It is located approximately 250 km south of the state capital São Luís.

The city proper has a population of 104,633 (IBGE 2018 estimate).

[1] It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacabal.

[2] 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.

This Maranhão, Brazil location article is a stub.