Itabuna is a city in Bahia, Brazil. Located around 14°47′09″S 39°16′48″W, it's the 6th city in Bahia, after Salvador, Feira de Santana, Vitória da Conquista, Juazeiro and Ilhéus in size of population, with an estimative of 209,211 inhabitants in 2006. The city covers a total area of 443.2 km². Itabuna became a city separated from Ilhéus in 1910. In 1978, the city became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Itabuna.
Economy
Itabuna is a regional center of commerce, industry and services, along with its neighbour Ilhéus. Its economic importance grew during the golden era of cocoa cultivation. Thanks to its fertile soil, the city became the second biggest producer of cocoa in Brazil, exporting to the United States and Europe. After the devastation of crops caused by the fungus Crinipellis perniciosa (which causes a disease known as witch's broom), which led to a profound crisis in its economy, the city began to search a diversification of its economical activities. Nowadays, Itabuna one of the most important tradepoints located along BR-101 Highway in Bahia.
