Santa Maria de Jetibá

Santa Maria de Jetibá is a municipality in the highlands of Espírito Santo in southeastern Brazil, situated at approximately 720 meters elevation. Coffee plantations and dairy farms cover the surrounding landscape, shaping both the local economy and the environment.

The settlement began in 1857 when Pomeranian immigrants traveled upriver from Vitória and established communities in the region. These newcomers created a distinctive society that has maintained its heritage across generations.

The community preserves a strong German heritage through the continued use of East Pomeranian language in daily life alongside Portuguese, visible in local traditions and family customs. This bilingual reality shapes how neighbors communicate and how regional celebrations are observed.

The municipality is connected by roads to surrounding cities and offers lodging and dining options for visitors. The hilly terrain means travelers should expect varied landscape and elevation changes when moving around the area.

This place remains one of the few communities globally where East Pomeranian functions as a primary daily language for much of the population. The continuation of this speech pattern draws attention from language researchers studying endangered linguistic traditions.

Location: Espírito Santo

Elevation above the sea: 720 m

Shares border with: Santa Leopoldina, Domingos Martins

Website: http://pmsmj.es.gov.br

GPS coordinates: -20.04083,-40.74583

Latest update: December 20, 2025 12:25