Salvador

Founded by the Portuguese in 1549 as the first capital of Brazil, Salvador is one of the oldest colonial cities in the Americas. It lies on a small, roughly triangular peninsula that separates the Bay of All Saints from the Atlantic Ocean, some 400 miles south of Brazil's easternmost point and 700 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. It was originally known as Cidade do São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos (City of Holy Savior of All Saints Bay).

It was replaced as the national capital by Rio de Janeiro in 1763; Brasilia was founded in 1960 and became the capital at the same time. Today, Salvador serves as the capital of the state of Bahia.