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RIO GRANDE DO SUL
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RIO GRANDE DO SUL , a See also:southern frontier See also:state of See also:Brazil, bounded N. by the state of See also:Santa Catharina, E. by the See also:Atlantic, S. by See also:Uruguay and W. by Uruguay and See also:Argentina—the Uruguay. See also:river forming the boundary See also:line with the latter. See also:Area, 91,333 sq. m. Pop. (1900) 1,149,070, an increase of 251,615 since 1890. The See also:northern See also:part of the state lies on the southern slopes of the elevated See also:plateau extending southward from Sao Paulo across the, states of See also:Parana and Santa Catharina, and is much, broken by See also:low See also:mountain ranges whose See also:general direction across the trend of the slope gives them the See also:appearance of escarpments.' A range of low mountains extends southward from the Serra do See also:Mar of Santa Catharina and crosses the state. into Uruguay. See also:West of this range is a vast grassy See also:plain devoted principally to stock-raising—the northern and most elevated part being suitable in pasturage and See also:climate for See also:sheep, and the southern for See also:cattle. See also:East of it is a wide coastal See also:zone only slightly elevated above the See also:sea; within it are two See also:great See also:tide-See also:water lakes—Lagoa dos Patos and Lag8a Mirim—which are separated from the ocean by two sandy, partially barren peninsulas. The See also:coast is one great See also:sand See also:beach, broken only at one point—that of the outlet of the two lakes, called the Rio -Grande, which affords an. entrance to navigable inland See also:waters and several ports. There are two distinct river systems in Rio Grande do Sul—that of the eastern slope draining to the tide-water lakes, and that of the La See also:Plata See also:basin draining westward to the Uruguay. Fully one-third of the state belongs to the La Plata drainage basin. The larger See also:rivers of the eastern See also:group are the Jacuhy, Sinos, Cahy, Gravatahy and Camaquam, which flow into the Lagoa dos Patos, and the Jaguarao which flows into the Lagoa Mirim. All of the first named, except the Camaquam, See also:discharge into one of the two arms or estuaries opening into the northern end of Lag8a dos Patos, which is called the Rio Guahyba, though in reality it is not a river. It is broad, comparatively deep and about 35 M. See also:long, and with the rivers discharging into it affords upwards of 200 M. of fluvial See also:navigation. The Jacuhy is one of the most important rivers of the state, rising in the ranges of the Coxilha (Cuchilla) Grande of the See also:North and flowing S. and S.E. to the Guahyba See also:estuary, with a course of nearly 300 M. It .has two large tributaries—the Vaccacahy from the S. and the Taquary from the N.—besides many small streams. The Jaguarao, which forms part of the boundary line with Uruguay, is navigable 26 m., up to and beyond the See also:town of Jaguarao. Of the many streams flowing northward and westward to the Uruguay, the largest are the Ijuhyguass{I, of the plateau region, the Ibicuhy, which has its source in the central part of the state, near Santa Maria, and flows westward to the Uruguay a See also:short distance above See also:Uruguayana and the Quarahim, or Quarahy, which forms part of the boundary line with Uruguay. The Uruguay river itself is formed by the confluence of the Rio das Can6as and Rio See also:Pelotas in about long. 51° 3o' W. With its southern confluent, the Rio Pelotas, which has its source in the Serra do Mar, on the Atlantic coast, it forms the northern and western boundary line of the state down to the mouth of the Quarahim, on the Uruguayan frontier. In addition to the Lag8a dos Patos and Lag8a Mirim there are a number of small lakes on the sandy, swampy peninsulas that See also:lie between the coast and these two, and there are others of a similar See also:character along the northern coast. The largest See also:lake is the Lagoa dos Patos (Lake of the Patos—an See also:Indian tribe inhabiting its shores at the See also:time of the See also:discovery), which lies parallel with the coast-line, N.E. and S.W., and is about 133 M. long exclusive of the two arms at its northern end, 25 and 35 M. long respectively, and of its outlet, the Rio Grande, about 24 M. long. Its width varies from 22 to 36 M. The lake is comparatively shallow and filled with sand See also:banks, making its navigable channels tortuous and difficult. The Lag8a Mirim occupies a similar position farther S., on the Uruguayan frontier, and is about 1o8 m. long by 6 to 22 M. wide. It is more irregular in outline and discharges into Lag8a dos Patos through a navigable channel known as the Rio Sao Goncalo. A part of the lake lies in Uruguayan territory, but its navigation, as determined by treaty, belongs exclusively to Brazil. Both of these lakes are evidently the remains of an See also:ancient depression in the coast-line shut in by sand beaches built up by the combined See also:action of See also:wind and current. They are of the same level as the ocean, but their waters are affected by the tides and are brackish only a short distance above the Rio Grande outlet. Rio Grande lies within the See also:South Temperate zone and has a mild, temperate climate, except in the coastal zone where it is semi-tropical. There are only two well-marked seasons, though the transition periods between them (about two months each) are sometimes described as See also:spring and autumn. The See also:winter months, See also:June to See also:September, are characterized by heavy rains and by See also:cold See also:westerly winds, called minuanos, which sometimes See also:lower the temperature to the freezing point, especially in the mountainous districts. See also:Snow is unknown, but See also:ice frequently forms on inland waters during cold winter nights, only to disappear with the first rays of the See also:sun. In summer, which is nominally a dry See also:season, See also:light rains are See also:common, northerly and easterly winds prevail, and the temperature rises to 95° in the shade. Cases of insolation are not rare. See also:Malaria is unusual and the state has a high reputation for healthiness, though insanitary conditions are responsiole for various diseases in large communities. The See also:principal See also:industry of the state is stock-raising, especially on the southern plains, where large estancias (ranches) are to be found. This industry originated with the Jesuit See also:missions on the Uruguay See also:early in the 17th See also:century, and its development here has been muchthe same as in Argentina and Uruguay. No general effort was made before the loth century to improve the herds by the importation of betfer breeds, and the industry was practically in a state of decay until higher See also:tariff rates were imposed on imported carne secca (jerked See also:beef) toward the end of the 19th century. The export of live-stock is insignificant, the practice being to sell the cattle, to the xarqueadas or saladeros where they are slaughtered for xarque, charqui or carne secca, which is usually prepared by salting and drying in the sun. The jerked beef is largely exported to other Brazilian states for See also:consumption, while the hides and other by-products are exported to See also:Europe and the See also:United States. The importance of the industry is shown in the - exports of 1905, in kilogrammes, viz.: jerked beef, 37,555,951; dry hides, 4,735,987 salted hides, 12,141,799; beef See also:extract, 16,712; ox-See also:tongues, 498,577; See also:tallow, 6,174,189; and large quantities of See also:leather, horns, hoofs, See also:bone-ash and preserved meats. Horses, mules, sheep, goats and See also:swine are - also raised ; the raising of sheep being fostered by the See also:building of woollen factories, and that of swine by the higher duties on imported pork and See also:lard. In some parts of the state See also:agriculture claims much See also:attention, especially in the forested districts of the north where colonies of See also:foreign immigrants have been established. The principal products are See also:wheat, Indian See also:corn, See also:rice, beans, See also:pease, onions, See also:garlic, farinha de mandioca (See also:cassava See also:flour), potatoes, tomatoes, See also:cabbage, See also:fruit, See also:tobacco and peanuts—all of which find a ready See also:market on the coast. Grapes are -grown in several localities (Sao Leopoldo, Alegrete, Bage, &c.) for See also:wine-making, and the industry has become important—the export in 1905 being 2,092,417 litres. The See also:forest products include herva matte or See also:Paraguay, See also:tea (Ilex paeaguayensis), timbers and See also:lumber, and See also:vegetable fibre (crina vegetal). See also:Coal of an inferior quality is See also:mined at Sao Jeronymo, on a small tributary (Arroio dos Ratos) of the Jacuhy river, and has been discovered in other localities. See also:Lime is burned at Caccapava, and at some other places. See also:Gold, See also:copper and See also:iron are said to exist, but are not mined. Considerable progress has been made in manufacturing See also:industries, among whose products are: woollen, See also:cotton and jute textiles, leather, wheat, flour, boots,. shoes and sandals (tamnacos), wines and liquors, See also:beer, See also:macaroni, biscuits and other prepared foods, cigars and cigarettes, hats, matches, See also:soap, candles and wrapping See also:paper. Much of this diversity in See also:production is due to the foreign See also:element in the See also:population. The railway lines in the state are: the See also:Porto Alegre to Novo Hamburgo (27 m.), with an See also:extension to Taquary (28 m.) ; Porto Alegre to Uruguayana, completed from Margem do Taquary See also:Bank of the Taquary) to Cacequy (232 m.) ; Santa Maria to Passo undo (221 M.); Rio Grande to Bage (175 m.), with 14 M. in branches at Rio Grande; an extension from Cacequy to Bage (129 M.); and the Quarahim to Itaquy (109 m.). All these except the last have been taken over by the See also:national See also:government and leased to the Belgian` Compagnie auxiliare de Chemin de Fer au Bresil," which has undertaken to See also:complete the line from Cacequy to- Uruguayana (16, m.), from Margem do Taquary to See also:Neustadt, on the Novo Hamburgo line (6o m.), and some other branches. The Quarahim to Itaquy line belongs to an See also:English See also:company and runs from the Uruguayan frontier, where it connects with the . North-Western of Uruguay, northward to Uruguayana and the See also:naval station of Itaquy. The population in 1900 was 1,149,070. There is a large foreign element: in 1905 the See also:total number of foreigners residing in the state was estimated at 400,000 (not including See also:children See also:born in the See also:country), and of Germans at 250,000. The first See also:German See also:colony was founded in 1824 and settled in 1825 in the See also:rich forested country . N. of Porto Alegre, and many large and prosperous communities have been established since then in spite of the See also:wars and See also:political agitations in the state. Several of these colonies, such as Sao Leopoldo, Novo Hamburgo and See also:Conde d'Eu (now See also:Garibaldi), have become important towns and are no longer under colonial See also:administration. See also:Italian colonies were subsequently established, also with See also:good results, but an Irish colony founded at See also:Monte Bonito, near Pelotas, about 1851, failed completely. The See also:capital of Rio Grande do Sul is Porto Alegre at the northern extremity of Lag8a dos Patos, and its two next most important cities are Rio Grande and Pelotas, both at the southern extremity of the same lake. Among- other important cities and towns, with population returns for 1900, alt Alegrete (11,438), prettily situated in the W. part of the state on the Porto Alegre to Uruguayana railway; Bage (13,463), about 173 M. by See also:rail N.W. of Rio Grande in a picturesque mountainous region, 702 ft. above sea-level; Jaguarao (9000), on a river of the same name and opposite the Uruguayan town of Artigas, with steamboat communication with Rio Grande; Cacapava (8781 in 189o) in a See also:fine grazing See also:district in the central part of the state, 1732 ft. above sea-level; Quarahim, or Quarahy (about 650o), a town of much commercial importance on the Quarahim river opposite the Uruguayan town of Santo Eugenio, and surrounded by a rich grazing country which supports one of the largest saladeros in the state; Sao Leopoldo; Santa Maria da Bocca do Monte; and Uruguayana. The territory was first settled along the Uruguay. river by the See also:Jesuits when they were compelled to abandon their missions on the upper Parana. Between 1632 and 1707, they founded on the E. See also:side of the Uruguay seven missions—all under See also:Spanish See also:jurisdiction—which became highly prosperous, and at the time of their See also:transfer from Spanish to Portuguese See also:rule by a treaty of 1750 had an aggregate population of about 14,000, living in villages and possessing large herds of cattle and many horses. A See also:joint effort of the two See also:powers in 1753 to enforce the treaty, remove the See also:Indians to Spanish territory, and See also:mark the boundary line, led to resistance and a three years' See also:war, which ended in the See also:capture and partial destruction of the missions. On the coast the first recognized See also:settlement—a military See also:post at Estreito, near the See also:present See also:city of Rio Grande—was made in 1737. Before this, and,as early as 168o, according to some chroniclers, the region S. of Santa Catharina was occupied by settlements, or penal colonies, of degradados (banished men) and immoral See also:women from See also:Santos, Sao See also:Vicente and Sao Paulo, and was known as the " Continente de Sao Pedro." In 1738 the territory (which included the present state of Santa Catharina) became the Capitania d'El Rei and was made a dependency of Rio de Janeiro. Territorial disputes between See also:Spain and See also:Portugal led to the occupation by the Spanish of the town of Rio Grande (then the capital of the capitania) and neighbouring districts from 1763 to 1776, when they reverted to the Portuguese. The capture of Rio Grande in 1763 caused the removal of the seat of government to Viamao at the See also:head of Lag8a dos Patos; in 1773 Porto dos Cazaes, re-named Porto Alegre, became the capital. In 18oi See also:news of war between Spain and Portugal led the inhabitants of Rio Grande to attack and capture the seven missions and some frontier posts held by the Spaniards since 1763; since 1801 the boundary lines established by treaty in 1777 have remained unchanged. The districts of Santa Catharina and Rio Grande had been separated in 176o for military convenience, and in 1807 the latter was elevated to the See also:category of a capitania-geral, with the designation of " Sao Pedro do Rio Grande," See also:independent of Rio de Janeiro, and with Santa Catharina as a dependency. In 1812 Rio Grande and Santa Catharina were organized into two distinct comarcas, the latter becoming an independent See also:province in 1822 when the See also:empire was organized. In 1835 a separatist revolution See also:broke out in the province and tasted ten years. It was reduced more through the use of See also:money and favours than by force of arms; but the province had suffered terribly in the struggle and did not recover its losses for many years. An incident in this contest was the enlistment of Garibaldi for a short time with the forces of the separatists. In 1865 a Paraguayan See also:army invaded the state and on the 5th of See also:August occupied the town of Uruguayana. On the 18th of September following, the Paraguayan general (Estigarribia) surrendered without a fight—an unusual occurrence in the remarkable war that followed. Political agitations have been frequent in Rio Grande do Sul, whose See also:people have some-thing of the temperament of their Spanish neighbours, but no important revolution occurred after the " ten years' war " (1835–45) until the See also:presidency at Rio de Janeiro of General Floriano Peixoto, whose See also:ill-considered interference with the state governments led to the revolt of 1892–94, under Gumersindo Saraiva. In this struggle the revolutionists occupied Santa Catharina and Parana, capturing See also:Curityba, but were eventually overthrown through their inability to obtain munitions of war. An incident in this struggle was the See also:death of See also:Admiral Saldanha da Gama,•one of the most brilliant See also:officers of the Brazilian See also:navy and one of the chiefs of the naval revolt of 1893–94, who was killed in a skirmish on the Uruguayan frontier at the See also:close of the war. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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