Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo (Brazil)

Last modified: 2004-01-24 by joe mcmillan
Keywords: espirito santo | santa teresa | bird (hummingbird) | hummingbird | coffee | valley |
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5:8 by Bruno Paiva I. Lima

• About the Flag of Santa Teresa

• Index of Brazil Pages
• State of Espírito Santo
• Municipal Flags of Espírito Santo
• Brazilian Subnational Flags

Santa Teresa's municipal Flag is composed by a rectangle (1,00 m hign and 1,60 m wide) transversely divided. The upper triangle is sky-blue and the lower one is white. The municipal coat of arms is centered on the flag. Above it are two historic years: 1875, which marks the arrival of the first immigrants (Italians), and 1891, which marks the achievement of municipal status. The coat of arms was created 20 November 1966 and was altered on 13 April 1998. It is composed by three images that represent important elements of the regional culture:

1. The hummingbird (Colibri): Santa Teresa is known as one of the most important sites of bird observation in the world. For years a remarkable naturalist named Augusto Ruschi (1915-1986), considered the leading authority in the world on hummingbirds, studied Santa Teresa's biodiversity, including numerous researches about unique species found in the municipality. Before his death, he acquired permission to be buried in the Santa Lucia biological reserve. Today, his legacy remains accessible through the Mello Leito Museum.
2. Coffee: the center of Santa Teresa's economy since the arrival of the Italian immigrants in 1875, coffee represents a major part of the regional culture.
3. The Cana Valley: one of the most important and prettiest valleys of the region, the Cana has inspired renowned Brazilian authors, like Graa Aranha (the novel Cana and Virgínia Tamanini (the novels Karina and Estrada dos Homens (meaning "Road of the Men"). Its marvelous view is one of Santa Teresa's post cards and touristic spots.