Pelotas
Encyclopedia
Pelotas is a Brazil
ian city and municipality (município), the third most populous
in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul
. Pelotas is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre
, the capital city of the state, and 130 km (80.8 mi) from the Uruguay
an border. The Lagoa dos Patos
lies to the east and the São Gonçalo Channel
lies to the south, separating Pelotas from the city of Rio Grande
.
In the 19th century, Pelotas was Brazil's
leading center for the production of dried meat (charque), a staple food made by slaves and destined to feed the slaves of sugarcane
, coffee
and cocoa plantations across the country.
Currently Pelotas hosts two major universities, the Federal University of Pelotas
, and the Catholic University of Pelotas
. Together, they account for a population of 22 thousand higher education students.
The city has three football clubs: Esporte Clube Pelotas
(founded 1908), Grêmio Esportivo Brasil
(also known as Brasil de Pelotas; founded 1911) and Grêmio Atlético Farroupilha
(founded 1926).
. In 1763, fleeing the Spanish invasion, many inhabitants of the village Rio Grande
sought refuge in the land belonging to Osório. Later, there also came refugees from Colônia do Sacramento
, which had been handed over by the Portuguese to the Spanish in 1777.
In 1780, the Portuguese rancher José Pinto Martins established himself in Pelotas. The prosperity of his establishment stimulated the creation of other ranches and growth in the region, creating a population that would define the early city.
The Civil Parish of São Francisco de Paula, founded on June 7, 1812, by Father Pedro Pereira de Mesquita, was elevated to the category of town on April 7, 1832. Three years later, in 1835, the town was declared a city, bearing the name Pelotas.
In Brazil, 'pelota' can refer to a leather raft, and the name of the city comes from the boats made of cockspur coral tree
covered with animal skins, used to cross rivers in ranching times.
In the first years of the 20th century, progress was stimulated by the Banco Pelotense (Bank of Pelotas), founded in 1906 by local investors. Its liquidation, in 1931, was devastating to the local economy.
In 1990, the Urban Conurbation
of Pelotas was created as a result of a state law. In 2001, it became the Urban Conurbation of Pelotas and Rio Grande, and in 2002 the Urban Conurbation of the South. The goal is to integrate the participating towns and is the embryo of a future metropolitan region including the towns os Arroio do Padre
, Capão do Leão, Pelotas, Rio Grande
and São José do Norte
, which have a total population of around 600,000 inhabitants.
(Southeastern Mountain Ranges). Consequently, the altitude in Pelotas' rural area reaches 429 meters (1,407.4 ft) in the Quilombo district
.
The city stretches to the Laranjal, a bairro
on the coast of the Lagoa dos Patos. Beyond the coastal regions Santo Antônio and Valverde, the area also has an even more remote area, the Balneário dos Prazeres (popularly known as Barro Duro, lit. "hard mud"), and Colônia Z-3, a fishing village that primarily explores the art of shrimping
.
or temperate
(Cfa
), very similar to Sydney
, Australia
.
Summers are warm with regular rainfall. Winters are cool with relatively frequent frost
s (about 24 per year) and fog
.
The hottest month is January with an average temperature of 23 °C (73.4 °F), and the coldest month is July with an average temperature of 12 °C (53.6 °F). The wettest month is February with 145 mm (5.7 in) of precipitation. The average annual temperature in the city is 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) and the average annual precipitation is 1,379 mm (54.29 in), with rain regularly falling all year long. The relative humidity
is very high (with an annual average around 80%). There is a popular saying that Pelotas could be the second most humid city in the world, losing only to London
.
An interesting meteorological occurrence was the first snow
fall, which occurred on July 8, 1994 in Pelotas from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm Before this date, there had never been any record of snow in the city. The phenomenon was weaker in the urban parts of the city, and did not cover the ground. However, the snowfall was more intense further inland, in districts such as Cascata and Quilombo, and was able to cover the vegetation in a white blanket. Snow grains
were recorded in Pelotas on September 4, 2006, on September 5, 2008, and on August 3, 2010.
On August 1, 1955, the city recorded a temperature of -3.4 °C (26 °F), the lowest recorded temperature. This low was recorded in the urban area of the city, and since the interior of the municipality has a higher altitude, the temperature there must have been lower. The highest recorded temperature in Pelotas was 41 °C (105 °F), on January 8, 2006, registered at Pelotas International Airport
.
The larger part of rural Pelotas is made up of grassland
s, with low and herbaceous vegetation (pampa). Small groves of cultivated trees (Babylon willow, eucalyptus
, pine
, cypress
, acacia
, poplar
and platanus
) and native trees (Cockspur coral tree
and araucaria angustifolia
) are also found. Pelotas is 55 km (34 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean
, and possesses a beach along the Lagoa dos Patos, called Laranjal. In the vicinity of the beach one can find quagmires and sand dunes.
. The streams Quilombo and Caneleiras drain the city. They meet to form the Arroio de Pelotas, which flows into the São Gonçalo Channel
.
(1865–1916), author of Cancioneiro Guasca (1910), Contos Gauchescos (1912) and Lendas do Sul (1913); Hipólito José da Costa, the founder of the printing press in Brazil; the painter Leopoldo Gotuzzo, whose works have surpassed the borders of Pelotas, winning awards and expositions even in Europe; and Antônio Caringi (1905–1981), an internationally-recognized sculptor.
Also from Pelotas are the poet Lobo da Costa (1853–1888), the lyrical singer Zola Amaro (1891–1944), the singers and composers Kleiton & Kledir
and Vitor Ramil
, the actress Glória Menezes
, and the football players Emerson Ferreira da Rosa
and Daniel Carvalho.
. More than 300,000 people come to the annual event, which began in 1986. Formerly held in different locations each year, today it is always celebrated in the Centro Internacional de Cultura e Eventos (International Center of Culture and Events).
, coming mostly from the Azores
, something which profoundly influenced the culture of the city, especially in its architecture and cuisine.
Another important immigration was that of the Germans
(the majority from Pomerania
— see Pomeranians
), even though they preferred to settle in rural areas, unlike the Portuguese, who settled in the city itself. Also worthy to mention are other ethnicities that settled in Pelotas, such as Africans
(descendents of slaves, mainly from Angola
), Italians
, Poles
, French
, Jews, Lebanese Arabs
, etc. The number of descendants from indigenous peoples
, despite being unknown, is probably very small.
In a 2005 study there were 280,897 whites, 34,172 blacks, 25,395 of mixed ethnicities, 998 native Brazilians, 498 Asians, and 998 with an unknown ethnicity.
, followed by Protestant religions (especially among the people of German origin), such as Evangelical Lutheran
and Anglican
sects. In recent times there has also been a growing number of Jehovah's Witnesses
and Latter-day Saints. Other noteworthy religions include Spiritism
and Afro-Brazilian ritualism (such as Umbanda
and Candomblé
).
s, mostly Lebanese (erroneously referred to as turcos, or Turks
), and a few other foreigners.
The region is the largest producer of peach
es for the country's storehouse industry, along with other products such as asparagus
, cucumber
, fig
and strawberries
. The city also is a great producer of rice
and cattle
products. Pelotas produces more milk
than anywhere else in the state.
Pelotas has industries tied to agriculture
, textile, leather tanning
and bread-making
. Reforestation
for the production of paper
and cellulose
has been a rising economic activity in the whole region.
The city is a large commercial center in the region, attracting shoppers to its sidewalk and neighborhood galleries and shops.
The rural area, also called the "colony", due to the fact that German immigrants built isolated farming communities there, is characterized by the production of fruit, rice, and livestock.
In times past the production of charque, or dried beef, was economically important. The work was usually done by slaves. The charqueadas, as the livestock ranches were called, are still popular tourist attractions, the most famous being the Charqueada Santa Rita and the Charqueada São João.
, which was originally built in 1930, serves 130,000 passengers annually with two runways. It is located in the neighborhood of Três Vendas.
The city also has a bus system, a port on the shores of the São Gonçalo Channel
, and the junction of two major highways (BR-116 and BR-392) nearby.
One example of the many monuments in the city is a fountain called, As Três Meninas, which came from France in 1873, and was placed in the center of the city.
The largest monument in Pelotas is the iron Caixa d'água, which is located in the Piratinino de Almeida Plaza, and is the only one of its kind in all of Latin America. It was constructed in 1875, and still holds the daily surplus of water in the city. It sits atop 45 columns, and all of its pieces are made of iron. It has forms that are reminiscent of Asian architecture, though all of the materials used in construction were imported from France.
The architecture of the city is distinguished by its churches, the Grand Hotel and the Public Market.
The construction of the Public Market was initiated in 1847 and finished in 1853, although between 1911 and 1914 there was a renovation. Its design was fashioned after the Neoclassical
style, and was affected by Art Nouveau
after 1970 when the building was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt. On it there is a clock tower and an iron lighthouse, imported from Hamburg
, Germany, an allusion to the Eiffel Tower
.
The Great Hotel was inaugurated in 1928. The building has four floors, presented in the Art Nouveau style. Today the building is closed and belongs to the city government.
The Church of the Redeemer, also known as the "Shaggy Church", is the headquarters of the Brazilian Episcopalian Church of the Anglican Communion, and became known for its characteristic vegetal covering. It opened its doors in 1892. Its tower is 27 meters tall, and its stained-glass windows are from New York City
.
The São Francisco de Paula Cathedral is considered the city's most important religious edifice, due to its size, beauty and the works of art found within its interior. Its construction began in 1813. The cathedral shelters the image of São Francisco de Paula, by an unknown artist, which was brought from Colônia do Sacramento
.
The painter Aldo Locatelli, came from Italy especially to make the frescoes on the ceiling and walls of the cathedral, at the invitation of Dom Antônio Záttera, bishop of Pelotas at the time. Although Locatelli would choose to stay in Rio Grande do Sul and make many other important works in Brazil, including paintings and murals, this is considered his greatest work, together with the passion at the Church of São Pelegrino in Caxias do Sul
.
Also deserving attention is the Museum of the Baroness, which was constructed in the 19th century, occupying an area of approximately 7 hectares, possessing 22 parts and an interior patio. Lining it all were many cultivated and varied gardens.
In Pelotas there are still nine sculptures of Antônio Caringi, considered the best gaúcho sculptor. Among them are: Oferenda, 1942, in bronze, located in the Ecumenical Cemetery São Francisco de Paula; Monumento ao Colono, 1958, in bronze and granite, in the Primeiro de Maio Plaza; Monumento ao Bispo Dom Joaquim Ferreira de Mello, 1942, in bronze and granite, on the Avenue Dom Joaquim; Sentinela Farroupilha, 1935, in bronze, 20 de Setembro Plaza; As Três Idades do Trabalho, in granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Plaza; Dr. Luiz Pereira Lima, 1958, in bronze, Piratinino de Almeida Plaza; Monumento ao Coronel Pedro Osório, 1954, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Plaza; Monumento à Mãe, 1968, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Plaza; Monumento ao Dr. José Brusque 1968, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Plaza.
, Ceará
state, Brazil
(2005) Aveiro, Portugal
(1996) Colonia del Sacramento
, Uruguay
(2005) Suzu
, Japan
(1963)
There are five neighborhoods (bairros) in Pelotas and nine districts:
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 and municipality (município), the third most populous
Largest cities in Rio Grande do Sul by population
Largest cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil by population, in descending order:-References: , Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, Accessed on 2007-03-20....
in the 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...
. Pelotas is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, the capital city of the state, and 130 km (80.8 mi) from the 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...
an border. The Lagoa dos Patos
Lagoa dos Patos
Lagoa dos Patos is the second largest lagoon in Latin America and the biggest in Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. It is 174 miles long, has a maximum width of 44 miles , and a total area of 3,803 sq. mi....
lies to the east and the São Gonçalo Channel
São Gonçalo Channel
The São Gonçalo Channel is a navigable channel connecting two large coastal lagoons, Lagoa Mirim and Lagoa dos Patos, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. At its eastern end, it separates the municipalities of Rio Grande to the south from Pelotas to the north....
lies to the south, separating Pelotas from the city 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 19th century, Pelotas was Brazil's
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...
leading center for the production of dried meat (charque), a staple food made by slaves and destined to feed the slaves of sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and cocoa plantations across the country.
Currently Pelotas hosts two major universities, the Federal University of Pelotas
Universidade Federal de Pelotas
The Universidade Federal de Pelotas is a higher-learning facility with campuses in Pelotas and Capão do Leão in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.- Distinguished faculty members :...
, and the Catholic University of Pelotas
Universidade Católica de Pelotas
The Universidade Católica de Pelotas is a private and non-profit Catholic university, located in Pelotas, one of the more southern cities of the country. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazilian universities...
. Together, they account for a population of 22 thousand higher education students.
The city has three football clubs: Esporte Clube Pelotas
Esporte Clube Pelotas
Esporte Clube Pelotas, usually known simply as Pelotas, is a Brazilian football club in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. The club competed several times in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B and in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, and won the Campeonato Gaúcho in 1930...
(founded 1908), Grêmio Esportivo Brasil
Grêmio Esportivo Brasil
Grêmio Esportivo Brasil, also known as Brasil de Pelotas, is a Brazilian football team in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul.-History:Grêmio Esportivo Brasil was founded after a divergency between players and directors of Sport Club Cruzeiro do Sul, which was supported and managed by employees of...
(also known as Brasil de Pelotas; founded 1911) and Grêmio Atlético Farroupilha
Grêmio Atlético Farroupilha
Grêmio Atlético Farroupilha, commonly known as Farroupilha, is a Brazilian football club based in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul state. They won the Campeonato Gaúcho once. The club was formerly known as Grêmio Atlético do 9° Regimento.-History:...
(founded 1926).
History
The history of the city begins in June 1758, through a donation that Gomes Freire de Andrade, Count of Bobadela, made to Colonel Thomáz Luiz Osório, giving him land that lay on the banks of the Lagoa dos PatosLagoa dos Patos
Lagoa dos Patos is the second largest lagoon in Latin America and the biggest in Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. It is 174 miles long, has a maximum width of 44 miles , and a total area of 3,803 sq. mi....
. In 1763, fleeing the Spanish invasion, many inhabitants of the village 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...
sought refuge in the land belonging to Osório. Later, there also came refugees from Colônia do Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...
, which had been handed over by the Portuguese to the Spanish in 1777.
In 1780, the Portuguese rancher José Pinto Martins established himself in Pelotas. The prosperity of his establishment stimulated the creation of other ranches and growth in the region, creating a population that would define the early city.
The Civil Parish of São Francisco de Paula, founded on June 7, 1812, by Father Pedro Pereira de Mesquita, was elevated to the category of town on April 7, 1832. Three years later, in 1835, the town was declared a city, bearing the name Pelotas.
In Brazil, 'pelota' can refer to a leather raft, and the name of the city comes from the boats made of cockspur coral tree
Erythrina crista-galli
Erythrina crista-galli is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, most notably in California...
covered with animal skins, used to cross rivers in ranching times.
In the first years of the 20th century, progress was stimulated by the Banco Pelotense (Bank of Pelotas), founded in 1906 by local investors. Its liquidation, in 1931, was devastating to the local economy.
In 1990, the Urban Conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
of Pelotas was created as a result of a state law. In 2001, it became the Urban Conurbation of Pelotas and Rio Grande, and in 2002 the Urban Conurbation of the South. The goal is to integrate the participating towns and is the embryo of a future metropolitan region including the towns os Arroio do Padre
Arroio do Padre
Arroio do Padre is a small Brazilian town and municipality in the southeastern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its 2009 population was 2,882.Much of the population have Pomeranian origin and are Evangelical Lutheran....
, Capão do Leão, Pelotas, 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...
and São José do Norte
São José do Norte
-See also:*List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul...
, which have a total population of around 600,000 inhabitants.
Geography
Topography
As it is situated on a plain near the ocean, the urban area lies on a low elevation, being, on average, 7 meters (23 ft) above sea level. The interior of the municipality is on a plateau called Serras de SudesteSerras de Sudeste
The Serras de Sudeste Microregion is a micro-region in the southern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is named after a hill range named Serras de Sudeste, which means Southeastern Mountain Ranges...
(Southeastern Mountain Ranges). Consequently, the altitude in Pelotas' rural area reaches 429 meters (1,407.4 ft) in the Quilombo district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
.
The city stretches to the Laranjal, a bairro
Bairro
Bairro is a Portuguese word and refers to a community or region within a city or municipality. Bairros exist in the majority of large cities in the world. Related words in English include neighborhood, district, borough or subdivision...
on the coast of the Lagoa dos Patos. Beyond the coastal regions Santo Antônio and Valverde, the area also has an even more remote area, the Balneário dos Prazeres (popularly known as Barro Duro, lit. "hard mud"), and Colônia Z-3, a fishing village that primarily explores the art of shrimping
Shrimp fishery
A shrimp fishery is a fishery directed toward harvesting either shrimp or prawns. .-Commercial shrimping:...
.
Climate
The climate of Pelotas is humid subtropicalHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
or temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
(Cfa
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), very similar to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Summers are warm with regular rainfall. Winters are cool with relatively frequent frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
s (about 24 per year) and fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
.
The hottest month is January with an average temperature of 23 °C (73.4 °F), and the coldest month is July with an average temperature of 12 °C (53.6 °F). The wettest month is February with 145 mm (5.7 in) of precipitation. The average annual temperature in the city is 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) and the average annual precipitation is 1,379 mm (54.29 in), with rain regularly falling all year long. The relative humidity
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
is very high (with an annual average around 80%). There is a popular saying that Pelotas could be the second most humid city in the world, losing only to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
An interesting meteorological occurrence was the first snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
fall, which occurred on July 8, 1994 in Pelotas from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm Before this date, there had never been any record of snow in the city. The phenomenon was weaker in the urban parts of the city, and did not cover the ground. However, the snowfall was more intense further inland, in districts such as Cascata and Quilombo, and was able to cover the vegetation in a white blanket. Snow grains
Snow grains
Snow grains are a form of precipitation characterized as:*white, opaque grains of ice*very small Snow grains are a form of precipitation characterized as:*white, opaque grains of ice*very small...
were recorded in Pelotas on September 4, 2006, on September 5, 2008, and on August 3, 2010.
On August 1, 1955, the city recorded a temperature of -3.4 °C (26 °F), the lowest recorded temperature. This low was recorded in the urban area of the city, and since the interior of the municipality has a higher altitude, the temperature there must have been lower. The highest recorded temperature in Pelotas was 41 °C (105 °F), on January 8, 2006, registered at Pelotas International Airport
Pelotas International Airport
Pelotas International Airport is the airport serving Pelotas, Brazil.It is operated by Infraero.-History:On June 22, 1927 the city of Pelotas received the first official commercial passenger flight operated by the first Brazilian airline, Varig, founded only a month earlier...
.
Vegetation
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, with low and herbaceous vegetation (pampa). Small groves of cultivated trees (Babylon willow, eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, cypress
Cypress
Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
, acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
, poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
and platanus
Platanus
Platanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae....
) and native trees (Cockspur coral tree
Erythrina crista-galli
Erythrina crista-galli is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, most notably in California...
and araucaria angustifolia
Araucaria angustifolia
Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine or Brazilian pine , is a species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Covering an original area of 233000 km², it is native to southern Brazil Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine or Brazilian pine , is a species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Covering an...
) are also found. Pelotas is 55 km (34 mi) from 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...
, and possesses a beach along the Lagoa dos Patos, called Laranjal. In the vicinity of the beach one can find quagmires and sand dunes.
Hydrography
Pelotas is part of the watershed of the Camaquã RiverCamaquã River
-References:*...
. The streams Quilombo and Caneleiras drain the city. They meet to form the Arroio de Pelotas, which flows into the São Gonçalo Channel
São Gonçalo Channel
The São Gonçalo Channel is a navigable channel connecting two large coastal lagoons, Lagoa Mirim and Lagoa dos Patos, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. At its eastern end, it separates the municipalities of Rio Grande to the south from Pelotas to the north....
.
Famous people
Pelotas is the birthplace and home of many nationally famous people, like the regional writer João Simões Lopes NetoJoão Simões Lopes Neto
João Simões Lopes Neto was a Brazilian regionalist writer of Rio Grande Do Sul born March 9, 1865. After some unsuccessful business ventures he married at 27. He only wrote four works of note, but nevertheless had a strong importance to Brazilian regionalist writing...
(1865–1916), author of Cancioneiro Guasca (1910), Contos Gauchescos (1912) and Lendas do Sul (1913); Hipólito José da Costa, the founder of the printing press in Brazil; the painter Leopoldo Gotuzzo, whose works have surpassed the borders of Pelotas, winning awards and expositions even in Europe; and Antônio Caringi (1905–1981), an internationally-recognized sculptor.
Also from Pelotas are the poet Lobo da Costa (1853–1888), the lyrical singer Zola Amaro (1891–1944), the singers and composers Kleiton & Kledir
Kleiton & Kledir
Kleiton & Kledir are a duo of Brazilian singers and songwriters, composed of brothers Kleiton Ramil and Kledir Ramil. They are also brothers of singer-songwriter Vitor Ramil.- Biography :...
and Vitor Ramil
Vitor Ramil
Vitor Ramil is a musician, singer, composer and writer from Brazil.- Discography :*Estrela, Estrela *A Paixão de V Segundo Ele Próprio *Tango - re-edited in CD on 1996*À Beça...
, the actress Glória Menezes
Glória Menezes
Nicelde Soares Magalhães, known as Glória Menezes, is a Brazilian actress.- Filmography :* A Favorita - Irene*A estranha Clementine - Clementine...
, and the football players Emerson Ferreira da Rosa
Emerson Ferreira da Rosa
Émerson Ferreira da Rosa , simply known as Emerson, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. He had 73 caps for Brazil from 1997 to 2006.-Grêmio:...
and Daniel Carvalho.
Places of interest
The Public Library of Pelotas was founded in 1875, and constructed with materials brought over from Europe. Pelotas has two theatres, the Sete de Abril and the Guarani Theatre. The Sete de Abril, which was constructed in 1831, is one of the most traditional theatres in Brazil. The city boasts three museums: the Carlos Ritter Museum of Natural History, the Leopoldo Gotuzzo Museum of Art, and the Museum of the Baroness.Events
One major attraction is the Fenadoce, a display of sweets prepared from traditional 18th century Portuguese recipesPortuguese cuisine
Portuguese cuisine is characterised by rich, filling and full-flavored dishes and is closely related to Mediterranean cuisine. The influence of Portugal's former colonial possessions is also notable, especially in the wide variety of spices used. These spices include piri piri and black pepper, as...
. More than 300,000 people come to the annual event, which began in 1986. Formerly held in different locations each year, today it is always celebrated in the Centro Internacional de Cultura e Eventos (International Center of Culture and Events).
Ethnicities
The first immigrants to the region were the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, coming mostly from the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, something which profoundly influenced the culture of the city, especially in its architecture and cuisine.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(the majority from Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
— see Pomeranians
Pomeranians (German people)
For other uses, see PomeranianPomeranians are a German people living in Pomerania. In the High Middle Ages, Germans from what is today Northwestern Germany, Danes, Dutch and Flemish people migrated to Pomerania during the Ostsiedlung, gradually outnumbering and assimilating the West Slavic tribes...
), even though they preferred to settle in rural areas, unlike the Portuguese, who settled in the city itself. Also worthy to mention are other ethnicities that settled in Pelotas, such as Africans
Afro-Brazilian
In Brazil, the term "preto" is one of the five categories used by the Brazilian Census, along with "branco" , "pardo" , "amarelo" and "indígena"...
(descendents of slaves, mainly from Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
), Italians
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Poles
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Jews, Lebanese Arabs
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, etc. The number of descendants from indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples in Brazil
The Indigenous peoples in Brazil comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to the European invasion around 1500...
, despite being unknown, is probably very small.
In a 2005 study there were 280,897 whites, 34,172 blacks, 25,395 of mixed ethnicities, 998 native Brazilians, 498 Asians, and 998 with an unknown ethnicity.
Religion
In regards to religion, the majority of inhabitants (about 50%) are Roman CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, followed by Protestant religions (especially among the people of German origin), such as Evangelical Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
and Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
sects. In recent times there has also been a growing number of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
and Latter-day Saints. Other noteworthy religions include Spiritism
Spiritism
Spiritism is a loose corpus of religious faiths having in common the general belief in the survival of a spirit after death. In a stricter sense, it is the religion, beliefs and practices of the people affiliated to the International Spiritist Union, based on the works of Allan Kardec and others...
and Afro-Brazilian ritualism (such as Umbanda
Umbanda
Umbanda is an Afro-Brazilian religion that blends African religions with Catholicism, Spiritism and Kardecism, and considerable indigenous lore....
and Candomblé
Candomblé
Candomblé is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion, practised chiefly in Brazil by the "povo de santo" . It originated in the cities of Salvador, the capital of Bahia and Cachoeira, at the time one of the main commercial crossroads for the distribution of products and slave trade to...
).
Economy
The economy of Pelotas is mostly agricultural and commercial. The latter is largely represented by ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s, mostly Lebanese (erroneously referred to as turcos, or Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
), and a few other foreigners.
The region is the largest producer of peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es for the country's storehouse industry, along with other products such as asparagus
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...
, cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
, fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
and strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
. The city also is a great producer of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
products. Pelotas produces more milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
than anywhere else in the state.
Pelotas has industries tied to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, textile, leather tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
and bread-making
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
. Reforestation
Reforestation
Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation....
for the production of paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
and cellulose
Cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
has been a rising economic activity in the whole region.
The city is a large commercial center in the region, attracting shoppers to its sidewalk and neighborhood galleries and shops.
The rural area, also called the "colony", due to the fact that German immigrants built isolated farming communities there, is characterized by the production of fruit, rice, and livestock.
In times past the production of charque, or dried beef, was economically important. The work was usually done by slaves. The charqueadas, as the livestock ranches were called, are still popular tourist attractions, the most famous being the Charqueada Santa Rita and the Charqueada São João.
Transportation
Pelotas International AirportPelotas International Airport
Pelotas International Airport is the airport serving Pelotas, Brazil.It is operated by Infraero.-History:On June 22, 1927 the city of Pelotas received the first official commercial passenger flight operated by the first Brazilian airline, Varig, founded only a month earlier...
, which was originally built in 1930, serves 130,000 passengers annually with two runways. It is located in the neighborhood of Três Vendas.
The city also has a bus system, a port on the shores of the São Gonçalo Channel
São Gonçalo Channel
The São Gonçalo Channel is a navigable channel connecting two large coastal lagoons, Lagoa Mirim and Lagoa dos Patos, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. At its eastern end, it separates the municipalities of Rio Grande to the south from Pelotas to the north....
, and the junction of two major highways (BR-116 and BR-392) nearby.
Architecture
The city was strongly influence by Portuguese aesthetics, visible in its large houses with Portuguese ceramics on the façade. Pelotas is very rich in architectural treasures and monuments.One example of the many monuments in the city is a fountain called, As Três Meninas, which came from France in 1873, and was placed in the center of the city.
The largest monument in Pelotas is the iron Caixa d'água, which is located in the Piratinino de Almeida Plaza, and is the only one of its kind in all of Latin America. It was constructed in 1875, and still holds the daily surplus of water in the city. It sits atop 45 columns, and all of its pieces are made of iron. It has forms that are reminiscent of Asian architecture, though all of the materials used in construction were imported from France.
The architecture of the city is distinguished by its churches, the Grand Hotel and the Public Market.
The construction of the Public Market was initiated in 1847 and finished in 1853, although between 1911 and 1914 there was a renovation. Its design was fashioned after the Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style, and was affected by Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
after 1970 when the building was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt. On it there is a clock tower and an iron lighthouse, imported from Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany, an allusion to the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
.
The Great Hotel was inaugurated in 1928. The building has four floors, presented in the Art Nouveau style. Today the building is closed and belongs to the city government.
The Church of the Redeemer, also known as the "Shaggy Church", is the headquarters of the Brazilian Episcopalian Church of the Anglican Communion, and became known for its characteristic vegetal covering. It opened its doors in 1892. Its tower is 27 meters tall, and its stained-glass windows are from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The São Francisco de Paula Cathedral is considered the city's most important religious edifice, due to its size, beauty and the works of art found within its interior. Its construction began in 1813. The cathedral shelters the image of São Francisco de Paula, by an unknown artist, which was brought from Colônia do Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...
.
The painter Aldo Locatelli, came from Italy especially to make the frescoes on the ceiling and walls of the cathedral, at the invitation of Dom Antônio Záttera, bishop of Pelotas at the time. Although Locatelli would choose to stay in Rio Grande do Sul and make many other important works in Brazil, including paintings and murals, this is considered his greatest work, together with the passion at the Church of São Pelegrino in Caxias do Sul
Caxias do Sul
Caxias do Sul is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, situated in the state's mountainous Serra Gaúcha region. Coordinates: 29°10′0″ S, 51°11′0″ W....
.
Also deserving attention is the Museum of the Baroness, which was constructed in the 19th century, occupying an area of approximately 7 hectares, possessing 22 parts and an interior patio. Lining it all were many cultivated and varied gardens.
In Pelotas there are still nine sculptures of Antônio Caringi, considered the best gaúcho sculptor. Among them are: Oferenda, 1942, in bronze, located in the Ecumenical Cemetery São Francisco de Paula; Monumento ao Colono, 1958, in bronze and granite, in the Primeiro de Maio Plaza; Monumento ao Bispo Dom Joaquim Ferreira de Mello, 1942, in bronze and granite, on the Avenue Dom Joaquim; Sentinela Farroupilha, 1935, in bronze, 20 de Setembro Plaza; As Três Idades do Trabalho, in granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Plaza; Dr. Luiz Pereira Lima, 1958, in bronze, Piratinino de Almeida Plaza; Monumento ao Coronel Pedro Osório, 1954, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Plaza; Monumento à Mãe, 1968, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Plaza; Monumento ao Dr. José Brusque 1968, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Plaza.
Twin towns/sister cities
AracatiAracati
Aracati is a city in the state of Ceará, northeast of Brazil. The population of Aracati is 61,431 . It is part of the microregion of Litoral de Aracati, which is one of the four microregions that make up the macroregion of Jaguaribe. - Notes :...
, Ceará
Ceará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
state, 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...
(2005) Aveiro, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(1996) Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...
, 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...
(2005) Suzu
Suzu, Ishikawa
is a city located at the northeasternmost tip of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa, Japan. The city is the proposed site of the Suzu Nuclear Power Plant; however, in 2003 the proposal was "frozen" until further notice....
, 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...
(1963)
Subdivisions
Districts
- 1st District- Sede
- 2nd District- Colônia Z3
- 3rd District- Cerrito Alegre
- 4th District- Triunfo
- 5th District- Cascata
- 6th District- Santa Silvana
- 7th District- Quilombo
- 8th District- Rincão da Cruz
- 9th District- Monte Bonito