- Itabuna
Itabuna is a city in
Bahia ,Brazil . Located around coord|14|47|09|S|39|16|48|W, it's the 5th city in Bahia, after Salvador,Feira de Santana ,Vitória da Conquista , andIlhéus , in size of population, with an estimative of 209,211 inhabitants in 2006. The city covers a total area of 443.2 km².Itabuna became a city separated from
Ilhéus in 1910. In 1978, the city became the seat of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Itabuna .Economy
Itabuna is a regional center of
commerce ,industry and services, along with its neighbourIlhéus . It's economic importance grew during the "golden era" ofcocoa cultivation. Thanks to its fertilesoil , the city became the second biggest producer of cocoa in Brazil, exporting to theUnited States andEurope . After the devastation of crops caused by thefungus "Crinipellis perniciosa" (which causes a disease known aswitch's broom ), which led to a profound crisis in its economy, the city began to search a diversification of its economical activities.Nowadays, Itabuna one of the most important tradepoints located along
BR-101 Highway in Bahia.
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