Discovering South America: Brazil

Brazil’s Colorful, Crowded Cities 49

Pôrto Alegre Pôrto Alegre, the largest city in the south of Brazil, is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Immigrants from the Azores, a group of P o r t u g u e s e - own e d islands in the Atlantic Ocean, founded the city in 1742. Since the 19th

The Rio Grande do Sul river runs through Pôrto Alegre.

century the city has received numerous German and Italian immigrants. Lying as it does at the junction of five rivers, it has become an important port, as well as one of Brazil’s chief industrial and commercial centers. Pôrto Alegre exports products from the surrounding agricultural region, including leather, canned beef, and rice.

TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS 1. What is the largest city in Brazil? 2. Which city became the capital of Brazil in 1960? 3. Which city served as the main port of colonial Brazil from 1500 to 1815?