Teixeira de Freitas is a city in the extreme south of the Brazilian state of Bahia, on the margins of BR-101 highway. It is one of the largest cities in the state, with a population estimated at 162,438 inhabitants in an area of 1,166 km².
The city had its origin as a crossroads, and has always maintained its character as a place that draws entrepreneurs from other regions. Major expansion of industry in the area, combined with the growth of eucalyptus plantations, has adversely impacted small-scale agriculture in the surrounding rural areas, resulting in declining population in those rural areas. Teixeira de Freitas has also a busy commercial district and the economy has developed a lot lately thanks to the migration of the population from surrounding towns.
