Alegrete
Encyclopedia
Alegrete is a town
and a municipality
in Rio Grande do Sul
located in southern Brazil
. Its medium altitude is 102 m. Its estimated population in 2008 was 78,984 inhabitants and the total area is 7,803.967 km² (the largest municipality
of the State). Its inhabitants are called Alegretenses.
Alegrete was settled in 1816 and became a municipality in 1857. It is the hometown of the abolitionist leader Franklin Gomes Souto
, of the politician, diplomat and statesman Osvaldo Aranha, first President of the United Nations General Assembly
, and of the Brazilian poet Mário Quintana
. Every September 20 (War of the Farrapos Day), about 8,000 young, adult and old horsemen and horsewomen parade through its streets, using their native costumes and riding their horses with trappings.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in 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...
located in southern 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...
. Its medium altitude is 102 m. Its estimated population in 2008 was 78,984 inhabitants and the total area is 7,803.967 km² (the largest municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of the State). Its inhabitants are called Alegretenses.
Alegrete was settled in 1816 and became a municipality in 1857. It is the hometown of the abolitionist leader Franklin Gomes Souto
Franklin Gomes Souto
Franklin Gomes Souto was a Brazilian lawyer, politician and abolitionist.Souto earned a degree from the Law School of São Paulo in 1865. Back to his hometown of Alegrete, State of Rio Grande do Sul, he represented, pro bono, dozens of slaves pleading for freedom in Brazilian courts...
, of the politician, diplomat and statesman Osvaldo Aranha, first President of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, and of the Brazilian poet Mário Quintana
Mario Quintana
Mario de Miranda Quintana , was a Brazilian writer and translator. He became known as the poet of "simple things", and his style is marked by irony, profundity and technical perfection. The main themes of his poetry include death, the lost childhood and time...
. Every September 20 (War of the Farrapos Day), about 8,000 young, adult and old horsemen and horsewomen parade through its streets, using their native costumes and riding their horses with trappings.