Is a small community of some 13,200 inhabitants nestled in the foothills of the Chapada Diamantina a mountainous area in central Bahia, so called because it was the scene of extensive diamond mining during the 19th century. The name "Lençois" means "sheets" and there are two theories as to the name's origin. One is that the tents of the garimpeiros (prospectors) were stretched out in such quantities that viewed from above they looked like sheets. The other is that the name arose from the broad sheets of rock that make up the bed of the extremely shallow Rio Lençois (Lençois River). The colonial architecture of the town has come under the protection of Brazil's federal government and the town retains its real-life character. It (together with the surrounding area) has also come to draw visitors (Brazilian and international) and an infrastructure of numerous and varied restaurants and hotels and pousadas has arisen to serve travellers' needs.