Bom Jesus da Lapa

Summary

Bom Jesus da Lapa is a municipality in Bahia, Brazil located 796 kilometres (495 mi) from the state capital. The population as of 2020 was recorded at 69,662 according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The city covers a total area of 4,115.5 square kilometres (1,589.0 sq mi) along the banks of the São Francisco River.[2] Its economy is based on agriculture, commerce, tourism and fishing. The current mayor is Eures Ribeiro Pereira. It is the site of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bom Jesus da Lapa.

Bom Jesus da Lapa
Município de Bom Jesus da Lapa
Statue of Francisco da Soledade
Statue of Francisco da Soledade
Flag of Bom Jesus da Lapa
Official seal of Bom Jesus da Lapa
Location of Bom Jesus da Lapa in Bahia
Location of Bom Jesus da Lapa in Bahia
Bom Jesus da Lapa is located in Brazil
Bom Jesus da Lapa
Bom Jesus da Lapa
Location of Bom Jesus da Lapa in the Brazil
Coordinates: 13°15′18″S 43°25′04″W / 13.25500°S 43.41778°W / -13.25500; -43.41778
Country Brazil
RegionNortheast
State Bahia
FoundedAugust 31, 1923
Government
 • MayorEures Ribeiro Pereira (2013–2016)
Area
 • Total4,115.524 km2 (1,589.013 sq mi)
Elevation
483.82 m (1,587.34 ft)
Population
 (2020 [1])
 • Total69,662
 • Density17/km2 (44/sq mi)
DemonymLapense
Time zoneUTC−3 (BRT)
Websitex

The city is home to the third largest Catholic festival in Brazil, known as the Romaria (Portuguese for "Procession" or "Pilgrimage") of Bom Jesus drawing as many as 800,000 visitors or "Romeiros" to the city annually. For this reason, the city is known as "Capital Baiana da Fé" (The Bahian Capital of Faith).

Bom Jesus da Lapa is distinguished by other cities in the region by its Gothic style wall and nearby caves.

History edit

It is one of the older towns in Brazil being founded in 1693. It did not reach the status of city until 1953. The name means "Good Jesus of the Grotto." This might relate to a nearby cavern that naturally had "church-like" structures so was converted to a chapel. The chapel began in the seventeenth century and is a significant pilgrimage site in Brazil.[3][4]

Transportation edit

The city is served by Bom Jesus da Lapa Airport.

Climate edit

Bom Jesus da Lapa has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) characterized by high temperatures throughout the year. The city experiences a distinct dry season from May to September, with minimal rainfall during these months. The wet season extends from October to April, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in December.[5]

Climate data for Bom Jesus da Lapa (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 32.6
(90.7)
32.9
(91.2)
32.8
(91.0)
32.7
(90.9)
32.5
(90.5)
31.9
(89.4)
31.8
(89.2)
33.1
(91.6)
35.2
(95.4)
35.8
(96.4)
33.2
(91.8)
32.5
(90.5)
33.1
(91.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.6
(79.9)
26.7
(80.1)
26.6
(79.9)
26.4
(79.5)
25.7
(78.3)
24.7
(76.5)
24.4
(75.9)
25.7
(78.3)
27.7
(81.9)
28.7
(83.7)
27.1
(80.8)
26.6
(79.9)
26.4
(79.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 21.6
(70.9)
21.6
(70.9)
21.7
(71.1)
21.2
(70.2)
19.9
(67.8)
18.3
(64.9)
17.5
(63.5)
18.4
(65.1)
20.5
(68.9)
22.3
(72.1)
22.1
(71.8)
21.7
(71.1)
20.6
(69.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 117.9
(4.64)
96.1
(3.78)
111.0
(4.37)
53.8
(2.12)
11.6
(0.46)
2.4
(0.09)
0.4
(0.02)
0.9
(0.04)
11.0
(0.43)
47.7
(1.88)
134.9
(5.31)
168.1
(6.62)
755.8
(29.76)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 8.7 7.5 8.2 4.1 1.0 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.9 3.7 10.0 9.7 54.5
Average relative humidity (%) 69.0 69.8 71.0 67.1 59.8 54.9 51.0 46.3 44.0 48.3 64.4 68.2 59.5
Average dew point °C (°F) 21.0
(69.8)
21.4
(70.5)
21.6
(70.9)
20.7
(69.3)
18.6
(65.5)
16.4
(61.5)
15.0
(59.0)
14.8
(58.6)
15.6
(60.1)
17.5
(63.5)
20.0
(68.0)
20.8
(69.4)
18.6
(65.5)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 244.3 220.6 231.3 253.3 262.5 265.1 286.6 297.2 280.1 252.3 203.5 222.3 3,019.1
Source: NOAA[5]

References edit

  1. ^ IBGE 2020
  2. ^ "Bom Jesus da Lapa" (in Portuguese). Brasília, Brazil: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-14.
  3. ^ Henderson, James (1821). A History of the Brazil. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. p. 326. %2522Bom Jesus da Lapa%2522 history.
  4. ^ (in Portuguese) Bahia site on the chapel
  5. ^ a b "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Bom Jesus da Lapa". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
 
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus da Lapa
 
Conservation area of Bom Jesus da Lapa

External links edit