Rio Grande do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul is translated to “Great River of the South” and is acclaimed for being the chief winemaker in Brazil. It has a total area of 281 748.54 square kilometres or 108 784 square miles. It has a population of more than 10.5 million people. Being situated on the southernmost tip of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul shares a border with Uruguay. It is also bordered by Argentina, Santa Catarina and the azure waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Originally, the land of Brazil was occupied by semi-nomadic tribes, dubbed Amerindians, who farmed and hunted to survive. However, when the Europeans began their global explorations, South America became of interest to them, promising political power and valuable resources. Portugal colonised much of Brazil. However, other European powers, such as Spain, fought for control, creating an environment of warfare and danger, not only for those directly involved in the battles, but for the Amerindian natives and African slaves as well. Some of the significant wars and battles that took place in this South

The Montenegro Canyon in Rio Grande do Sul.

American state include:

• The Guarani Wars
• Guerra da Cisplatina (Argentina–Brazil War)
• Guerra dos Farrapos
• The Paraguay War
• The 1893 Revolution
• The 1923 Revolution
• The 1930 Revolution

During the 19th century, Rio Grande do Sul experienced some major changes in its economy and, therefore, its resources and infrastructure. This further resulted in an enormous population explosion between 1872 and 1890, largely due to the immigrants flooding into the area in search of work.

The areas in the north of the state are characterised by the elevated plateau on which they lie. From this plateau, a number of low mountains stretch across the

Jesuit ruins of San Miguel Mission in
Rio Grande do Sul.

state, broken by the grassy plains of the west and the coastal zone of the east. This geographical diversity ensures that Rio Grande do Sul is home to a vast array of plant and animal life. A full third of the state lies in the La Plata drainage basin.

Rio Grande do Sul has a subtropical climate with four distinctive seasons. Summers become very hot, while winters are cold and wet. The coastal belt is occupied by dense evergreen subtropical forests. The interior forests that line the lower part of the plateau slopes are semi-deciduous, which means that many of them are only laden with leaves during spring and summer.

The industrial, service and agricultural sectors make up for the largest contributions to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) respectively. In fact, Rio Grande do Sul is one of the most prosperous states in all of Brazil. Its main exports include footwear, soybeans and tobacco.

Tourists visiting Rio Grande do Sul should see the following attractions:

• The Guarita Beach in Torres.
• The São Miguel or São Miguel Arcanjo ruins
• Bento Gonçlaves - Museum of the Immigrants (Museu do Imigrante)
• Vale das Antas Old-Time Railway Museum
• Ferradura Valley
• Hugo Davos Museum
• Lago Negro
• The waterfalls of Cascata da Ronda
• Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra

Here is the Rio Grande do Sul government web site: http://www.rs.gov.br/

And

Here is the Rio Grande do Sul tourism web site: http://www.turismo.rs.gov.br/