| São Bento, Maranhão | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
Avenida Newton Bello, São Bento | |
 Location in Maranhão | |
| Country |  |
| Region | Nordeste |
| State | Maranhão |
| Mesoregion | Norte Maranhense |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
São Bento, Maranhão is a municipality in the state of Maranhão in the Northeast region of Brazil. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The municipalities of Brazil are administrative divisions of the Brazilian states. At present, Brazil has 5,570 municipalities, making the average municipality population 34,361. The average state in Brazil has 214 municipalities. Roraima is the least subdivided state, with 15 municipalities, while Minas Gerais is the most subdivided state, with 853.
The Federative Republic of Brazil is a union of 27 Federative Units : 26 states and one federal district. The states are generally based on historical, conventional borders which have developed over time. The Federal District cannot be divided into municipalities, according to the Brazilian Constitution, the Federal District assumes the same constitutional and legal powers, attributions and obligations of the states and municipalities, instead, it is divided by administrative regions.
Maranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighboured by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent inside the common Northeastern Brazilian dialect. Maranhão is described in books such as The Land of the Palm Trees by Gonçalves Dias and Casa de Pensão by Aluísio Azevedo.
The municipality contains a small part of the Baixada Maranhense Environmental Protection Area, a 1,775,035.6 hectares (4,386,208 acres) sustainable use conservation unit created in 1991 that has been a Ramsar Site since 2000. [5]
The Baixada Maranhense Environmental Protection Area is an environmental protection area in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. It includes large areas of wetlands, and was designated a Ramsar site in 2000. The traditional population lives in the area, but human activities are regulated in an effort to preserve the environment.
