Santa Maria de Jetibá, Espírito Santo
Encyclopedia
Santa Maria de Jetibá is the name of a municipality and of its capital in central Espírito Santo
, Southeastern Brazil
. It was founded in 1857 by Pomerania
n immigrants who arrived through the state capital Vitória by going up the river Santa Maria.
), who came from the historical region Pomerania, now part of Germany and Poland where it is known as Pommern and Pomorze respectively.
In Brazil, many Pomeranians also established communities in Santa Catarina
(see Pomerode
) and Rio Grande do Sul
(see Arroio do Padre
). Santa Maria de Jetibá is a place where the people still speak solely Pomeranian in their day-to-day life. Due to the isolation of this community, most of the members of the community live in very poor conditions. Due also to financial constraints by the state, very little investment in education is forthcoming, and the language barrier persists to be a real problem for the community. This also hinders their future prospects, of course, by them not having proper education, thus a reasonable expectation in the work market. Those communities are mainly rural.
Espírito Santo
Espírito Santo is one of the states of southeastern Brazil, often referred to by the abbreviation "ES". Its capital is Vitória and the largest city is Vila Velha. The name of the state means literally "holy spirit" after the Holy Ghost of Christianity...
, Southeastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It was founded in 1857 by Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
n immigrants who arrived through the state capital Vitória by going up the river Santa Maria.
Geography
Located in the south-central mountain region of Espírito Santo, this municipality has an area of 735.55 square kilometers. The town of Santa Maria de Jetiba is 720 meters above sea level, and the highest point in the state is Garrafão Peak, at 1200 meters (3937 ft) above sea level.People
With a total population of 32,224 (2005), Santa Maria de Jetiba is considered one of the last significant Pomeranian-Low-German-speaking communities in the world. Those immigrants (PomeraniansPomeranians (German people)
For other uses, see PomeranianPomeranians are a German people living in Pomerania. In the High Middle Ages, Germans from what is today Northwestern Germany, Danes, Dutch and Flemish people migrated to Pomerania during the Ostsiedlung, gradually outnumbering and assimilating the West Slavic tribes...
), who came from the historical region Pomerania, now part of Germany and Poland where it is known as Pommern and Pomorze respectively.
In Brazil, many Pomeranians also established communities in Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
(see Pomerode
Pomerode
Pomerode is a Brazilian city in the state of Santa Catarina, in Southern Brazil. It is located in the valley of the Itajaí-Açu river, not very far from the city of Blumenau, one of the largest cities in the state....
) and Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
(see Arroio do Padre
Arroio do Padre
Arroio do Padre is a small Brazilian town and municipality in the southeastern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its 2009 population was 2,882.Much of the population have Pomeranian origin and are Evangelical Lutheran....
). Santa Maria de Jetibá is a place where the people still speak solely Pomeranian in their day-to-day life. Due to the isolation of this community, most of the members of the community live in very poor conditions. Due also to financial constraints by the state, very little investment in education is forthcoming, and the language barrier persists to be a real problem for the community. This also hinders their future prospects, of course, by them not having proper education, thus a reasonable expectation in the work market. Those communities are mainly rural.