Some fun facts for kids, to go along with my new book Samba in Brazil.
- On average, the temperatures are always high.
- A lot of rain (rainy season) falls in the months of: April, May, June and July.
- The warmest month is February with an average maximum temperature of 30°C (86°F).
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Bahia is a state in the northeast area of Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean coast.
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Salvador is a Brazilian city and is the capital of the state of Bahia. It has about 2.7 million inhabitants and an area of 709 square kilometres (274 sq mi).
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Salvador was the capital of Brazil from 1549 until 1763.
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Salvador is the second most popular tourism destination in Brazil, after Rio de Janeiro. Among the many points of interest are its famous Pelourinho district, its historic churches, and its beaches. In 1985 the Pelourinho, the Historic Centre of Salvador was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Photo Credit: Fernando Dallacqua -
The Guinness Book of Records states, the Carnaval of Salvador da Bahia is the biggest party on the planet. For an entire week, almost 4 million people celebrate throughout 25 kilometres (16 mi) of streets, avenues and squares.
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Bahia is the sixth richest Brazilian state.
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Bahia is said to have the greatest and most African influence, in terms of culture and customs, in all of Brazil. Some of these influences are the martial art of capoeira and African-derived dance and music such as samba, afoxé, and axé.
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Sacred Spirits of Nature: In the book “Orixás” by Pierre Verger, the author writes that the Orixás are considered to be supreme beings, who, when alive, took control over certain forces of nature such as thunder, the wind, the fresh or salt waters, as well as activities such as hunting, metalworking, and knowledge of the qualities and uses of plants.
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Acarajé (pronounced a-ka-ra-zjeh) is one of the most popular foods of traditional Bahian cuisine, especially popular in Salvador da Bahia. In addition to being street food, acarajé is also used as a religious offering to the “ sacred spirits of nature” in the Candomblé religion. It is a black-eyed pea fritter, deep-fried in palm oil and stuffed with shrimp, peppers, and tomatoes. It has a bold distinctive flavor.
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Açaí bowl (pronounced ah-sigh-EE)The açaí berry is a super fruit from the Amazon praised for its many health benefits and delicious taste it can be found everywhere in Brazil. Açaí bowls look very similar to ice cream and you can add different fruit and granola toppings to it.
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Pão de queijo (pronounced pow-du-KEHjo) Literally cheese bread, Pao de Queijo are light and fluffy and made using soft cheese and cassava flour. Popularly eaten as a breakfast food, this snack can be eaten at any time of the day or night.