Bahia gets new mountain classifications as IBGE updates relief map

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) is revising the relief classification for the state of Bahia under its updated Brazilian Relief Classification System (SBCR). Areas previously listed as "serras" will now be designated as mountains because they exceed a 300‑meter altimetric amplitude and display distinct peaks and steep slopes, according to geologist and professor Jémison Santos, a member of the SBCR development team. The change, the result of workshops and symposiums dating back to 2019, modernises Brazil’s geomorphological mapping, improves nomenclature, and is expected to support environmental preservation policies and tourism promotion. Bahia, together with Ceará, ranks among the most mountainous states in Brazil.

A broader overview of Bahia’s terrain highlights its diverse relief—including chapadas, plateaus, depressions, and coastal lowlands—that shapes regional climate, water drainage, agricultural potential, and patterns of human settlement across the state.