Porto Alegre

This article is about Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. You may be looking for Portalegre, Alentejo, Portugal.

Downtown Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre, one of the largest cities in Brazil, is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul State. Population: 1,416,000 (2004). Metropolitan area: 3,500,000 km² the 4th largest of Brazil and about the 10th in South America.The city's geographical coordinates are .

Geography, History and Culture

A Diagram showing the populational evolution of Porto Alegre since 1800

Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul

The city is located at a delta resulting from the conjunction of five rivers, forming Guaíba Lake (however, it is popularly known as a river too). Although its origins date from the mid-1700s, when immigrants from the Azores settled in the area, the city was officially established in 1809.

Before this, Porto Alegre was the port of Viamão on the shore of Guaíba Lake. Its ancient name was Porto dos Casais, and it was initially settled by Azorians. Many families of settlers also came from the city of Rio Grande in the littoral Lagunar region, to the south, a military fortress at that time. Today that city is most important port of Rio Grande do Sul state.

Porto Alegre has recently hosted Globaltech, a science and technology trade show which gathered institutions from Latin America.

There are more than 70 neighborhoods (see below) and 2/3 of the population is concentrated in the Zona Norte (Northern Zone), where most of the economic activity, including the city center, is located.

Porto Alegre is the most important industrial center in southern Brazil, and a key city for Mercosul. It also is a center for gaúcho (the popular name for natives of the State) history and culture, famous for its churrasco (barbecue) and chimarrão (a strong tea prepared from erva mate). Several important Brazilian universities, such as UFRGS and PUCRS are located there.

Since 1999, the largest road work ever in the city, the Terceira Perimetral (Third Perimetral) has been under construction. The Terceira Perimetral is 12 km long, connecting the northern and the southern sectors of the city. It is supposed work may be finished by 2007.

Because of its strategic position (Porto Alegre is the southernmost metropolis in Brazil) the city is an important stopping point for travellers and international businessmen in the south of South America, especially from the countries of Mercosul.

Porto Alegre is also one of the wealthiest cities in Latin America, and one of the most diverse. It has harbored immigrants from all over the world, the largest numbers coming from Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland. The Arab, Jewish and Afro-Brazilian populations are quite significant as well.

Politics

In comparison with the rest of Brazil the city has been a considerable convergence zone for left-wing parties. This has led to the city being the location of the annual World Social Forum since 2001. Participation in each of the first three forums, which were held exclusively in Porto Alegre, has been estimated as more than one hundred thousand people.

Worker's Party (PT), the most influential left-wing party in Brazil since the 1980s, established a solid electoral base in Porto Alegre, having won the mayoral election four times. PT candidates held the mayorship from January 1989 to December 2004. This was a major breakthrough for the party, as it was the first major city they had won control of. The PT touted its successful administration of the city in its electoral propaganda around the country's major cities. Its administration policies included experiments in participatory budgeting that have been held up as a pioneer model by many in the Left across the world (despite the fact that similar management experiences have been implemented long ago in townships across the United States.) The PT, however, have also been criticized, on the other hand, for "not being able to overcome the contradictions of capitalism." [1]

The popularity of the PT declined in 2004 and in the mayoral elections that year, the PT candidate was defeated by José Fogaça, from the Socialist People's Party (PPS). Fogaça governs with a coalition that includes five of the six largest parties in the State (only PT being in the opposition), ranging from centre-left (PDT) to right-wing (PP).

Neighbourhoods

Neighbourhood in Porto Alegre makes municipal administration more easy. They don't have political status.

City port in Porto Alegre

{
* Aberta Morros
* Agronomia
* Alto Teresópolis
* Anchieta
* Arquipélago
* Auxiliadora
* Azenha
* Bela Vista
* Belém Novo
* Belém Velho
* Boa Vista
* Bom Fim
* Bom Jesus
* Camaquã
* Cascata
* Cavalhada
* Cel. Aparício Borges
* Centro
* Chácara das Pedras
* Chapéu do Sol
* Cidade Baixa
* Cristal
* Cristo Redentor
* Espírito Santo
* Farrapos
* Farroupilha
* Floresta
* Glória
* Guarujá
* Higienópolis
* Hípica
* Humaitá
* Independência
* Ipanema
* Jardim Botânico
* Jardim Carvalho
* Jardim do Salso
* Jardim Floresta
* Jardim Inga
* Jardim Itu-Sabará
* Jardim Lindóia
* Jardim Leopoldina
* Jardim Planalto
* Jardim São Pedro
* Lami
* Lomba do Pinheiro
* Marcílio Dias
* Mário Quintana
* Medianeira
* Menino Deus
* Moinhos de Vento
* Mont' Serrat
* Navegantes
* Nonoai
* Nova Gleba
* Parque São Sebastião
* Parque Santa Fé
* Partenon
* Passo d'Areia
* Passo das Pedras
* Pedra Redonda
* Petrópolis
* Ponta Grossa
* Praia de Belas
* Protásio Alves
* Restinga
* Rio Branco
* Rubem Berta
* Santa Cecília
* Santa Maria Goretti
* Santa Tereza
* Santana
* Santo Antônio
* São Geraldo
* São João
* São José
* São Sebastião
* Sarandi
* Serraria
* Teresópolis
* Três Figueiras
* Tristeza
* Vila Assunção
* Vila Conceição
* Vila Ipiranga
* Vila Jardim
* Vila João Pessoa
* Vila Nova|}

Famous people related to Porto Alegre

* Adriana Calcanhotto, singer and instrumentist
* André Kugland, philosopher, writer and composer
* Ernesto Geisel, military general and politician
* Isaac Karabtchevsky, conductor
* Luís Carlos Prestes, Communist leader
* Mario Quintana, poet
* Elis Regina, singer
* Ronaldinho, football player
* Moacyr Scliar, writer and physician
* Luis Fernando Verissimo, writer
* Daiane dos Santos, gymnast

External links

* Porto Alegre Mayor's Office (in Portuguese)
* City Paper Correio do Povo (The People's Mail)
* City Paper Zero Hora
* Satellite photo map from Google Maps
* Webcams and photos in Porto Alegre
* Porto Alegre guide tour (in Portuguese)
* Hotel reservations at Porto Alegre

More pictures of Porto Alegre

Image:Porto Alegre Guaiba River by kafffka.jpg|Porto Alegre and the Guaiba LakeImage:Brique da Redenção.JPG|Brique da Redenção (Swapmeet)Image:Lago do parque da redenção.JPG|Redemption Park Lake in Porto AlegreImage:Usina do Gasômetro.JPG|Usina do Gasômetro (literally Gasometer Plant)Image:Rio Guaíba.JPG|Guaiba LakeImage:Auditório Araújo Viana.JPG|Araújo Viana AuditoriumImage:Lacador.JPG|Laçador StatueImage:Porto Alegre sunset.jpg|Sunset over Porto AlegreImage:Igreja da Dores.JPG|Igreja das DoresImage:Brazil Porto Alegre Temple.jpg|Mormon Temple in Porto AlegreImage:White chapel in Porto Alegre.jpg|Catholic Chapel in Porto AlegreImage:Biblioteca Pública de Porto Alegre.JPG|Public library of Porto Alegre