Xique-Xique

Xique-Xique is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil. Its estimated population in 2020 was 46,523 inhabitants.^[2][3][4][5] It is situated on the right bank of São Francisco River and is a regional economic center. Xique-Xique takes its name from a cactus, Xiquexique gounellei, common to the region.

Xique-Xique Município de Xique-Xique
Municipality
Flag Seal
Xique-Xique in the state of Bahia
Xique-Xique Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 10°49′49″S 42°43′51″W
Country	Brazil
Region	Nordeste
State	Bahia
Government
• Mayor	Alfredo Ricardo Bessa Magalhães (PT, 2013–2016)
Area
• Total	2,124 sq mi (5,502 km2)
Elevation	1,319 ft (402 m)
Population  (2020 [1])
• Total	46,523
• Density	22.7/sq mi (8.76/km2)
Time zone	UTC−3 (BRT)

The first exploratory expedition to the region was in 1545, and carried out by the administration of Tomé de Souza (1503–1579), the first governor-general of the Portuguese colony of Brazil. A fazenda, or large-scale plantation, was established Cabo da Ipueira in the 17th century by the Portuguese Theobaldo Miranda Pires de Carvalho. Before ending the seventeenth century a gold-mining group called the Sierra Assuruá settled in Belvedere Island created the 1st core population inhabited by Europeans.

See also

• List of municipalities in Bahia