Dourados is a 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...

ian city, situated in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul

Mato Grosso do Sul

Mato Grosso do Sul is one of the states of Brazil.Neighboring Brazilian states are Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay and Bolivia to the west. The economy of the state is largely based on agriculture and cattle-raising...

, 225 km (140 mi) Southwest of Campo Grande

Campo Grande

-Climate:Campo Grande has a highland tropical climate, semi-humid, hot, and notably seasonal, with a dry winter season from May through September or October. Under the Koppen climate classification Campo Grande features a tropical wet and dry climate, albeit a noticeably cooler version of the...

 (the state's capital). It has a population of approximately 200,000 inhabitants, and its economy is based mainly in arable agriculture (particularly Soya, Maize and Sugar Cane) and in cattle ranching. Dourados is also the second most populous and important city of this state.

Its media, commerce, and services more than take care of the thirty cities of Mato Grosso do Sul, including a part of Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

. For its size and importance, it is an economic and social capital of a region that possesses approximately a million inhabitants (Vestibule of the Mercosul - the Common Market of the South).

Its development was slow until the first half of the 20th century, because of transportation limitations(highways and roads), especially with Campo Grande

Campo Grande

-Climate:Campo Grande has a highland tropical climate, semi-humid, hot, and notably seasonal, with a dry winter season from May through September or October. Under the Koppen climate classification Campo Grande features a tropical wet and dry climate, albeit a noticeably cooler version of the...

 and the State of São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

. From 1950, it increased its development with the construction of roads. With this, it received migrants from other parts of the country (especially Sulistas and São Paulo) and immigrants (mainly Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese). The city has a close relationship with Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

 its next door neighbor, which is 120 km (74.6 mi) away. This is a strong factor in the ethnic and cultural union between the city and the neighboring country. This explains why 30% of the inhabitants of Dourados have some Paraguayan family link.

Fun

Dourados has a modern shopping mall with 191 stores and 500 parking spaces. This city also offers to its citizens recreational parks and squares.

Dourados is well-served with many other shops, including those selling top Brazilian jeanswear brands such as Forum, Triton and Ellus and the middle-market clothes and homewares store Riachuelo.

There are nightclubs and many restaurants in the city centre which offer a broad range of cuisines including a number of Churrascaria

Churrascaria

A churrascaria is a Brazilian steakhouse. Churrasco is the cooking style, which translates roughly from the Portuguese for 'barbecue'.-History:...

s (Churrasco

Churrasco

Churrasco is a Portuguese and Spanish term referring to beef or grilled meat more generally, differing across Latin America and Europe, but a prominent feature in the cuisines of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and other Latin American countries...

 is most commonly beef but also lamb and pork carved at the table from joints on skewers) as well as Pizza parlours and numerous places catering to the substantial Japanese community.

On Saturday night and Sunday morning there is a large open-air market (Feira) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Dourados_Market.jpg offering locally produced fruits and vegetables. Pineapples, water melons and bananas are all good and you'll find a wide range of salad and root vegetables alongside Japanese specialities such as radishes and soy cakes,

At the Feira you will also find restaurants providing Brazilian and Japanese food as well as stalls selling popular local delicacies such as Sugarcane juice

Sugarcane juice

Sugarcane juice is the juice extracted from pressed sugarcane. It is consumed as a beverage worldwide, and especially in regions where sugarcane is commercially grown such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America....

 (Caldo de Cana), Doce de Leite (a type of caramel made from milk and sugar and cooked until it is either a thick syrup or it can formed into fudge-like pieces) and Cocada (coconut and condensed milk cooked until either sticky or hard).

Many locals make regular trips to the Paraguayan border town of Ponta Porã

Ponta Porã

Ponta Porã is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Its population is 68,317 and its area is 5,329 km²...

/Pedro Juan Caballero

Pedro Juan Caballero

Pedro Juan Caballero may refer to:*Pedro Juan Caballero , leader of Paraguayan independence*Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay, a city...

 where they are able to buy relatively low-cost low-duty imported items such as electronic goods, perfumes and designer clothing.

Education

Dourados has five universities, and more than 200 schools, and is considered an education pole of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

• Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS)
• Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (UFGD)
• Centro Universitário da Grande Dourados (UNIGRAN)
• Faculdades da Anhanguera (UNIDERP)
• Universidade Paulista (UNIP - Interativa)

Sports

Clube Recreativo Desportivo 7 de Setembro

Clube Recreativo Desportivo 7 de Setembro

Clube Desportivo 7 de Setembro, commonly known as 7 de Setembro, is a Brazilian football team based in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul state.-History:The club was founded on September 7, 1994, hence the club's name...

 and Ubiratan Esporte Clube

Ubiratan Esporte Clube

Ubiratan Esporte Clube, commonly known as Ubiratan, is a Brazilian football club based in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul state. They won the Campeonato Sul-Matogrossense three times, competed in the Série B twice and in the Série C three times.-History:...

 are two football clubs based in the city. Both clubs play at Estadio Fredis Saldivar. Another stadium located in the city is named Estádio Napoleão de Souza.

Transportation

Dourados is served by Francisco de Matos Pereira Airport

Dourados Airport

Francisco de Matos Pereira Airport is the airport serving Dourados, Brazil.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:...

located 14km from downtown Dourados.