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ESPIRITO SANTO
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ESPIRITO SANTO , a maritime See also:state of See also:Brazil, bounded N. by See also:Bahia, E. by the See also:Atlantic Ocean, S. by Rio de Janeiro, and W. by See also:Minas Geraes. Pop. (189o) 135,997; (1900) 209, 783; See also:area, 17,316 sq. m. With the exception of See also:Sergipe it is the smallest of the Brazilian states. The western border of the state is traversed by See also:low ranges of mountains forming a northward continuation of the Serra do See also:Mar. The longest and most prominent of these ranges, which are for the most See also:part the eastern escarpments of the See also:great Brazilian See also:plateau, is the Serra dos Aymores, which extends along fully two-thirds of the western frontier. Farther S. the ranges are much broken and extend partly across the state toward the seaboard; the more prominent are known as the Serra do Espigao, Serra da Chibata, Serra dos PilOes and Serra dos Purys. The eastern and larger part of the state belongs to- the coastal See also:plain, in great part low and swampy, with large areas of See also:sand barrens, and broken by isolated See also:groups and ranges of hills. With the exception of these sandy plains the See also:country is heavily forested, even the See also:mountain sides being covered with vegetation to their summits. The See also:northern and See also:southern parts are fertile, but the central districts are comparatively poor. The coastal plain comprises a sandy, unproductive See also:belt immediately on the See also:coast, back of which is a more fertile See also:tertiary plain, well suited, near the higher country, to the See also:production of See also:sugar and See also:cotton. The inland valleys and slopes are very fertile and heavily forested, and much of the Brazilian export of See also:rosewood and other See also:cabinet See also:woods is See also:drawn from this state. There is only one See also:good See also:bay on the coast, that of Espirito Santo, on which the See also:port of See also:Victoria is situated. The See also:river-mouths are obstructed by sand bars and admit small vessels only. The See also:principal See also:rivers of the state are the Mucury, which rises in Minas Geraes and forms the boundary See also:line with Bahia, the Itaunas, Sao Domingos, Sao See also:Mathews, Doce, Timbuhy, See also:Santa Maria, Judi, Benevente, Itapemirim, and Itabapoana, the last forming the boundary line with Rio de Janeiro. The Doce, Sao l\/Iatheus, and Itapemirim rise in Minas Geraes and flow entirely across the state. The See also:lower courses of these rivers are generally navigable, that of the Rio Doce for a distance of 90 M. The See also:climate of the coastal See also:zone and deeper valleys is hot, humid and unhealthy, malarial fevers being prevalent. In the higher country the temperature is lower and the climate is healthy. Espirito Santo is almost exclusively agricultural, sugar-See also:cane, See also:coffee, See also:rice, cotton, See also:tobacco, mandioca and tropical fruits being the principal products. See also:Agriculture is in a very backward See also:condition, however, and the state is classed as one of the poorest and most unprogressive in the See also:republic. The rivers and shallow coast See also:waters are well stocked with See also:fish, but there are no fishing See also:industries worthy of mention. There are three railway lines in operation in the state —one See also:running from Victoria to See also:Cachoeira do Itapemirim (50 m.,, and thence, by another line, to Santo Eduardo in Rio de Janeiro (58 m.), where connexion is made with the Leopoldina See also:system running into the See also:national See also:capital, and a third running See also:north-See also:westerly from Victoria to See also:Diamantina, Minas Geraes, about 450M, The See also:chief cities and towns of the state, with their populations in 18go, are Victoria, Sao Matheus (See also:municipality, 7761) on a river of the same name 16 m. from the See also:sea, Serra (municipality, 6274), Guarapary (municipality, 5310), a small port S. by W. of the capital, Conceicao da See also:Barra (municipality, 5628), the port of Sao Matheus and Cachoeira do Itapemirim (4049), an important commercial centre in the See also:south. Espirito Santo formed part of one of the See also:original captaincies which were given to Vasco Fernandes Coutinho by thePortuguese See also:crown. The first See also:settlement (1535) was at the entrance to the bay of Espirito Santo, and its name was afterwards given to the bay and captaincy. It once included the municipality of See also:Campos, now belonging to the state of Rio de Janeiro. The islands of Trinidade and Martim Vaz, which See also:lie about715 in. E. of Victoria, belong politically to this state. They are uninhabited, but considerable importance is attached to the former because Great See also:Britain has twice attempted to take See also:possession of it. It rises 1200 ft. above sea-level and is about 6 m. in circumference, but it has no value other than that of an ocean See also:cable station. An excellent description of this singular See also:island is to be found in E. F. See also:Knight's Cruise of the " Alerte (See also:London, 1895). 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