From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul
Município de Rio Grande Population (2006 est.)[1]
- Total 196,982
- Density 70/km2 (181.3/sq mi)
Time zone UTC -3 (UTC-3)
DST)
- Summer (DST) UTC -2 (UTC-2)
HDI (2000) 0.878 – high
Rio Grande (lit. "Large River") is the oldest city in the
Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and also the former
state capital from 1835 to 1845. It is the most important
port city in the state and has one of the most important
maritime ports in Brazil.
The city is named after a nearby channel which indi-
rectly connects the Lagoa dos Patos, to the northeast, and
Lagoa Mirim, to the west, with the Atlantic Ocean. The
municipality is bordered by Santa Vitória do Palmar on
the south and Pelotas on the north, which lies across the
Flag
São Gonçalo Channel.
The city built up its wealth over the course of its long
Seal
history of strong industrial movements. Today it is still
Nickname(s): Noiva do mar (Bride of the Sea)
one of the richest cities in Rio Grande do Sul, principal-
ly because of its port, the second busiest in Brazil, and its
refinary, which processes Ipiranga petroleum.
The city is served by Rio Grande Airport.
History
Coordinates: 32°02′06″S 52°05′55″W / 32.035°S 52.09861°W /
-32.035; -52.09861Coordinates: 32°02′06″S 52°05′55″W /
32.035°S 52.09861°W / -32.035; -52.09861
Country Brazil
Region Sul
State Rio Grande do Sul
Founded 1737
A schooner in Lagoa dos Patos, in a municipal fair named Festa
do Mar.
Incorporated 1835
Government The history of Rio Grande is as old as the history of the
- Mayor Fábio Branco (PMDB) whole region. It was explored by Portuguese sailors led
Area by Martim Afonso de Sousa who sought fortified places
- Total 2,814 km2 (1,086.5 sq mi) along the southern Brazilian coast for a defense against
Elevation 1 m (3 ft) the French corsairs. He discovered the tributary which
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul
indirectly connects the Lagoa dos Patos and Lagoa Mirim
to the Atlantic Ocean and called the place Rio Grande de
Geography
São Pedro (lit. "Large River of St. Peter").
In 1669, the Portuguese established a colony further
down the South American coastline along the Río de la
Plata, which they called Colônia do Sacramento. With
the first permanent Portuguese settlement in the region,
livestock was introduced and began to spread far and
wide over the territory. With the new settlers, the Por-
tuguese decided to make a church-sanctioned settlement
and, in 1736, created the Freguesia de São Pedro which
covered what is today all of Uruguay and Rio Grande do
Sul.
The city of Rio Grande was founded in 1737 by Bri-
gadier General José da Silva Pais and his men to defend
Portugal’s territory. The Jesus Maria e José Fort was con-
structed, which was built on the site of the future city. Dock stretching into the Lagoa dos Patos from the Ilha dos
Marinheiros
The fort was transformed into a town when colonists
from the Azores and Madeira arrived in the 1750s. In
Rio Grande, as the name suggests, is a littoral city, which
1751, the growing colony became the Village of Rio
boasts what many call the longest beach in the
Grande de São Pedro. In 1760, Rio Grande de São Pedro,
world—the Praia do Cassino. This beach is approximately
which was formerly governed from Santa Catarina be-
250 km (155 mi) of uninterrupted Atlantic coastline. The
came its own captaincy, a type of administrative division.
entire municipality lies at a very low altitude—at its high-
est point only 10 meters (33 ft) above sea level. Addition-
ally, the city, which is surrounded by water, sinks about
one centimeter every year.
The city is named after its 24-mile long tidal channel
which indirectly mingles the waters of the Lagoa dos
Patos and Lagoa Mirim with the Atlantic Ocean. The
largest and most populous island in the Lagoa dos Patos
is the Ilha dos Marinheiros, which is part of the munici-
pality.
For the most part, Rio Grande is made up of fields
of low and herbacious vegetation, characteristic of the
Uruguayan savanna. There are also planted trees, mostly
eucalyptus and pine. Sand dunes are found all up and
An Anglican church in the city down the coastline.
The climate of Rio Grande is subtropical and mild,
In 1763 the village was occupied by the Spanish. After with a strong oceanic influence and relatively cool win-
constant disputes, Portugal reconquered the village in ters, warm summers and regular precipitation all year.
1776, thanks to the actions of General Rafael Pinto Ban- The average temperature in the city is 17.6°C (63.7°F) and
deira. However, when the fortress was taken by Spanish the average annual precipitation is 1,162 mm (45.75 in).
troops, many families fled to Viamão and established The hottest month is January, with an average tempera-
around its port the city of Porto Alegre. ture of 22°C (71.6°F). The coldest month is July, with an
During the War of Tatters, Rio Grande became a city average temperature of 13°C (55.4°F), but due to intense
and the province’s capital all at once. In 1835, revolu- winds in the city, the wind chill temperature frequently
tionary General Bento Gonçalves da Silva forced Antônio drops to 6°C (42°F).
Rodrigues Fernandes Braga, the provincial president, to
flee from Porto Alegre to Rio Grande, a journey of about Sister city
200 km. The city remained the province’s seat of govern-
ment until the revolution’s end in 1845. • Águeda,
Águeda Portugal
References
• (Portuguese) Virtual Rio Grande
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul
• (Portuguese) Ilha dos Marinheiros • (Portuguese) Rio Grande Federal University - FURG
• (Portuguese) Rio Grande Port
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande,_Rio_Grande_do_Sul"
Categories: Municipalities of Brazil, Populated coastal places in Rio Grande do Sul, Populated places established in 1737
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