Pombal (Province)

Pombal is a province in the southwestern region of Maracatibe. It is one of the most recent provinces, having been created after independence, in 1948, the year in which the north of Montité gave rise to Pombal and Ibiraúna. Its population is only 671,390 inhabitants (2020), making Pombal one of the least populous province of Maracatibe, second only to Serra Verde. The capital and largest city of Pombal is a homonymous city, with 241,700 inhabitants. It is the province with the highest concentration of inhabitants in the municipality of the capital.

Pombal's economy develops around and tropical, but recently, policies to attract factories have led to the installation of rubber products, textile and electronics assembly industries. Pombal was one of the provinces that suffered the most from the Maracatibean Conflict, as well as the other southern provinces. This was one of the factors, added to the lack of large investments, which makes the province one of the least developed in the country.

Its is 15 points below the national average, and per capita income is also small compared to other provinces. Almost 40% of the population does not have access to, and a third does not have access to. Most of the Pombal roads are not paved nor maintained. It is the only province that is not crossed by a railway line. Reflecting the regional inequalities in Maracatibe, many inhabitants of Pombal went to other more developed provinces, which is why it is one of the provinces that has grown least since its creation.

Main locations


Due to its low territorial extension and small population, Pombal has only 14 municipalities, being the smallest number among the Maracatibean provinces. The 14 municipalities of Pombal, in order of population are:
 * Pombal
 * Estrela do Oeste
 * Figueiredo
 * Albares
 * Canto
 * Francoso
 * Magola
 * Vigeri
 * Estabaira
 * Cartagena Pombalina
 * Santa Maria de Pombal
 * São Miguel da Floresta
 * Paloma
 * Ribeirão da Divisa

The capital, largest city and largest economic center is the city of Pombal, located in the center of the province, 241,700 people, live there. It is the main tourist spot in the region. The city of Pombal is quite old, having been founded in 1656, and at that time it was the most inland city founded by Jungastians in Maracatibe. All other cities in Pombal have less than 100 thousand inhabitants, the most important being Estrela do Oeste, located on the border, with 93.467 inhabitants, Figueiredo, located north of Pombal, with 60.578 inhabitants and Albares, another city on the border, with 56.567 inhabitant. It is in Estrela do Oeste that the westernmost point of Maracatibe is located.