Maragogipe

History

The Amerindian population in the current Maragogipe area were called the Marag-gyp, or warrior of "invincible arms". They lived a semi-nomadic life that included both farming and hunting. They were masters of the bow and arrow and in the use of the tarayra, a heavy ironwood ax used for decapitation. The Portuguese explored the area as early as the 1520s, and invaded the early 16th century. They were attracted by the abundance of timber and easy maritime accessibility of the Paraguacu River and Bay of Iguape. Duarte da Costa (died 1560), the second governor of Brazil, granted his son Álvaro da Costa land on the Paraguaçu River region. The grant dates to January 16, 1557. The land became a captaincy on March 28, 1566. The indigenous population resisted the Portuguese; 200 members of the indigenous settlement were never subjugated. Numerous sugarcane plantation appeared in the region in the 1570s; the Portuguese also extracted timber and grew cassava. They also established sugar and flour mills. The peninsula that extends into the Paraguaçu River and Bay of Iguape, largely surrounded by mangroves, formed a strategic point to protect the Paraguaçu region; for this reason, a settlement was founded, later called Maragogipe. São Bartolomeu, a small parish, was established in the mid-17th century. It was separated from Ajuda de Jaguaripe, now the municipality of Jaugaripe, in 1724. A great drought occurred in the same year. The settlement was located at the mouth of the river where is opens to the Iguape, but moved in the mid-17th century to its current location on higher ground. The town served as one of many ports to facilitate commerce along the Paraguaçu; the settlement was on the busy transportation route between Cachoeira to the northeast and Salvador to the west. A…

Most-observed species

• White-cheeked Pintail

  Anas bahamensis Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  21
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  19
• Snowy Egret

  Egretta thula (Molina, 1782) · Aves
  18
• Great Kiskadee

  Pitangus sulphuratus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  18
• Black-necked Stilt

  Himantopus mexicanus (P.L.S.Müller, 1776) · Aves
  16
• Southern Caracara

  Caracara plancus (J.F.Miller, 1777) · Aves
  11
• Southern Lapwing

  Vanellus chilensis (Molina, 1782) · Aves
  10
• Amazon Kingfisher

  Chloroceryle amazona (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  8

Most recent

• M 4.6 — 2020-08-30
  3 km WSW of Mutuípe, Brazil