Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul

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Municipality of Santa Maria

Município de Santa Maria
Official seal of Municipality of Santa MariaMunicípio de Santa Maria
Seal
Location in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Location in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Coordinates: 29°41′0″S 53°48′0″W / -29.68333, -53.8
Country Brazil
Region South
State Rio Grande do Sul
Government
 - Mayor Antônio Valdeci Oliveira de Oliveira (PT)
Area
 - Total 1,823.1 km² (703.9 sq mi)
Elevation 113 m (371 ft)
Population (2006)
 - Total 270,073
 - Density 151.8/km² (393.2/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-3 (UTC-3)
 - Summer (DST) UTC-2 (UTC-2)
Website: Prefeitura de Santa Maria

Santa Maria is a municipality in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil. It is known for the (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria) and a number of other private universities and colleges. Because of the large number of college age students, the city has a relatively young population. Santa Maria is also known for its military contingent - second largest in Brazil.

The name of the city means "Saint Mary" in Portuguese. Santa Maria is also known in the region by being the host city of an important religious festival dedicated to Nossa Senhora Medianeira called "Romaria da Medianeira" (Medianeira is a name of Our Lady that was created in Venice, Italy). Every year, tens of thousands of people from all over Brazil join in the celebrations.

Santa Maria has a population of 270,073 and a total area of 1,823.1 km² (source: IBGE). It has a humid subtropical climate and its annual average temperature is 18.5°C.

The municipality contains 10 districts. The city of Santa Maria itself is located in the urban Seat District (Distrito Sede), which is divided into 8 regiões administrativas (administrative regions), and further subdivided into 41 bairros (neighbourhoods).

See also: Administrative divisions of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul

Santa Maria is often referred to as the "heart of Rio Grande do Sul" (from Portuguese: "cidade coração do Rio Grande"), due to its central location in the state — the geographical center of the state is located in the rural District of Santa Maria called Passo do Verde. Santa Maria has been also coined the nickname of "culture city" (Portuguese: "cidade cultura"), mostly because of the local universities, which host a large number of students and young adults who engage in many cultural and political ations, social entrepreneurs, and a number of academic researchers of international reputation.

The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Maria.

[edit] Paleontology

Exaeretodon collected by Sergio Kaminski in this city.
Exaeretodon collected by Sergio Kaminski in this city.

The city is the birthplace of Paleorrota and paleontology in Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil. In 1902, a Rhynchosaur was collected in Santa Maria, on what is considered to be the first fossil to be found in South America. Llewellyn Ivor Price, a Santa Maria-born paleontologist and one of the first Brazilian ones, collected a Staurikosaurus, the first Brazilian dinosaur. The city is located on a huge deposit of fossils, with more than 20 Paleontological Sites.

[edit] Paleontological Sites of the City

  1. Paleontological Site Arroio Cancela.
  2. Paleontological Site Largo Padre Daniel Cargin.
  3. Paleontological Site Bela Vista.
  4. Paleontological Site Jazigo Cinco.
  5. Paleontological Site Sanga of Alemoa.

[edit] External links