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PORTO

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 123 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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PORTO ALEG'RE, a See also:

city and See also:port of See also:Brazil, See also:capital of the See also:state of Rio Grande do Sul, at the See also:northern extremity of Lag&a dos Patos on the eastern See also:shore of an See also:estuary called Rio Guahyba, about 16o m. from the port of Rio Grande do Sul at the entrance to the See also:lake. The See also:population which contains a large See also:foreign See also:element, chiefly See also:German and See also:Italian, was returned as 73,574 by the See also:census of 1900, including some outlying districts not within See also:urban limits. The municipio (See also:commune), which has an See also:area of 931 sq. m., had a population of nearly roo,000; including a large number of prosperous colonists. The railway from Porto Alegre to Novo Hamburgo and Taquara (55 m.) affords an outlet for some of the older German colonies. The railway from Porto Alegre to See also:Uruguayana is completed from Margem da Taquary to Cacequy, 232 M. Its starting point, Margem da Taquary, is about 8o m. from the city, with which it is connected by See also:river steamers. An See also:extension of the railway is projected from Margem da Taquary to See also:Neustadt on the Novo Hamburgo See also:line, and will give the city See also:direct railway connexion with the See also:principal cities of western and See also:southern Rio Grande do Sul. The Rio Guahyba, which is not a river, was once called " Viamao " because its outline is roughly that of the human See also:hand, the See also:rivers entering the estuary at its See also:head corresponding to the fingers. The See also:lower channels of these rivers (the Gravaty, Sinos, Cahy, Jacuhy and Taquary) are all navigable and bring considerable See also:trade to the port. Its foreign trade is limited to See also:light-See also:draught steamers able to See also:cross the See also:bar at the entrance to the lake. The city occupies a See also:tongue of See also:land projecting into the estuary, and extends along its shores and back to a See also:low wooded See also:hill. Its site, as seen from the See also:water, is attractive, though its larger See also:part is an almost level See also:plain.

There are pleasant suburbs along the shore and farther inland (Floresta, Gloria, Moinhos de Vento, i.e. " Windmills," Navigantes and Partenon). The See also:

climate is sub-tropical, cool and bracing in See also:winter but insufferably hot in summer. The mean See also:annual temperature is slightly under 69° F., the See also:average maximum being a little over 82° and the average minimum 59°. The annual rainfall is about 302 in. The city is regularly laid out with broad, straight, well-paved streets, in See also:great part lined with shady trees. The waterside streets, however, follow the See also:curve of the See also:beach. There are several public squares and gardens, the more important being the Praca Harmonla, the Praca d'Alfandega, Praca da Independencia and the Parque, where an exposition was held in 1901. The public water See also:supply is See also:drawn from a range of hills 6 m. distant and is considered See also:good. Porto Alegre, like many Brazilian cities, is in a transition See also:stage, and handsome new structures of See also:French and Italian styles rise from among the low, heavy and plain old buildings of Portuguese origin. See also:Brick and broken See also:stone are chiefly used in the walls, which are plastered out-See also:side and tinted. Tiles are used for roofing, and on See also:modern edifices See also:stucco ornamentation is lavishly employed.

The most noteworthy public buildings are the See also:

Cathedral (Porto Alegre being the see of a See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:bishop), the handsome See also:church of Nossa Senhora das Dores, the municipal See also:palace, school of See also:engineering, See also:government palace, legislative halls, school of See also:medicine, See also:athenaeum, normal school and public library and military See also:barracks. One of the hospitals—that of Caridade—is the largest in the state. The city is the See also:chief commercial centre of the state and has shipyards for the construction of river and lake vessels. It manufactures See also:cotton fabrics, boots and shoes, See also:iron See also:safes and stoves, carriages, See also:furniture, See also:butter and See also:cheese, See also:macaroni, preserves, candles, See also:soap and See also:paper. Porto Alegre was founded in 1743 by immigrants from the See also:Azores and was at first known as Porto dos Cazaes. Owing to the occupation of the southern part of the captaincy by the Spaniards, See also:Governor Jose Marcellino de Figuereido selected this See also:village in 1770 as his See also:official See also:residence and gave to it the name itnow bears. It was made a See also:villa in 1803: and in 1807, when Rio Grande do Sul was made a captaincy-See also:general, the See also:transfer of the capital from Rio Grande to Porto Alegre was officially recognized. In 1822 it was raised to the See also:rank of a city, and in 1841, as a See also:reward for its See also:loyalty in revolutionary See also:wars of that See also:province, it was distinguished by the See also:title of leal e valorosa (loyal and valorous). The first German immigrants to See also:settle near Porto Alegre arrived in 1825, and much of its prosperity and commercial See also:standing is due to the German element.

End of Article: PORTO

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