Macaúbas, Brazil

With a population of just 34,558, Macaúbas is a sleepy backwater in the Brazilian state of Bahia. The town grew up around a 17th century chapel, but has since lost significant territory to surrounding municipalities. While the region boasts natural attractions like the Macaúbas mountain range, the area suffers from persistent bureaucratic headaches - a legacy of its partitioning over the decades. Locals of mixed indigenous and Portuguese descent predominate, with few Black residents, as the city historically lacked the wealth to sustain a large slave population. Overall, Macaúbas offers a quiet, rural pace of life, but may prove frustrating for those accustomed to modern conveniences and efficient governance.