The state of Bahia lies to the northeast of Minas Gerais, and it is similar to Minas Gerais in terms of land area. It encompasses a huge range of biomes, ranging from the mangrove swamps and Atlantic rainforest along Brazil’s eastern coast, to the high mountains of the Chapada Diamantina in the centre of the state, to the semi-arid flat lands in the west known as the sertão (‘hinterland’).

Landscapes of Bahia (from top left): the semi-arid grassland of the sertão; coastal mangroves; the Chapada Diamantina.

Bahia is named after the Bahia de Todos os Santos (Bay of All Saints),