 Through history, its municipal territory has been successively reduced due to demographic increase.By the end of the 19th century, the Municipality of Praia occupied the southern half of the island, while the northern half was the (larger than present) Municipality of Santa Catarina.In 1971, the two northernmost parishes of the Municipality were split off to become the Municipality of Santa Cruz, and the parish of São Salvador do Mundo became part of the municipality of Santa Catarina.