Salvador is Brazil's fourth largest city. In 1996, the city had a population of 2,211,539. Northeastern Brazil is one of the country's most impoverished regions and it is characterized by high birth and infant mortality rates. Many of Salvador's residents are extremely poor and the city suffers from high levels of unemployment and crime. Today the city is often described as the most African in Brazil and boasts a strong Afro-Brazilian culture. This can be seen in its Afro-Brazilian cuisine; the popularity of capoeira, a martial art of Afro-Brazilian origin; and in the widespread practice of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion. Over 1000 Candomblé temples, known as terreiros, are located in the city.
