Salvador da Bahia, located on the Atlantic coast in northeastern Brazil, has 2.1 million inhabitants. Due to the strong slave presence during the Colonial period, Salvador has a strong African influence, including religious and spiritual practices, cuisine, and ethnic dynamics. Today Salvador is a booming city and its historical and ethnic diversity can be noted in the city’s architecture and layout: old parts of the city are next to modern complexes. The CIEE Study Center is located on a bustling square, 2 de Julho, located near Pelourinho, the historic center of the city.