2011. Its stadium is the Manoel Moreira Sobrinho Stadium, better known as Sernamby Stadium, with a capacity of people. The Matheense Football Club's founding date is uncertain, but the club was established before 1922. Its best performance in state championships was runner-up in the Campeonato Capixaba Série B, 1994 Campeonato Capixaba Série B. The club's stadium, "Othovarino Duarte dos Santos," is more commonly known as the "Campo do Matheense." It has a capacity of about 1,000 people and is located in the Sernamby neighborhood. Epic Trail 2014

The city hosts several amateur football championships, with the main ones being: the Copa do Café, which brings together teams from the districts of Nestor Gomes and Nova Verona; the Copa Litoral, which includes teams from the Barra Nova district; the Copa Cidade, which gathers teams from São Mateus neighborhoods; the Copa da Liga, which includes teams from the rural areas of the Seat district; and the Copa dos Campeões, which brings together the champions of these tournaments. São Mateus regularly hosts competitions in other sports, such as the Northern Capixaba Mountain Bike Cup, with all stages held within the municipality, the Corrida Rústica, held annually on September 21, the Enduro de Verão, an enduro motorcycle competition typically held between January and February, and the Jogos Estudantis Mateenses (JEM), a tournament among the municipality’s schools where students compete in various sports, including volleyball, beach volleyball, handball, futsal, beach soccer, basketball, and judo.

Holidays

In São Mateus, there are four municipal holidays and eight national holidays, in addition to optional holidays. According to the city hall, the municipal holidays are: Good Friday; Feast of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi; the city’s anniversary and the day of Matthew the Apostle, Saint Matthew the Evangelist on September 21; and the day of Saint Benedict on December 27. According to federal law No. 9,093, approved on September 12, 1995, municipalities may have a maximum of four municipal holidays with a religious scope, including Good Friday.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Mateus, Espirito Santo Populated coastal places in Espírito Santo, Sao Mateus Municipalities in Espírito Santo Populated places established in 1544

Etymology

History

Pre-Cabral period

Arrival of the first colonizers

Slave trade

Italian immigration

Elevation to village status

Creation of the municipality

Geography

Topography

Hydrography

Climate

Ecology and environment

Demographics

Ethnicities and migration

Religion

Roman Catholic Church

Evangelical Churches

Politics and administration

Subdivisions

Neighborhoods

Central Zone

North Zone

South Zone

East Zone

West Zone

Baixada do Cricaré

Economy

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Education

Public safety and crime

Housing, services, and communications

Transportation

Culture

Theater, music, and events

Tourist attractions

Cultural Attractions

Cuisine

Sports

Holidays

See also

References

Bibliography