Piranhas
Encyclopedia
Piranhas is a historic city and municipality in the western of the State of Alagoas
, in the Northeast Region of Brazil
. Located on the bank of the São Francisco River
, just at the border with the State of Sergipe
, Piranhas was founded in 1891 and originally named Floriano Peixoto
(in honor of the Army General who was one of the founders of the Republic and later elected President). It was initially named Porto de Piranhas, because a fisherman had caught some piranha
s (a carnivore predator fish) there. In the 30s, Piranhas was attacked several times by the cangaceiro
s, bands of marauders and bandits commanded by the infamous Lampião
, who frequently hid from the police in the rocky outcrops near the city.
Its architecture is late Empire, Northeast style of constructions. Water sports such as catamaran
s, sailboat
s and canoe
s are available at river beaches and lakes, as well tours along the São Francisco using typical paddle steamer
s (gaiolas). Several waterfall
s, the mighty and wide river itself, the semi-arid and rough caatinga
, strange rock formations, and its river gorges are appreciated by tourists and trekkers for their natural beauty.
. Above those falls the São Francisco became navigable again for over 1500km.
In 1881 Piranhas became the start of a railway line which was designed to bypass these obstacles to navigation. The line rose out of the deeply cut valley of the river and then, paralleling it at a distance of several kilometres, set off in a north-westerly direction, before rejoining it further upstream. The line passed through a series of small towns including Olho d'Água das Flores
and Delmiro Gouveia
, before reaching its destination at Petrolândia
, on the banks of the upper São Francisco, and approximately 80km upstream from Piranhas.
From 1881 to 1903 this railway was known as the Estrada de Ferro Paulo Afonso. After this date the line was incorporated successively in two other rail companies before closing finally in 1964. The line was never incorporated physically into any railway network, remaining a single, single track, line from beginning to end. Today the stretch of the abandoned trackbed which climbs up the side of the valley from the centre of Piranhas provides a splendid walking route with spectacular views of the turbulent São Francisco in the valley below and of the Xingó Dam
hydroelectric installation, just upstream of the town.
Today Piranhas can be reached by boat from several ports along the São Francisco, or by car, via a paved road from Maceió (AL-225).
Alagoas
Alagoas is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco ; Sergipe ; Bahia ; and the Atlantic Ocean . It occupies an area of 27,767 km², being slightly larger than Haiti...
, in the Northeast Region of 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...
. Located on the bank of the São Francisco River
São Francisco River
The São Francisco is a river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil...
, just at the border with the State of Sergipe
Sergipe
Sergipe , is the smallest state of the Brazilian Federation, located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of the country. It borders on two other states, Bahia to the south and west and Alagoas to the north, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean...
, Piranhas was founded in 1891 and originally named Floriano Peixoto
Floriano Peixoto
Floriano Vieira de Araújo Peixoto , April 30, 1839, Maceió, Brazil — July 29, 1895, Rio de Janeiro; born in Ipioca , was a Brazilian soldier and politician, a veteran of the War of the Triple Alliance, and the second President of Brazil.-Election and Succession as President:Floriano Peixoto...
(in honor of the Army General who was one of the founders of the Republic and later elected President). It was initially named Porto de Piranhas, because a fisherman had caught some piranha
Piranha
A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
s (a carnivore predator fish) there. In the 30s, Piranhas was attacked several times by the cangaceiro
Cangaço
Cangaço is the name given to a form of "social banditry" in the Northeast of Brazil in late 19th and early 20th centuries. This region of Brazil is known for its aridness and hardships, and in a form of reaction against the domination of the land owners and the government, many men and women...
s, bands of marauders and bandits commanded by the infamous Lampião
Lampião
"Captain" Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, better known as Lampião , was the most famous leader of a Cangaço band, marauders and outlaws who terrorized the Brazilian Northeast in the 1920s and 1930s.-Biography:...
, who frequently hid from the police in the rocky outcrops near the city.
- Population: 23,483 (2005)
- Area: 407,65 km²
- Elevation: 88 m
- Distance from the capital (MaceióMaceióMaceió is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state Alagoas, Brazil. The name "maceió" is of Indian origin, and designates the natural spontaneously courses of water which flow out of the soil...
): 291 km - Climate: dry and hot, average annual temperature: 28 degrees Celsius
- Economic activity: fishingFishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, agricultureAgricultureAgriculture 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...
, cattleCattleCattle 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...
raising, ecotourismEcotourismEcotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
.
Its architecture is late Empire, Northeast style of constructions. Water sports such as catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
s, sailboat
Sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
s and canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s are available at river beaches and lakes, as well tours along the São Francisco using typical paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
s (gaiolas). Several waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s, the mighty and wide river itself, the semi-arid and rough caatinga
Caatinga
Caatinga is a type of vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in the northeastern part of Brazil. The name "Caatinga" is a Tupi word meaning "white forest" or "white vegetation"...
, strange rock formations, and its river gorges are appreciated by tourists and trekkers for their natural beauty.
Transport
Historically Piranhas was the upstream limit of navigation on the lower São Francisco River. Immediately upstream of Piranhas there were impassable rapids, and 60 km further upstream was the major falls at Paulo AfonsoPaulo Afonso
Paulo Afonso is a city in Bahia, Brazil. It is located at around . It was founded in 1958.The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paulo Afonso.The city is served by Paulo Afonso Airport....
. Above those falls the São Francisco became navigable again for over 1500km.
In 1881 Piranhas became the start of a railway line which was designed to bypass these obstacles to navigation. The line rose out of the deeply cut valley of the river and then, paralleling it at a distance of several kilometres, set off in a north-westerly direction, before rejoining it further upstream. The line passed through a series of small towns including Olho d'Água das Flores
Olho d'Água das Flores
Olho d'Água das Flores is a municipality located in the western of the Brazilian state of Alagoas. Its population is 21,775 and its area is 183 km²....
and Delmiro Gouveia
Delmiro Gouveia
Delmiro Gouveia is a municipality located in the westernmost point of the Brazilian state of Alagoas. Its population is 47,991 and its area is 609 km²....
, before reaching its destination at Petrolândia
Petrolândia
Petrolândia is a town in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. It is in the São Francisco Region. Petrolândia has a total area of 1056.6 square kilometers and had an estimated population of 32.568 inhabitants in 2009 according with IBGE...
, on the banks of the upper São Francisco, and approximately 80km upstream from Piranhas.
From 1881 to 1903 this railway was known as the Estrada de Ferro Paulo Afonso. After this date the line was incorporated successively in two other rail companies before closing finally in 1964. The line was never incorporated physically into any railway network, remaining a single, single track, line from beginning to end. Today the stretch of the abandoned trackbed which climbs up the side of the valley from the centre of Piranhas provides a splendid walking route with spectacular views of the turbulent São Francisco in the valley below and of the Xingó Dam
Xingó Dam
The Xingó Dam is a concrete face rock-fill dam on the São Francisco River on the border of Alagoas and Sergipe, near Piranhas, Brazil. The dam was built for navigation, water supply and hydroelectric power generation as it supports a 3,162 MW power station...
hydroelectric installation, just upstream of the town.
Today Piranhas can be reached by boat from several ports along the São Francisco, or by car, via a paved road from Maceió (AL-225).