Espírito Santo
A southeastern Brazilian state with coastal ports and diverse habitats.
via Wikipedia: Espírito Santo · see source
Espírito Santo, whose name means "Holy Spirit" in Portuguese, is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, while the largest city is Serra. The state has a long coastline that includes several major ports, and its beaches draw many tourists. There are 78 municipalities in total. Vitória sits on an island and is bordered by Vila Velha, Cariacica, and Serra; together with Fundão and Guarapari, these form the main metropolitan area. At the northern end of the state lies Itaúnas, a town in the municipality of Conceição da Barra known for its sand dunes and forró music tradition.
The state's name comes from the Christian Holy Spirit, also called the Holy Ghost. People born in Espírito Santo are officially called espírito-santenses, but the common term is capixaba. The origin of this word is debated: it may come from a Tupi term for "corn hair," possibly referring to the fair hair of European settlers that reminded Indigenous people of golden corn; or it may be a metaphor for a corn-grower, since Vitória Island once had many corn plantations; or it could be borrowed from the name of a local tribe.
Before Portuguese colonization, the area was home to various semi-nomadic Indigenous tribes, though no written records survive from that time. Portuguese settlement began in the 16th century, and later the region received African slaves and European immigrants. The Captaincy of Espírito Santo was granted as a hereditary fief to Vasco Coutinho by King Manuel I around 1535, when Coutinho arrived with soldiers, colonists, slaves, and servants and settled on Vitória Island and the surrounding bay. The first capital was Vila Velha, but after frequent Indigenous raids, it was moved to Vitória, founded on an island in 1551. In 1556, missionaries helped found the towns of Serra, Nova Almeida, and Santa Cruz. The captaincy stayed under Coutinho's family for 140 years. In 1821, it became a province after Brazil was elevated to a kingdom within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves—a change prompted by the Portuguese court's move to Brazil in 1808 to escape Napoleon's invasion. After Brazil's independence in 1822, Espírito Santo remained a province of the Empire of Brazil, governed by an appointed president. Emperor Pedro II visited in 1860 during one of his tours.
When Brazil became a republic in 1889, Espírito Santo became a state. Afonso Cláudio de Freitas Rosa was its first governor, appointed by the provisional government, followed by four other appointed governors until Alfeu Adolfo Monjardim de Andrade e Almeida took office in 1891 as the first elected governor. During the Vargas Era, governors were chosen indirectly by Congress. A brief democratic period followed under the Second Republic, with Carlos Monteiro Lindenberg elected governor. After the 1964 coup, governors were again selected by the national assembly; after several such appointees, the military government gradually restored democracy, leading to the 1988 Constitution. Since then, all governors have been elected, including the current one, Renato Casagrande.
For the first three centuries of Portuguese rule, sugarcane was the main cash crop, until coffee overtook it in the mid-19th century. Gold rushes occurred but were less productive than in neighboring São Paulo and Minas Gerais, and colonial authorities banned roads into Minas Gerais to prevent gold smuggling, further limiting growth. The state covers 46,180 square kilometers, about the size of Estonia or half of Portugal, and features coastal plains, lakes, mountainous forests, and other habitats. Its state symbols were adopted in the early 20th century.
- Largest city
- Serra
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Espírito Santo was first inhabited by Amerindians, whose different tribes were usually semi-nomadic, but precolonial Brazil has no recorded history. The area was colonized by the Portuguese starting in the 16th century. The Captaincy of Espírito Santo, a hereditary fief, was granted to Vasco Coutinho by Manuel I of Portugal around three decades after the Portuguese first landed in Brazil in 1500. Coutinho arrived on 23 May 1535, bringing a retinue of 60 soldiers, colonists, slaves, and servants, settling on Vitória Island and around the Bay of Vitória. The capital was at first established in Vila Velha, but due to frequent raids by Amerindians, it was moved to the current capital of Vitória, founded on 8 September 1551, on an island near Vila Velha, later named Vitória Island. In 1556, after the arrival of European missionaries, the cities Serra, Nova Almeida, and Santa Cruz were founded. The captaincy remained under the influence of Coutinho's family for 140 years. It was elevated to province status in 1821, following the 1815 elevation of Brazil to a constituent kingdom of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves, prompted by the 1808 transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil fleeing the Napoleonic Invasion of Portugal. After the Independence of Brazil in 1822, Espírito Santo's provincial status was kept. Emperor Pedro II visited in 1860 during one of his tours of Brazil. In 1889, with the advent of the First Brazilian Republic, Espírito Santo was made one of the states of Brazil. Afonso Cláudio de Freitas Rosa was appointed the first governor by the provisional government. The first elected governor, Alfeu Adolfo Monjardim de Andrade e Almeida, was inaugurated on 7 June 1891.
Reader's Guide
Espírito Santo's significance lies in its colonial history as a hereditary captaincy and its evolution into a Brazilian state. It was carved out of the Captaincy of Bahia in the 18th century, during colonial rule, and named after a 16th-century captaincy covering roughly the same area of coast. Following the elevation of Brazil to a constituent kingdom in 1815, Espírito Santo was elevated to a province. After Brazil became a republic in 1889, it was granted statehood. Its economy: during the first three centuries of Portuguese colonialism, the main cash crop was sugarcane, until coffee overtook it in the mid-19th century. During the colonial era, periods of gold rush occurred, but not as much gold was found in Espírito Santo as in neighboring São Paulo and Minas Gerais. Another reason for subdued expansion was the colonial administration's prohibition of laying roads into Minas Gerais, as gold could be smuggled through the state. The state's volcanic islands of Trindade and Martim Vaz, 715 kilometers east of Vitória, are part of Espírito Santo. Its culture includes Amerindian groups such as the Tupiniquim, Temininó, Aymoré, Puri, and Botocudo. The unofficial demonym 'capixaba' has disputed origins: it is Tupi for 'corn hair', reportedly because the blond hair of European settlers reminded Amerindian natives of the golden color of corn; a more mainstream explanation is that it is a metaphor for a corn-grower, as Vitória Island was full of corn plantations in early Portuguese rule; a third etymology is from the name of a local tribe. Originally capixaba referred only to people from Vitória, but eventually came to refer to those born anywhere in the state. The official state demonym is 'espírito-santense'. The state's current symbols were adopted in the early 20th century.
Did You Know?
- The name 'Espírito Santo' means 'Holy Spirit' in Portuguese, named after the Christian Holy Ghost.
- The capital Vitória is located on an island, which borders the municipalities of Vila Velha, Cariacica, and Serra.
- The volcanic islands of Trindade and Martim Vaz, 715 kilometers east of Vitória, are part of Espírito Santo.
- The unofficial demonym 'capixaba' is Tupi for 'corn hair', reportedly because the blond hair of European settlers reminded Amerindian natives of the golden color of corn.
- About 60–75% of the population of Espírito Santo has Italian ancestry, making it the state with the highest percentage of Italian descendants in Brazil.
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