Santa Vitória do Palmar
Encyclopedia
Santa Vitória do Palmar (lit. "Saint Victoria of the Palms") is a city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul
. To the west of the municipality is the Lagoa Mirim
and beyond that is Uruguay
; to the east is the Atlantic Ocean
and to the north is the city of Rio Grande
. To the south it borders the municipality of Chuí
and Uruguay.
The city proper is located approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) inland from the Atlantic, 8 km (5 mi) east of Lagoa Mirim and 20 km (12.4 mi) north of the Uruguayan border at Chuí. The city is traversed by the Brazilian federal highway
BR-471, the most important road link between Brazil and Uruguay. It is 504 km (313.2 mi) by road from the state capital, Porto Alegre
, and about 370 km (229.9 mi) from Uruguay's capital, Montevideo
.
Santa Vitória do Palmar used to be the southernmost city in Brazil
, until the former village of Chuí
was split from its territory and incorporated as a new city in 1997. However, while the urban seat of Chuí is more southerly, the territory of Santa Vitória do Palmar still extends slightly further south than Chuí's, and contains Brazil's southernmost geographic point, located on a bend of the Chuí River just upstream from its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean
, near the village of Barra do Chuí, which also belongs to the municipality.
The municipality lies on a windy coastal plain which is a mosaic of sand dunes, lagoon
s (Lagoa Mangueira being the largest one), marshland spots and rice
farms. This variety of different ecosystem
s side by side ensures a rich biodiversity
, protected in the municipality's northern part in the Taim Ecological Station
, shared with Rio Grande. The city's economy is based on rice growing, beef cattle
and sheep raised for wool
, in addition to being a transit point on BR-471, the main highway linking Brazil and Uruguay.
Santa Vitória do Palmar is a large municipality, about 160 km (99.4 mi) long North-South. Its coast also includes the larger part of Cassino Beach
, the world's longest uninterrupted stretch of sandy ocean shore, over 240 km (149.1 mi) from the stony breakwaters of Rio Grande
in the north to the mouth of Chuí River in the south. Two small beach resort villages are located in the municipality: Praia do Hermenegildo and Barra do Chuí, which is Brazil's southernmost inhabited place.
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...
. To the west of the municipality is the Lagoa Mirim
Lagoa Mirim
Lagoa Mirim or Laguna Merín is a large estuarine lagoon which extends from southern Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil into eastern Uruguay. Lagoa Mirim is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandy, partially barren isthmus....
and beyond that is 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...
; to the east is 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 to the north is 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...
. To the south it borders the municipality of Chuí
Chui
-Places:In Kyrgyzstan:*Chui Province*Chui RiverIn South America:*Chuí, Rio Grande do Sul*Chui Stream, on the Brazil-Uruguay borderIn SwahiliChui means Leopard...
and Uruguay.
The city proper is located approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) inland from the Atlantic, 8 km (5 mi) east of Lagoa Mirim and 20 km (12.4 mi) north of the Uruguayan border at Chuí. The city is traversed by the Brazilian federal highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
BR-471, the most important road link between Brazil and Uruguay. It is 504 km (313.2 mi) by road from the state capital, 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...
, and about 370 km (229.9 mi) from Uruguay's capital, Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
.
Santa Vitória do Palmar used to be the southernmost city in 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...
, until the former village of Chuí
Chui
-Places:In Kyrgyzstan:*Chui Province*Chui RiverIn South America:*Chuí, Rio Grande do Sul*Chui Stream, on the Brazil-Uruguay borderIn SwahiliChui means Leopard...
was split from its territory and incorporated as a new city in 1997. However, while the urban seat of Chuí is more southerly, the territory of Santa Vitória do Palmar still extends slightly further south than Chuí's, and contains Brazil's southernmost geographic point, located on a bend of the Chuí River just upstream from its mouth on 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...
, near the village of Barra do Chuí, which also belongs to the municipality.
The municipality lies on a windy coastal plain which is a mosaic of sand dunes, lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s (Lagoa Mangueira being the largest one), marshland spots and 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...
farms. This variety of different ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s side by side ensures a rich biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, protected in the municipality's northern part in the Taim Ecological Station
Taim Ecological Station
The Taim Ecological Station, administered by IBAMA , having an area of . It is located in a narrow land strip between the Atlantic Ocean and the Lagoa Mirim—Merín Lagoon...
, shared with Rio Grande. The city's economy is based on rice growing, beef 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...
and sheep raised for wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
, in addition to being a transit point on BR-471, the main highway linking Brazil and Uruguay.
Santa Vitória do Palmar is a large municipality, about 160 km (99.4 mi) long North-South. Its coast also includes the larger part of Cassino Beach
Praia do Cassino
Praia do Cassino is located adjacent to the city of Rio Grande, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is commonly known in Brazil as the longest beach in the world , stretching from the Molhes in Cassino beach to nearly Chuí, on...
, the world's longest uninterrupted stretch of sandy ocean shore, over 240 km (149.1 mi) from the stony breakwaters 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 north to the mouth of Chuí River in the south. Two small beach resort villages are located in the municipality: Praia do Hermenegildo and Barra do Chuí, which is Brazil's southernmost inhabited place.