nPosted on July 2, 2019
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Key points
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nBrazil’s Independence Day is September 7.
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nBut in the Brazilian state of Bahia, an equally important independence day is celebrated today!
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| Dom Pedro I |
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nBrazil’s “Liberator,” Dom Pedro I, had declared independence from Portugal for all of Brazil on September 7, 1822. That’s strange, actually, because Pedro was born in Lisbon, Portugal, the fourth son of the King of Portugal.
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nWhen Pedro was around nine years old, France invaded Portugal, and the royal family fled to Brazil. Later, Pedro’s father returned to Portugal and left him ruling Brazil as regent.
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nWhen the Portuguese government threatened to take away the self-rule that Brazil had enjoyed for almost two decades, the people of Brazil were unhappy (to say the least), and Pedro sided with them, declared independence and fought and defeated all the armies that were still loyal to Portugal.
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nBut Bahia was a hotbed of Portuguese loyalists, and it was the last region that Pedro and the Brazilian troops controlled. When the Portuguese were finally expelled on this date in 1823, Bahia finally became part of the Empire of Brazil.
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In 1889, Brazil became a presidential republic, and Bahia became one of the 26 states of that republic.
In 1889, Brazil became a presidential republic, and Bahia became one of the 26 states of that republic.n
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nBahia is famous for its beautiful capital, Salvador, a city whose name used to be way too long for a map (in any language):
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nCidade do São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos
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nCity of Holy Savior of All Saints Bay
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nThe bay is the largest in Brazil, and the the state is crossed by many rivers, which run from west to east (from the heights of the Andes mountains toward the Atlantic Ocean).
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nBahia also boasts one of the largest reservoirs in the world, created by the Sobradinho Dam.
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nThe Coconut Coast is an area of coconut groves, dunes, rivers, and swamps.
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nThere is also a Cacao Coast, with (you guessed it) cacao plantations that grow seeds used to make (yum) chocolate.
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nBahia also offers caves and waterfalls and orchids and tablelands and…
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nAlso on this date:
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nWorld UFO Day
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nFlag Day in Curacao
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nAnniversary of the invention of water skiing
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nAnniversary of the beginning of the “Golden Age of Airships”
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nTamil Professor Kandasamypillai Kanapathipillai’s birthday
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nLandscape gardener Ralph Hancock’s birthday
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nBirthday of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
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nPlan ahead:
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nCheck out my Pinterest boards for:
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nJuly holidays
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nJuly birthdays
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nHistorical anniversaries in July
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nAnd here are my Pinterest boards for:
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nAugust holidays
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nAugust birthdays
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nHistorical anniversaries in August
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