Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul

For other uses, see Santiago (disambiguation).
Santiago
Municipality

Map of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil highlighting Santiago
Coordinates: 29°11′30″S 54°52′2″W / 29.19167°S 54.86722°WCoordinates: 29°11′30″S 54°52′2″W / 29.19167°S 54.86722°W
Country Brazil
Region South
State Rio Grande do Sul
Micro-region Santiago (capital)
Founded January 4, 1984
Area
 • Total 3,264.3 km2 (1,260.4 sq mi)
Elevation 409 m (1,342 ft)
Population (2003)
 • Total 51,375
 • Density 16/km2 (41/sq mi)
Demonym Santiaguense
Time zone UTC-3 (UTC-3)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-2 (UTC-2)
Postal code 409x
Area/distance code (00)55-Brazilian area code
IBGE code 4322376
Distance to capital 450 km (280 mi)
Website santiago.rs.gov.br

Santiago (Portuguese meaning Saint James) is a municipality of the western part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It serves the capital of the microregion of the same name. Its area is 3,264.3 km² and its population was 51,375 in 2003. Its elevation is at 361 m. It is located 450 km west of the state capital of Porto Alegre and northeast of Alegrete. Its nickname of the city is "The Land of the Poets".

Santiago Airport serves the city.

Neighboring municipalities

History

In about 1860, it began the settlement of the region. The colony was first founded by 350 Germans, 14 Belgians, 5 French persons and 4 Swiss persons. Colonel José Maria Pereira de Campos created and organized the colony of Ijuí and brought Europeans to the area. The Italians arrived in the 1880s, as the century passed, with the establishment of the colony of Jaguari, the localities of Sanga da Areia and Ernesto Alves. In 1834, Arsene Isabelle, a French diplomat, in ways between the area, refers to a locality of Boqueirão de Santiago, its existence of three to four ranches. The Germans and the Italians form a large influx of European immigration, a mixture with other nationalities which saw Belgians, Swiss, Polish and French immigration. In synthesis, the colonies were established in 1860 and had diverse types of humans in the municipality of Santiago, with no other municipalities, the population became predominantly European descent.

Education

Santiago has a campus of the Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões

Communications

Radio

Personalities

External links