With a population of 4,300 people, according to the latest Census, Contendas do Sincorá is among the 10 smallest towns in Bahia, ranking 412th out of 417 municipalities. This also makes it the town with the smallest population to receive the tracks of the West-East Integration Railway (FIOL 1), a project being developed by BAMIN in the state.
But Contendas do Sincorá is proof that size is relative. Made up of a hospitable and resilient population, the municipality is only 62 years old and, even though it is young, it already has a rich history marked by progress. Until 1926, on the site of the town, there was only the Riachão farm. That same year, when excavations began for the tracks of the Viação Férrea Federal Leste Brasileiro, the first houses in the town were built.
In 1928, with the inauguration of that section of the railroad, disagreements arose between those responsible for the work as to where the station should be built. This feud gave rise to the name ″Contendas″, with which the population came to call the town. As it was bathed by the River Sincorá, it soon became Contendas do Sincorá. It was only elevated to the category of municipality in 1961, with territory dismembered from Ituaçu.
With an area of 977.455 km², the municipality has a National Forest, FLONA Contendas do Sincorá. Created in 1999, the area covers approximately 11,000 hectares, is situated in an area of the caatinga biome and is part of the Rio de Contas basin. Previously, it was known as Fazenda Extrema and its main activity was charcoal extraction. Today, with much of the flora and fauna already regenerated, it is a sustainable use unit managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, which as well as conserving, has the mission of encouraging environmental education, making the site a reference in preservation.
