Salvador in Bahia state was the first capital of Brazil when it was colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century. 

 

The indigenous tribes who lived along the coast were mostly killed, either by the Portuguese or by the diseases they brought from Europe. 

 

They were replaced by slaves who were transported from Africa to work in the plantations. Over the next 300 years, an estimated 4 million Africans were forcibly moved to Brazil. It was the largest slave population in the world, and Salvador was the main slave port. 

 

Salvador is still a predominantly black city.