Caçapava do Sul is a Brazilian
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the state of
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...
, located on the banks of the
Camaquã River. As of 2020, the city has an estimated population of 33,548. It was the 2nd capital of the
Piratini Republic from 1839 to 1840.
The economy depends primarily on the mining industry. Caçapava do Sul produces 80% of the
calcareous
Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime (mineral), lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of Science, scientific disciplines.
In zoology
''Calcare ...
rock mined in Rio Grande do Sul. For many years it was Brazil's major producer of
copper
Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
and is still an important center of
copper mining
Copper extraction is the multi-stage process of obtaining copper from list of copper ores, its ores. The conversion of copper ores consists of a series of physical, chemical, and electrochemical processes. Methods have evolved and vary with coun ...
.
A major deposit of copper ore was discovered in the 1940s by the CBC (Companhia Brasileira do Cobre / Brazilian Copper Company), under the direction of Brazilian industrialist and famous playboy
Francisco "Baby" Pignatari. The area, about from Caçapava, came to be known as the
Minas do Camaquã (Camaquã Mines). This large operation contributed enormously to the town's economy and is still the site of operating copper mines, by such companies as
Majestic Diamonds & Metals.
The area has several interesting natural formations. Nearby lies
Pedra do Segredo (Stone of the Secret), a natural outcropping of stone that attracts mountain climbers and tourists from all over the state and elsewhere.
Geography
The city is located at latitude 30º30'44"S and longitude 53º29'29"W, at an altitude of . It has a geographical area of .
Nearby municipalities
*
São Sepé
*
Cachoeira do Sul
*
Santana da Boa Vista
*
Pinheiro Machado
*
Bagé
Bagé () is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In 2020, its population was 121,335 in a total area of 4,096 km2. It is the seventeenth largest city in the state according to the 2011 census. The city was f ...
*
Lavras do Sul
*
Vila Nova do Sul
Historic and natural sites
*
Pedra do Segredo (Stone of the Secret)
* Dom Pedro II Fort
* Cascata do Salso (Salso Waterfall)
* Minas do Camaquã (Camaquã Mines)
* Casa de Borges de Medeiros (Borges of Medeiros' House)
*
House of Ulhôa Cintra ()
*
Parish Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
*
Guaritas (considered the 7th natural wonder of Rio Grande do Sul)
See also
*
List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul
This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), located in the South Region of Brazil. Rio Grande do Sul is divided into 497 municipalities, which are grouped into 35 microregions, which are grouped into 7 mesoregio ...
References
Municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul
Capitals of former nations
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