ESPIRITO SANTO, ft - to sftrett) (Port.). A mark in' state of Brazil. bounded by the slate of Bahia on the north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the State of Rio de Janeiro on the south, and Ninas Geraes on the west (Nap: Brazil, J 7). Its area is 17,310 square miles. The Sierra dos Aimores marks the western border. The coast. is generally swampy, but to the south there are precipitous cliffs. The interior is gen erally mountainous, with elevations reaching 7000 feet. The main river is the navigable Rio Doce, which divides the State into two equal parts. All the streams are well supplied with tish. There is but one good harbor, that of Espirito Santo. The tropical climate is tem pered by the proximity of the sea, the mountains, and the extensive forests.
The soil is very fertile. Sugar-cane and coffee are chiefly grown, cotton and rice receiving some attention. There is one cotton-mill in the State. The export of coffee from Victoria (q.v.), the capital, and practically the only port, has greatly fallen off, having been only 218,000 bags (of 132 pounds) in 1900, as against 380,000 in 1898.
The forests furnish costly woods and rare drugs. There are wild stretches of land, lying for the most part in the north, little explored as yet, and inhabited by Indians. Fishing is a leading occu pation. Deposits of marble and lime have been found. hut there is no mining. Stock-raising is neglected. Esperito Santo has four represen tatives in the national Chamber of Deputies. There are in the State only some 50 miles of railway.
The population. in 1890. was 135,997, or 7.2 inhabitants per square mile. There are several German settlements. Though the State is liberal in its supply of funds for public schools, the percentage of children receiving instruction is low, and the inhabitants have little education. The shores of Espirito Santo were first visited by the Portuguese in 1535.