Chui Stream
Encyclopedia
This article is about the South American stream. For the Central Asian Chu, Chui or Chuy River in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, see Chu River
.
The Chuí or Chuy Stream (Portuguese
: Arroio Chuí, Spanish
: Arroyo Chuy) is a short stream on the Brazil
-Uruguay
border that is widely known as Brazil's southernmost point.
It rises in a small swamp
in the sand
y coastal plain
s of far southern state of Rio Grande do Sul
, Brazil
, runs initially southward, then turns east before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean
. In its final course, the stream marks the last stretch of the Brazilian border with Uruguay
. In Brazil, it lies mostly in the municipality of Santa Vitória do Palmar
, with a short section in Chuí
. The Uruguayan side belongs to the city of Chuy
, in the department
of Rocha
.
The Chuí is only a few tens of kilometres long and its water volume is unimpressive; indeed, this is why it is called an arroio or arroyo, which respectively in that region's local variants of Brazilian Portuguese
and Rioplatense Spanish
mean "stream." It would be unremarkable, were it not for the fact that Arroio Chuí is known throughout Brazil and mentioned in all Brazilian Geography schoolbooks as being the country's southernmost point. The actual extreme point is on a bend of the stream approximately 2.7 km (1.7 mi) upstream from its mouth on the sea, near the twin coastal villages of Barra do Chuí (Brazil) and Barra del Chuy
(Uruguay), at 33°45′03.49"S 53°23′40.90"W.
The stream is mentioned in the widespread Brazilian Portuguese expression "do Oiapoque ao Chuí" ("from the Oiapoque
to the Chuí [rivers]"), referring to the fact that the mouths of these bodies of water are commonly thought to be the country's two extreme points in the North and South. Actually, they are only the extremities of the Brazilian coast. The saying has approximately the same meaning as the American
expression "from coast to coast" - i.e., it is used to refer to something that encompasses the whole country.
The mouth of the Chuí Stream also marks the southern end of Cassino Beach
, the world's longest uninterrupted stretch of sandy ocean shore, stretching over 240 km (149.1 mi) from the stone breakwaters of Rio Grande
in the northern end.
Chu River
"Chui River" redirects here. For the South American Chuí or Chuy River, on the Brazil-Uruguay border and Brazil's southernmost point, see Chuí River. For the Nam Sam River or Chu River, on the Lao-Vietnam border, see Nam Sam River....
.
The Chuí or Chuy Stream (Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: Arroio Chuí, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Arroyo Chuy) is a short stream on the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
-Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
border that is widely known as Brazil's southernmost point.
It rises in a small swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
in the sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
s of far southern state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, runs initially southward, then turns east before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. In its final course, the stream marks the last stretch of the Brazilian border with Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. In Brazil, it lies mostly in the municipality of Santa Vitória do Palmar
Santa Vitória do Palmar
Santa Vitória do Palmar is a city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. To the west of the municipality is the Lagoa Mirim and beyond that is Uruguay; to the east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the north is the city of Rio Grande...
, with a short section in Chuí
Chui
-Places:In Kyrgyzstan:*Chui Province*Chui RiverIn South America:*Chuí, Rio Grande do Sul*Chui Stream, on the Brazil-Uruguay borderIn SwahiliChui means Leopard...
. The Uruguayan side belongs to the city of Chuy
Chuy
Chuy is a town in the extreme east of Uruguay, in the Rocha Department, northeast of Montevideo. It lies on the border with Brazil, separated from its Brazilian sister town of Chui only by a shared avenue that serves as the border, and by the Arroyo Chuy to the east...
, in the department
Departments of Uruguay
||Uruguay consists of 19 departments :# Artigas . Formed in 1884 from part of Salto Department. The only department to border both Argentina in the west and Brazil in the north and east.# Canelones . One of the original 6 departments created in 1816...
of Rocha
Rocha Department
Rocha is a department in the east of Uruguay. It has natural beauties like Cabo Polonio, Valizas, Santa Teresa. Rocha is well known for its beach towns which swell during the summer holidays...
.
The Chuí is only a few tens of kilometres long and its water volume is unimpressive; indeed, this is why it is called an arroio or arroyo, which respectively in that region's local variants of Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
and Rioplatense Spanish
Rioplatense Spanish
Rioplatense Spanish or River Plate Spanish is a dialectal variant of the Spanish language spoken mainly in the areas in and around the Río de la Plata basin of Argentina and Uruguay, and also in Rio Grande do Sul, although features of the dialect are shared with the varieties of Spanish spoken...
mean "stream." It would be unremarkable, were it not for the fact that Arroio Chuí is known throughout Brazil and mentioned in all Brazilian Geography schoolbooks as being the country's southernmost point. The actual extreme point is on a bend of the stream approximately 2.7 km (1.7 mi) upstream from its mouth on the sea, near the twin coastal villages of Barra do Chuí (Brazil) and Barra del Chuy
Barra del Chuy
Barra del Chuy is a resort in the Rocha Department of southeastern Uruguay. Its name means Mouth of Chui . It is the last coastal resort of Uruguay, bordering Brazil to the southeast with the stream Arroyo Chui as the natural border...
(Uruguay), at 33°45′03.49"S 53°23′40.90"W.
The stream is mentioned in the widespread Brazilian Portuguese expression "do Oiapoque ao Chuí" ("from the Oiapoque
Oyapock River
The Oyapock or Oiapoque River is a 370-km long river in South America that forms most of the border between French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá...
to the Chuí [rivers]"), referring to the fact that the mouths of these bodies of water are commonly thought to be the country's two extreme points in the North and South. Actually, they are only the extremities of the Brazilian coast. The saying has approximately the same meaning as the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
expression "from coast to coast" - i.e., it is used to refer to something that encompasses the whole country.
The mouth of the Chuí Stream also marks the southern end of Cassino Beach
Praia do Cassino
Praia do Cassino is located adjacent to the city of Rio Grande, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is commonly known in Brazil as the longest beach in the world , stretching from the Molhes in Cassino beach to nearly Chuí, on...
, the world's longest uninterrupted stretch of sandy ocean shore, stretching over 240 km (149.1 mi) from the stone breakwaters of Rio Grande
Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande is the oldest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and also the former state capital from 1835 to 1845...
in the northern end.
See also
- Extreme points of Brazil
- ChuíChui-Places:In Kyrgyzstan:*Chui Province*Chui RiverIn South America:*Chuí, Rio Grande do Sul*Chui Stream, on the Brazil-Uruguay borderIn SwahiliChui means Leopard...
- nearby Brazilian city - ChuyChuyChuy is a town in the extreme east of Uruguay, in the Rocha Department, northeast of Montevideo. It lies on the border with Brazil, separated from its Brazilian sister town of Chui only by a shared avenue that serves as the border, and by the Arroyo Chuy to the east...
- nearby Uruguayan city - Santa Vitória do PalmarSanta Vitória do PalmarSanta Vitória do Palmar is a city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. To the west of the municipality is the Lagoa Mirim and beyond that is Uruguay; to the east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the north is the city of Rio Grande...
- Brazilian municipality in whose territory most of the Chuí stream lies
External links
- Barra del Chuy (in Spanish) - site of the neighbouring Uruguayan beach resort village, with many photographs of the mouth of the Chuí and neighbouring beaches and villages on both the Brazilian and Uruguayan sides.