Salvador, << SAL vuh `DAWR` >> , also called Bahia, is a large city in northeast Brazil. The municipality of Salvador has a population of 2,675,656. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. The city serves as capital of the state of Bahia and is also a busy Atlantic port. It lies on Todos os Santos Bay.
Salvador’s port lies along a beach at the foot of a steep cliff. Elevators and winding roads lead up the cliff from older sections of the city to newer ones. Palm trees and white buildings with red tile roofs line the streets. Highly decorated churches, many of which date from the 1700’s, grace the old city.
Products manufactured in Salvador include automobiles, electronics, paper, petrochemicals, and textiles. Other exports include cacao, fruit, natural gas, petroleum, and sugar. Tourism also ranks as a major industry. Many people visit the city for its historic architecture, Afro-Brazilian culture, and such events as the Carnival festival, which takes place annually just before the Christian observance of Lent. Salvador is the home of the Federal University of Bahia and the Catholic University of Salvador.
Salvador served as capital of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1549, when the city was founded, to 1763. Until the early 1800’s, it remained Brazil’s busiest port. The city’s manufacturing and tourist industries have expanded greatly since the mid-1900’s.
