Região Sul: Rio Grande do Sul
by Tray
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Rio Grande do Sul is a quiet state full of hidden natural beauty
in the southernmost part of Brazil. With four unique borders the states finds
itself locked between Argentina, Uruguay, the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina
and the Atlantic Ocean. This makes the Rio Grande a perfect hub for the
adventurer.
With roughly 11 million people Rio Grande de Sul is one of
the more populated states in Brazil. Its capital is Porto Alegre however the
real hear of the state is more inland in the highlands and the plains.
Geography
Much of the beauty of Rio Grande do Sul yields itself to the
geography of the state. Its distrinctive mix of different geographic features
mix. In the Northeast are the dense tropical highlands of the Serras Gaúchas,
thick with vegetation and rain. In the Southwest is the Parana Plateau, which
is part of the vast Pampas grassland region. Created by a volcanic lava plane, the
solidified lava flow left a fertile soil rich in minerals. This makes the
region especial useful for livestock and farming, 16% of the state’s economy.
Many grains, vines and meats support the Brazilian economy and its exports. While
the on the east coast, the beaches find themselves border by thick subtropical
forests
Cultural Background
People from Rio Grande do Sul are sometimes called gaúchos.
Gaúchos are South American cowboys. Because of the presence of the grasslands
region a unique gaucho culture influences the folklore of the area. The first European
influences were from Spanish Jesuits. Ruins of their missions can still be seen
the in the Northwestern region of the state in São Miguel das Missões. Later on
Italian and German immigrants in the 1800’s came looking to claim farm land
from the newly independent Brazilian country. Because of the this some cities
are uniquely European in style. Additionally, the Hunsrückisch dialect, a mixture
of German and Portuguese vocabulary with Portuguese grammar was created by the German
sharecroppers who worked mostly on coffee agriculture and pig farms. Italian immigrants
came a few decades later, recruited by Brazilian immigration officers to use
the regions for wineries. Much of Brazilian wine comes from this area. Additionally,
on the border regions Spanish and Portuguese relations has led to the local
dialect of Portunhol
Food.
Because of the abundance of livestock in the Rio Grande do
Sul region it is contended to have the best meat in Brazil. The style of cuisine
in the region is called churrascos. It is a simple meat and vegetable style
of cooking which roasts the meat. It relies heavily on the quality of the meat
from the region, giving it most of its taste. In the US this style is emulated
in most Brazilian steakhouses. In addition this state is also known for its
herbal drink, Chimarrão, Brazils
version of yerba mate.
Gramado
This is the most visited city in Rio Grande do Sul. It has
heavy European influence in its architecture and food. Many Brazillians tour
though here as a way to experience a European city while still being in Brazil.
The city offers many beautiful views and romantic river views. Many are drawn
to the popular film festival which features films from around South America.
Canela
A close by city and a common excursion site for travelers. It
holds many outdoor activities such as hiking, rafting and rockclimbing. Parque
Estadual do Caracol, Parque da Ferradura
and the Rio Paranhana all offer great outdoor fun and beauty.
If you are looking to travel to Rio Grande do Sul the
hottest times of year are dezembro- janeiro
with highs in the mid 80’s and winter is maio-agosto with lows in the 60’s. The
tropical climate makes visiting great anytime of the year. However, be aware that
the tropics also means humidity. Maio- julho
are the most humid with percentages ranging from 70-80%. fevereiro and outubro
are the rainiest months and janeiro and julho are the driest, but not my much. It rains
about 6-9 days out of the month so expect to get a rainy day or two when you
visit.
Questions:
What interests you most about Rio Grande do Sul?
What is similar or different from other Brazilian States and Rio Grande do Sul?
References
https://theworldelsewhere.com/2016/03/15/germans-and-italians-in-the-highlands-of-brazils-far-south/
Obrigada! I appreciate your information about Rio Grande do Sul. I had not heard of the Hunsrückisch dialect before your post. I don't think I have never tried Brazilian wine. I liked reading the history of the area with the immigrants. I would love to visit Gramado sometime. I looked into the city and it looks stunning.
ReplyDeleteWhat interest me the most about Rio Grande do Sul is the intersection of outdoor activities, European influence, local customs, and diverse geography. One big difference I see is the gaúcho influence. The food and mate seem to be very similar to the gaúcho Uruguay, which borders Rio Grande do Sul.
Oi Beth,
DeleteI'm also interested in the European influence; it's amazing how everything is related. Reading through the different posts I can see that there is a great relationship between Brazil and Uruguay and it makes me think that it is a similar relation as the US has with Mexico, or at least from San Diego - Tijuana.
olà Tray
ReplyDeleteI would love to visit the Northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul to take a step back and explore the ruins of the Spanish Jesuits. I would love to learn more about the first European influences in this region. Thank you for the information! Its extraordinary how some Rio Grande do Sul cities are completely European in style. Again, mini Italy? Mini Germany? The best of Brazil and the best of European worlds.
I wouldn't mind living in the border regions. I do well with Portunhol. (lol) =)
Oi Tray,
DeleteI thought the same thing about mini European cities. And I'm also intrigue about the Spain traits and similarities.
I was excited to read that this region offers outside fun as well. The parks and outdoor activities offered by the city are outstanding. I wouldn't mind a great view while hiking! =)
ReplyDeleteI think that I would visit this region during the months of dezembro and janeiro. It would be a challenge with the warm temperatures to go hiking
What interest me the most about Rio Grande do Sul is the European influence in its architecture and food. Also its geography and how this influences traditions/ customs. When it comes to similarities I love the fact this region also has parks and outdoor activities such as hiking just like the other Brazilian regions.
December and January are in the summer. Sometimes it snows in the winter in the south.
DeleteOi compaheiros,
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how Brail is full of European influence. During this week we saw a great influence from Italy and Germany at Santa Catarina, and now we see a great influence of the Spain culture in Rio Grande do Sul. The weather in Rio Grande is the opposite as San Diego weather. Our summer months are Maio - Agosto while in Brazil it is winter time.
Bom dia! Thanks for all of this information on Rio Grande do Sul. I think the thing that interests me most about Rio Grande do Sul is of course the food. I love meat and would love to try churrascos. From the information I gathered about churrascos, it uses a variety of meats, pork, sausage and chicken which to me sounds like heaven. I think several of the cities we have learned about offer extracurricular activities outside in beautiful places surrounded by nature. Rio Grande do Sul differs from the other cities with one major distinction being the geography where the different regions have different climates which are useful for different types of natural resources.
ReplyDeleteI think the most interesting thing is the European influence. Even though all regions of Brazil have seen there share of European migrations, the fact that there were so many Italian and German migrants to this specific area is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you pointed out that it would be a good place to visit since it has so many international borders and also lies in a unique spot geographically. I agree that it would be a fantastic place to visit. The portunhol is icing on the cake, as that is what I tend to speak.
Boa noite!
ReplyDeleteThe food sounds amazing! That definitely sounds the most interesting to me. I wonder if Fogo de Chao is truly authentic when you're talking about brazilian steak. It would be interesting to compare the two!
Canola sounds like a fun place to explore. I have never rock climbed before, but it would be fun to try new things. It looks like a beautiful place to relax and enjoy nature! How pretty.
Thank you for sharing!
This is an amazing place. The border between Rio Grande do Sul and Uruguay, my home country, is just a street. It is very easy to cross over the border and visit cities like Chuí and Uruguaiana. People go there, especially to Chuí to buy cheaper goods. Also, many people in this area speak a fusion of Portuguese and Spanish called portuñol or portunhol.
ReplyDeleteOi!
ReplyDeleteNot gonna lie, I'm very intrigued by the idea of Brazilian wine, especially given the quality of other Latin American wines from nearby Argentina and Chile. It was also very interesting to learn about the regions history involving European immigrants, especially the German dialect Hunsrückisch. Garmado and it's film festival are particularly intriguing, although I would certainly love to venture outside of the main cities and do some hikes in varied wilderness areas as well.
Well, I think I have already more or less answered your first question, but as for the second, Rio Grande do Sul seems to share quite a bit with regards to its European roots with another state we looked at this week: Santa Catarina, although the latter seems significantly more urban.
Olà
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a very interesting place to visit in Brazil, full of influences and culture. I did not know that there was such thing as a Hunsrückisch dialect before I read this. The geography also seems to be a little different than the other Brazilian states, which are known for their beaches. I would like to go hiking during a period when it is not too humid.
Olà Tray!
ReplyDeleteIguazu seems a savage place! I know it is not. Every time I see photos of that place my memory makes me jump to an 80's movie: The Mission. It is about a group of Spaniards and Jesuits that travel into the Guarani country (area between Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina) to expand Catholicism. One of the best scenes is when the group walks up the falls. Anyways, I would like to visit just to eat meat and experience more the Gaucho traditions.