Cariacica is a town and municipality in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. It is located 10km northwest of Vitória, the capital of the state, and is considered part of the Greater Vitória metropolitan area. According to the 2000 IBGE Census there were 323,807 people in the municipality.

History

Before the arrival of the colonists to this area, Tupiniquim indians made this area their home. The name "Cariacica" comes from their language, meaning "the arrival of white men". Cariacica was created as a district of Vitória on the 18th of December, 1837. Its full name as it was given by the Catholic church is "Freguesia de São João Batista de Cariacica", after Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of the town. On the 30th of December 1890, Cariacica separated fully from the municipality of Vitória, becoming the capital of its own municipality. Since the 24th of July, 1971, Saint John the Baptist's day has been the city's commemorative day.

Colonization

After the initial settlement instigated as a point of contact between the capital Vitória and the interior, between 1829 and 1833 some Pomeranian families arrived to the area. Population increased much more significantly after 1865, because of the formation of German colonies which headed to Santa Leopoldina and Santa Isabel. In 1837 a group of Portuguese also arrived to establish themselves in the rural district of the municipality.

References

History of Cariacica (in Portuguese) (http://www.geocities.com/espiritosantoonline/cariacica.html)