Rio Jiquiriçá is a significant river system flowing through the semi-arid interior of Bahia, Brazil, originating on the Planalto de Maracás approximately 5 kilometers north-northeast of the town of Maracás. From its headwaters, the river travels more than 200 kilometers before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean, draining a watershed of roughly 6,900 square kilometers. The river passes through a region of remarkable environmental diversity, transitioning between zones of Mata Atlântica forest, semi-arid caatinga, and transitional ecosystems shaped by varying rainfall and elevation. This ecological variety — combined with the river's status as the only watercourse in the upper and middle portions of the basin that maintains permanent flow year-round — makes Rio Jiquiriçá a distinctive and ecologically important waterway in the state of Bahia.