BRAZIL, SALVADOR DA BAHIA
THE DESTINATION
Study the language and culture of the fifth largest country in the world, Brazil, in one of its most beautiful cities, Salvador, the capital of the northeastern state of Bahia. This 500-year-old city is a cultural, historic and architectural jewel with the largest complex of majestic colonial buildings in the Americas built atop spectacular beachside cliffs. Its unique legacy earned the city a United Nations World Heritage Site designation which guarantees the preservation and current restoration of its historic areas. In tropical Salvador, June, and July are the coolest months with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, abundant rain and pleasant trade winds blowing off the ocean. In June, folklore comes alive with celebration, music, dances, festive food and street decorations for the Festas Juninas. During the first week of July Salvador celebrates the anniversary of its independence from Portugal with one of the most interesting and not-to-be-missed parades in Brazil. Salvador holds a special place in the development of the Brazilian nation and Afro- Brazilian cultural identity. The rich legacies of West and Central Africans are easily identifiable in all the aspects of Salvador’s culture. Salvador was founded by the Portuguese and was their first capital city in Brazil. The region received many immigrants from Portugal and Spain but also from as far as Lebanon and Japan. Salvador is Brazil’s second most popular vacation destination due to its extraordinary cultural richness, music and arts agenda, historic buidlings and pleasant climate. An attractive coastline of white sandy beaches, mangroves and bay islands is kept lush by coastal rains. With a population of almost three million people, Salvador is considerably smaller and more laid-back than São Paulo (17 million) and Rio de Janeiro (10 million) but it is the powerhouse of Northeastern Brazil. Like any Brazilian city, it has its share of problems. The program provides pre-departure and onsite orientation to help students acclimate to living in Brazil and to foster self-responsibility, awareness, and safety habits.