Gravataí is a Brazilian municipality in the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

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 north of the state

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

, approximately 23 km away. It is one of the 32 municipalities within the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Region (RMPA). The municipality covers an area of , with designated as the

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

, and its population was recorded in 2022 as inhabitants, making it the sixth most populous municipality in the state and the third in the RMPA. Gravataí was initially established in 1763, with official emancipation occurring in 1880. The name is believed to derive from a combination of '' gravatá'', a species of

Apiaceae Apiaceae () or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium,'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering p ...

(formerly Umbelliferae) abundant in the region, and ''hy'', meaning river in the

Guarani language Guarani (Avañe'ẽ), also called Paraguayan Guarani, is a language of South America that belongs to the Tupi–Guarani branch of the Tupian languages, Tupian language family. It is one of the two official languages of Paraguay (along with Spa ...

. Today, the municipality's primary economic driver is the industrial sector, with the Gravataí Automotive Industrial Complex of

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

serving as a significant source of revenue, positioning the city as a hub for Brazil's metal-mechanical industry. The municipality also boasts a rich cultural heritage that includes handicrafts, theater, music and sports. One of its most prominent and traditional football clubs is the

Cerâmica Atlético Clube Cerâmica Atlético Clube, usually known as simply as Cerâmica, is a Brazilian football club from Gravataí, Rio Grande do Sul state, founded by the workers of the Ceramic of Gravataí. They competed in the Série D once. History On April 19 ...

, founded in April 1950. Gravataí hosts several annual events, including the Feast of

Our Lady of Navigators Our Lady of Navigators also known as Our Lady of Seafarers (''Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes'' in Portuguese) is a devotional title given to the Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics. It is a widespread devotion in South America, especially in Brazil, ...

, the Bromeliad Festival, and the Gravataí International Cycling Tour, alongside notable tourist attractions such as the Agostinho Martha Municipal Museum, which showcases the colonial history of the Gravataí River Valley.

History

Origins

During the expansion of its territories to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

in the 18th century, the

Portuguese Crown This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the n ...

granted ''sesmaria'' letters of concession to settlers already residing in the region to encourage settlement. Pedro Gonçalves Sandoval, a native of

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, received the first ''sesmaria'' for inhabiting the area known as the Gravataí corner, within the fields of Viamão. During this period, Captain João Lourenço Veloso also received a ''sesmaria'', taking possession of lands in the same region, further northeast, near Morro Itacolomi. Part of these lands was later purchased by the Portuguese Crown to establish the Aldeia dos Anjos (Village of the Angels). This was the initial settlement of the village, which was later relocated to the current central area of Gravataí. Since pre-colonial times,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

had been encroaching on each other's territories. To address this, they signed the Treaty of Madrid in 1750, stipulating that Portugal would return the Sacramento Colony, established in Spanish territory, in exchange for the Seven Towns of the Missions, located further northeast. To populate the Seven Towns of the Missions, the Portuguese planned to bring settlers from the densely populated

Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...

archipelago. As a result of this agreement and the subsequent Treaty of San Ildefonso (1777), the Guarani inhabitants of the Seven Towns of the Missions were required to leave the region. Unwilling to abandon their lands, the Guarani initiated the Guarani War. Following the war, thousands of indigenous people fled to Portuguese territory, settling near the Rio Pardo, now known as the Santa Maria River. From this group of refugees, approximately one thousand Guarani were brought in 1762 by Captain Antônio Pinto de Carneiro to the vicinity of the Gravataí River, marking the beginning of the Aldeia dos Anjos settlement. Notably, the village existed in practice before its official founding date of April 8, 1763. Due to the turmoil caused by the Guarani War, the Azorean settlers originally intended for the Seven Towns of the Missions were redirected to other areas, namely the

Jacuí River The Jacuí River () is a river in Rio Grande do Sul state of southern Brazil. The Jacuí empties into the Guaíba River, an estuarine arm of the Lagoa dos Patos, a large coastal lagoon connected to the Atlantic Ocean. Sources The Jacuí River, k ...

Valley (in the center of the state) and the Gravataí River Valley. With the arrival of José Marcelino de Figueiredo, Governor of the São Pedro Province, in 1772, the Aldeia dos Anjos began to flourish. Figueiredo urbanized the settlement, constructing schools, brick kilns, and mills. The Tapes Indians, refugees from the Jesuit Missions in

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

, were settled in Gravataí by Figueiredo, who taught them wheat cultivation, a practice they later adopted.

Administrative and political formation

With the establishment of the first four municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul on October 7, 1809, the Aldeia dos Anjos was elevated to the status of a district of

Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...

. On June 11, 1880, due to the heavy traffic of carts carrying goods, primarily from the North Coast and Santo Antônio da Patrulha, it was upgraded to a ''vila'' (town). Four months later, on October 23, 1880, the municipality of Gravataí was officially established. The name originates from the

, where '' gravatá'' refers to a species of

, mistakenly classified as a Bromeliad, abundant in the region, and ''hy'' translates to river. Until the late 19th century, the correct spelling of the municipality was "Gravatahy," literally meaning "River of the Gravatás." By provincial act no. 1578 of April 24, 1886, the districts of Glória and Costa do Ipiranga were created. By municipal act no. 48 of December 26, 1912, the district of Canoas was established. By municipal law no. 99 of July 20, 1917, the district of Butiá was created. By municipal law no. 3 of June 7, 1957, the district of Cachoeirinha was formed. By municipal law no. 1 of January 8, 1958, the district of Ipiranga was created. By municipal law no. 302 of January 9, 1958, the district of Dom Feliciano was established. By municipal law no. 719 of November 4, 1966, the district of Barnabé was created. By municipal decree no. 1396 of December 29, 1977, the district of Barro Vermelho was formed. By municipal law no. 121 of May 16, 1983, the district of Itacolomi was created. Over the years, several of these districts were either elevated to city status or dissolved, leaving five districts today: Gravataí, Barro Vermelho, Ipiranga, Itacolomi, and Morungava.

Economic and social development

In the final decades of the 19th century, the region experienced significant growth, largely driven by the cultivation of

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

and the export of its flour to other parts of Brazil and abroad through the Passo das Canoas. Cassava flour production fueled economic development in the municipality until the first half of the 20th century. In the 1930s, José Loureiro da Silva took over the municipal government, marking a significant developmental phase for Gravataí. His key achievements included the implementation of the city's electrical system, the widening and paving of initial streets, the construction of a road connecting Gravataí to Porto Alegre, and the current urban planning of the city center. From the 1960s onward, the city underwent rapid industrialization. Key factors in transitioning from an agrarian economy included the construction of the BR-290 highway (also known as the "Freeway") and the establishment of an industrial district. This development, combined with the growth of neighboring cities, led to the creation of the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Region on June 8, 1973, by federal complementary law no. 14, encompassing Gravataí and 31 other municipalities. By 2001, with nearly four million inhabitants, it was the 102nd largest urban agglomeration globally.

Recent history

A pivotal event for the city's economy was the establishment of the General Motors Industrial Complex between the late 1990s and early 2000s. The announcement of its establishment on March 17, 1997, marked a milestone in the municipality's development, as the company joined the large-scale industrial park and local commerce. The complex solidified the city's industrial profile and established Gravataí as one of Brazil's major metal-mechanical industry hubs. In recent years, rural areas have increasingly been replaced by urban areas to meet the demands of urban expansion, driven by the growth of productive activities (industry, commerce, and services) and rising housing needs due to population concentration. The boundary between rural and urban areas is becoming less distinct, with the rural population declining annually.

Geography

According to the

Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. IBGE performs a decennial national cen ...

, the municipality spans an area of , with forming the

and the remaining comprising the

rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

. It is located at 22°56'36" south

latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...

and 50°59'38" west

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...

, approximately 22 kilometers south of the

state capital Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital city, capital cities. National capitals *List of national capitals *List of national capitals by latitude *List of national capitals by population *List of national capitals by area *List of ...

, and is part of the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Region (RMPA). Its neighboring municipalities are

Novo Hamburgo Novo Hamburgo ('New Hamburg', ; ) is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, located in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, the state capital. As of 2020, its population was 247,032. Th ...

and

Taquara Taquara is a municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Taquara is located 72 kilometers (44 miles) from Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio ...

to the north; Alvorada and Viamão to the south; Glorinha to the east; and Cachoeirinha and Sapucaia do Sul to the west.

Geomorphology, geology, and hydrography

The terrain of Gravataí and the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Region is characterized by three major morphostructural domains: sedimentary deposits,

sedimentary basin Sedimentary basins are region-scale depressions of the Earth's crust where subsidence has occurred and a thick sequence of sediments have accumulated to form a large three-dimensional body of sedimentary rock They form when long-term subsidence ...

s, and sedimentary covers, alongside complex

basement A basement is any Storey, floor of a building that is not above the grade plane. Especially in residential buildings, it often is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, water heating, ...

structures. The geology of the RMPA is defined by four tectono-structural domains, distinguished by their depositional environment, origin, litho-structural characteristics, and age. These include the Canguçu Ridge (represented by the Arroio dos Ratos Gneissic Complex, comprising orthogneisses ranging from tonalitic to

granodiorite Granodiorite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase feldspar than orthoclase feldspar. The term banatite is sometimes used informally for various rocks ranging from gra ...

), the Dom Feliciano Belt (consisting of undeformed

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

rocks associated with acidic

volcanic rock Volcanic rocks (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) are rocks formed from lava erupted from a volcano. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic rock is artificial, and in nature volcanic rocks grade into hypabyssal and me ...

s such as

dacite Dacite () is a volcanic rock formed by rapid solidification of lava that is high in silica and low in alkali metal oxides. It has a fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. ...

rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture (geology), texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained matri ...

s, and

rhyodacite Rhyodacite is a volcanic rock intermediate in composition between dacite and rhyolite. It is the extrusive equivalent of those plutonic rocks that are intermediate in composition between monzogranite and granodiorite. Rhyodacites form from rapid ...

s), the

Paraná Basin The Paraná Basin (, ) is a large cratonic sedimentary basin situated in the central-eastern part of South America. About 75% of its areal distribution occurs in Brazil, from Mato Grosso to Rio Grande do Sul states. The remainder area is distribu ...

(represented by rocks from the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...

and

Triassic The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized 🝈) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is t ...

periods), and the Coastal Plain and Alluvia. Among the various geological formations found in the municipality, those with the lowest fossil potential are the most widespread: Quaternary deposits, the Serra Geral Formation, and the Botucatu Formation. However, localized occurrences of highly fossiliferous geological units can be found in Gravataí, including the

Rio do Rasto Formation The Rio do Rasto Formation is a Late Permian sedimentary geological formation in the South Region, Brazil, South Region of Brazil. The official name is Rio do Rasto, although in some publications it appears as ''Rio do Rastro''. The strata were d ...

, the Estrada Nova Formation, and the Rio Bonito Formation. These units represent Permian deposits (295–245 million years old) in the state, containing records of life from the end of the

Paleozoic The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three Era (geology), geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma a ...

period. Fossil records of animals and plants are also reported for these formations in various other regions of the state. The municipality is primarily situated within the Gravataí River hydrographic basin, with a smaller portion in the Sinos River basin. The Gravataí River originates in Santo Antônio da Patrulha, and its sources are not clearly defined, as the flooded plains form a channel that narrows over 16 km. From the point known as Passo do Vau, the narrowest part of this channel corresponding to the funneling of the wetlands, to its mouth, the river extends 39 km. Most urbanized areas along the riverbed are concentrated in its lower section. The

stream A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a strea ...

s that flow into the right bank of the Gravataí River include the Pinto Stream, Demétrio Stream, Barnabé Stream, Brigadeiro Stream, and Grande Stream.

Climate

The

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

of Gravataí is

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

(classified as Cfah under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

), with two distinct seasons: warm summers and cold winters. This is influenced by both its latitude and the effects of

anticyclone A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interpl ...

s from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

and the mobile polar anticyclone. The warmest month, February, has an average temperature of 25.5°C, with an average high of 30°C and a low of 21°C. The coldest months, June and July, have an average temperature of 15°C, with average highs of 19°C and lows of 11°C. The region is predominantly affected by

wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...

s from the southern and eastern quadrants, originating from subtropical high-pressure systems common in the area due to its geographical position. Precipitation is characterized by consistent rainfall distribution throughout the year, with no distinct dry season. However, dry periods occasionally occur due to the absence of the mobile polar anticyclone's influence. The average annual precipitation is , with April being the driest month, recording . August and September, the wettest months, average . During the rainy season, flooding and landslides are common in some areas.

Hailstorm Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...

s are rare in the city, but a notable event occurred on August 27, 2010. According to data from ''Weather Base'', the highest recorded temperature in the city was 41°C, while the lowest was -4°C. Data from the Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies (CPTEC) and the

National Institute for Space Research The National Institute for Space Research (, INPE) is a research unit of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, the main goals of which are fostering scientific r ...

(INPE) indicate that, between August 1991 and August 2001, the highest 24-hour rainfall accumulation was 116 mm on July 23, 2001. Other significant accumulations included 108 mm on July 29, 1995; 95 mm on July 5, 1993; 93 mm on July 10, 2000; 89 mm on June 10 and November 5, 1999; and 87 mm on June 19, 1994.

Ecology and environment

Gravataí features a variety of original and anthropic vegetation formations in both urban and rural areas. These include: Pioneer Formations (found in the low, flood-prone plains of the Gravataí River, with diverse vegetation dominated by shrubby and arboreal species); Seasonal Semideciduous Forest (once present in a forest in the northern part of the city, now largely replaced by housing developments and industries, with only a few remnants remaining); Secondary Vegetation (naturally occupying areas where original forest, shrub, and herbaceous vegetation has been removed); Agriculture and Reforestation (areas previously covered by forests now used for agriculture, livestock, orchards, and reforestation); and Urban Vegetation, located in squares, parks, and public thoroughfares. The city currently has 22 tree-lined squares, many featuring native species. There are three parks with abundant green spaces, two of which are publicly maintained: the ''Jayme Caetano Brum'', covering 13,837.92 m², and the ''Parcão da '79, spanning 29,000.00 m². The third, ''Pampas Safari'', is a private park covering 320 hectares, home to over 1,300 specimens of global fauna, making it the largest safari park in

. The municipal administration, guided by the Urban Tree Code, is responsible for adapting the city's

tree planting Tree planting is the process of transplanting tree seedlings, generally for forestry, land reclamation, or landscaping purposes. It differs from the transplantation of larger trees in arboriculture and from the lower-cost but slower and les ...

to environmental conditions, using appropriate plant species for each context. Gravataí also has three conservation units: the ''Banhado Grande'' Ecological Reserve, established by the state through Decree No. 38,971 of October 23, 1998, covering 400 hectares; Morro Itacolomi, considered an ecological and scenic preservation area with native vegetation; and the São Pedro Province Estate, spanning 400 hectares with native tree cover.

Demography

According to the 2022 IBGE data, the municipality's population is inhabitants, making it the sixth most populous municipality in the state, with a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 566.04 inhabitants per km². According to the 2000 census, 49.38% of the population were men (114,777 inhabitants), 50.62% were women ( inhabitants), 91.19% ( inhabitants) lived in the urban area, and 8.81% ( inhabitants) resided in the rural area. In 2000, according to IBGE census data, the population of Gravataí consisted of Whites (87.91%), 15,155 Blacks (6.51%), '' Pardos'' (4.62%), 257 Asians (0.11%), 1,131 Indigenous (0.49%), and 822 undeclared (0.35%). The Municipal

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

(HDI-M) of Gravataí is considered high by the United Nations Development Programme (

UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

), with a value of 0.736, ranking 180th in Rio Grande do Sul (out of 496 municipalities), 393rd in Southern Brazil (out of 1,188), and 876th nationwide (out of 5,565). The city’s indicators are generally average and align with national averages according to the UNDP. The

Gini coefficient In economics, the Gini coefficient ( ), also known as the Gini index or Gini ratio, is a measure of statistical dispersion intended to represent the income distribution, income inequality, the wealth distribution, wealth inequality, or the ...

, which measures

social inequality Social inequality occurs when resources within a society are distributed unevenly, often as a result of inequitable allocation practices that create distinct unequal patterns based on socially defined categories of people. Differences in acce ...

, is 0.41, where 1.00 represents the worst score and 0 represents the best. In 2003, the poverty incidence, as measured by IBGE, was 29.39%, with a lower limit of 17.37%, an upper limit of 41.41%, and a subjective poverty incidence of 20.96%.

;Demographic evolution of GravataíUFPel – Departamento de Economia / Recenseamento da População do Império do Brasil: 1872 - Paróquia de N. S. dos Anjos d'Aldêa
25 de maio de 2008Officina de Estatistica - Synopse do recenseamento do Brazil de 31 de dezembro de 1890 (página 102)
3 de setembro de 2008Typographia da Estatistica - Synopse do recenseamento do Brazil de 31 de dezembro de 1900 (página 85)
3 de setembro de 2008Typographia da Estatística - Recenseamento do Brazil Realizado em 1 de Setembro de 1920 - Volume IV (2ª Parte) Tomo II (página 536)
19 de outubro de 2010IBGE - Recenseamento Geral do Brasil (1940) - Série Regional, Parte XX (1950). Rio de Janeiro: Serviço Gráfico do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística
3 de setembro de 2008IBGE - VI Recenseamento Geral do Brasil (1950) - Série Regional Volume XXVIII, Tomo I. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE
3 de setembro de 2008IBGE - Censo Demográfico de 1960 - Série Regional Volume I, Tomo XVI. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE
3 de setembro de 2008 IBGE - VII Recenseamento Geral - 1970 Série Regional Volume I, Tomo XXI (página 454). Rio de Janeiro: IBGE
3 de setembro de 2008Dados do IBGE compilados pelo DATASUS
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Canoas Canoas () is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, forming part of the Greater Porto Alegre area. It is the largest municipality of the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre and the third largest municipality of Rio Grande do ...

became independent from Gravataí in 1939.''
''2: Cachoeirinha became independent from Gravataí in 1966''
''3: Glorinha became independent from Gravataí in 1988''

Religion

Reflecting the cultural diversity of Gravataí, the city is home to a wide range of religious expressions. While it developed on a predominantly

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

social foundation, numerous

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

denominations are now present. The city is home to various Protestant or Reformed denominations, including the Assembly of God, Maranata Christian Church,

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

Baptist churches Baptists are a denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches generally subscribe to the doctrines of so ...

, the

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...

, and the

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG; ; , IURD) is an international Evangelical Neo-charismatic movement, Neo-charismatic Christian denomination with its headquarters at the Temple of Solomon (UCKG), Temple of Solomon in São Paulo, B ...

, among others. According to the 2000 IBGE census, Gravataí’s population comprised

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

(77.27%),

Evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian g ...

(12.50%), non-religious individuals (4.72%), Umbandists (1.82%), Spiritists (1.64%), and 2.06% belonging to other religions. The Nossa Senhora dos Anjos Church, located in the city center and inaugurated in 1772 in the Portuguese

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style, became the seat of the

Vicariate A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of Gravataí under the Archdiocese of Porto Alegre, the ecclesiastical circumscription to which the municipality belongs, in 2001. This Vicariate is further divided into four pastoral areas and 28 parishes, encompassing Gravataí, Alvorada, Cachoeirinha, and Viamão. Gravataí is also the birthplace of the first bishop of Rio Grande do Sul, Feliciano José Rodrigues de Araújo Prates, born on July 13, 1781, in what was then the Aldeia dos Anjos. Feliciano received the subdiaconate on November 20, 1803, and the diaconate on November 27, 1803, both conferred by the bishop of

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, Dom Mateus de Abreu Pereira, at the Lapa Seminary Chapel in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

Government and politics

The first intendant of the municipality was João Maria da Fonseca, and the first executive leader and

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of the municipality was José Loureiro da Silva. Over 29 terms, 22 mayors have governed Gravataí, in addition to eight executive agents. The

legislative power A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers o ...

is represented by the municipal chamber, composed of 21 councilors elected for four-year terms. The chamber is responsible for drafting and voting on fundamental laws for the administration and the Executive, particularly the municipal

budget A budget is a calculation plan, usually but not always financial plan, financial, for a defined accounting period, period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including tim ...

(known as the Budget Guidelines Law). Gravataí operates under an organic law established on April 2, 1990. The city also serves as the seat of a ''comarca''. In 2010, the municipality had voters, the seventh largest electorate in the state, including illiterate voters and voters under 18 years old.

International relations

The Azorean community of Horta has been a

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

of Gravataí since 2023.

Subdivisions

Gravataí is divided into five

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

s: Barro Vermelho, Ipiranga, Itacolomi, Morungava, and the Seat. In 2000, these districts had populations of , , , , and inhabitants, respectively, according to the IBGE census of that year. Throughout the 20th century, several districts were created, elevated to city status, or dissolved, with the last change occurring on May 16, 1983, with the creation of Itacolomi.Gravataí currently has just over 70 neighborhoods, in addition to villages and settlements, with Morada do Vale being the most populous, with approximately 40,000 inhabitants. The poorest areas of the city are the neighborhoods of Nova Conquista, Nova Esperança, and Antônio Carlos Jobim, where there is still a lack of paving, slope containment works, stormwater drainage, sewage systems, water and electricity networks, and land leveling.

Economy

The

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

(GDP) of Gravataí is the 79th largest in Brazil, with a strong emphasis on the

industrial sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...

. According to 2008 IBGE data, the municipality’s GDP was R$ thousand. thousand were taxes on products net of subsidies at current prices. The per capita GDP was R$ , and the Income Human Development Index (HDI-R) was 0.727 in 2010, compared to Brazil’s 0.723. ; Primary sector Chevrolet Celta 2013

Agriculture is the least significant sector of Gravataí’s economy. Of the city’s total GDP, thousand

reais The Brazilian real ( pl. '; sign: R$; code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real replaced the cruzeiro real in 1994. ...

is the gross value added by agriculture. According to the IBGE, in 2009, the municipality had a livestock population of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

equines ''Equus'' () is a genus of mammals in the perissodactyl family (biology), family Equidae, which includes wild horse, horses, Asinus, asses, and zebras. Within the Equidae, ''Equus'' is the only recognized Extant taxon, extant genus, comprising s ...

pigs The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

, buffaloes, 970

goats The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the famil ...

, 17

donkeys The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...

, 33 mules, 588

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

, 490

rabbits Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form ...

, and

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

, including hens,

roosters The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

, broilers, and chicks, as well as

quails Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New W ...

. In 2009, the city produced thousand liters of milk from

cows Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...

. It also produced 132,000 dozen chicken eggs, 58,000 dozen quail eggs, kilograms of

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

, and 349 kilograms of

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

from sheep. A total of 294 sheep were sheared. In temporary

crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. In other words, a crop is a plant or plant product that is grown for a specific purpose such as food, Fiber, fibre, or fuel. When plants of the same spe ...

s, the main products are

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

(5,940 tons),

(1,950 tons), and

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

(750 tons). ; Secondary sector The industry is currently the most significant sector for the municipality’s economy. reais of the municipal GDP comes from the gross value added by the industrial sector (secondary sector). A significant portion of these profits originates from the Gravataí Automotive Industrial Complex of

Brazil, established on March 17, 1997, and inaugurated on July 20, 2000. Since then, the municipality has gained national prominence in the sector. The factory currently produces approximately 240,000 vehicles annually, accounting for 40% of GM’s total production in Brazil. The complex occupies a total area of 386 hectares, with 940,000 m² of built area in 2007, and 50 hectares dedicated to environmental preservation. ; Tertiary sector The service sector contributes reais to the municipal GDP. The tertiary sector is currently the second-largest contributor to Gravataí’s GDP. According to the IBGE, in 2008, the city had 7,489 local units, 7,290 companies and active commercial establishments, and workers, with total employed personnel and salaried employees.

Salaries A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis. Sa ...

and other remunerations totaled reais, with an average monthly salary across the municipality of 3.6

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...

Urban infrastructure

The municipality has robust infrastructure. In 2000, it had

housing unit A housing unit, or dwelling unit (at later mention, often abbreviated to ''unit''), is a structure or the part of a structure or the space that is used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one person or more people who maintain a common hous ...

s, including

apartment An apartment (American English, Canadian English), flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), tenement (Scots English), or unit (Australian English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that ...

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

s, and rooms. Of these, were owned properties, with fully paid (71.08%), under acquisition (13.13%), and rented (8.06%). properties were provided, with by employers (1.69%) and provided otherwise (4.54%). were occupied in other ways (1.50%). The municipality provides treated water, electricity, sewage, urban cleaning, fixed telephony, and mobile telephony. In 2000, 73.73% of households were served by the general water supply network; 96.53% of households had garbage collected by cleaning services; and 33.88% of residences had access to general sewage or stormwater networks.

Healthcare

In 2009, the municipality had 71 health facilities, including hospitals,

emergency department An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the Acute (medicine), ...

s, health centers, and

dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the Human tooth, teeth, gums, and Human mouth, mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, dis ...

services, with 37 private and 34 public facilities. These provided 233 beds for hospitalization, all in private facilities. As of April 2010, there were 2,539 healthcare professionals. The city has only one general hospital, which is philanthropic. Gravataí belongs to the Porto Alegre CRS 01 Health Region. In 2009, there were 85,652 women of childbearing age (10 to 49 years). The Human Development Index (HDI) for longevity in Gravataí is 0.862, with a

life expectancy Human life expectancy is a statistical measure of the estimate of the average remaining years of life at a given age. The most commonly used measure is ''life expectancy at birth'' (LEB, or in demographic notation ''e''0, where '' ...

of 73.59 years. The Dom João Becker Hospital, managed by the Coração de Maria Nucleus, is the only facility in the city capable of performing complex medical procedures. It offers 189 beds through the Unified Health System (SUS) and provides emergency services, hospitalization, diagnostic facilities (laboratory tests, X-rays, ultrasound, CT scans, MRI, and elective surgeries), as well as on-call pediatric, clinical, surgical, obstetric, anesthesiology, and intensive care specialists operating in the

Intensive Care Unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensive care medicine. An inten ...

(ICU).

Education

The municipality has schools in all its regions. The

population has easy access to schools in nearby urban neighborhoods due to the high urbanization rate. The average Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) among Gravataí’s public schools in 2009 was 4.1, close to the national average of 4.0 for municipal and state schools. In 2009, the municipality had approximately enrollments, teachers, and 192 schools in both public and private networks. The Human Development Index (HDI) for education was 0.636, compared to Brazil’s 0.849. According to data from the Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (INEP) and the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

(MEC), the illiteracy rate among individuals aged 18 to 24 in 2000 was 1.590%, while the adult literacy rate that year was 94.87% (compared to Brazil’s 84%). The gross school attendance rate in 2000 was 81.930%, compared to the national rate of 81.89%. A total of 4,124 inhabitants had less than one year of schooling or no formal education. In 2010, 539 students attended special education programs, and 223 children were enrolled in daycare centers. A total of 430 elementary school students attended full-time classes.

Security and crime

As in most medium and large Brazilian municipalities, crime is a challenge in Gravataí. In 2008, the

homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

rate was 23.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, ranking 27th in the state and 729th nationally. The

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

rate that year was 4.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, ranking 154th in the state and 1450th nationally. The traffic accident mortality rate was 7.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, placing it 142nd in the state and 2296th nationally. Until the early 2000s, crime rates in Gravataí were significantly lower than those in other cities of the Greater Porto Alegre Metropolitan Area (RMPA). After the mid-2000s, the city surpassed the threshold of 10 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, which, according to the

WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...

, marks the onset of endemic violence. However, despite the rise in violence, Gravataí's homicide rate remains lower than that of Porto Alegre and the other three largest cities in the RMPA; in 2015, the rate was 28.9 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in Gravataí compared to 40.3 in the capital.

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In Gravataí, the Civil Police operates two regular police stations and one Rapid Response Police Station (DPPA) for arrests and immediate processing. The Military Brigade is represented by the 17th Military Police Battalion.

Services and communications

Water supply in the city is managed by the Companhia Riograndense de Saneamento (CORSAN), which serves 98% of the urban area, although only 21.9% of households have access to sewage collection and treatment services. The Rio Grande Energia (RGE) is responsible for the city's electricity supply, with public lighting available throughout the urban area and 90% of households (including those in rural areas). The city also has access to dial-up and

broadband In telecommunications, broadband or high speed is the wide-bandwidth (signal processing), bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast Inter ...

(

ADSL Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) is a type of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over Copper wire, copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem ...

) internet services provided by various free and paid

internet service providers An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non ...

. Mobile phone services are offered by multiple operators. Gravataí's area code ( DDD) is 051, and its

Postal Code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or numerical digit, digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, inclu ...

(CEP) ranges from 94000-001 to 94329-999. On January 8, 2009, the municipality began offering number portability, along with other cities sharing the same DDD. Several television channels are available in the VHF and

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter ...

bands. Since November 5, 2009, the city has had access to digital television signals, received through

RBS TV RBS TV is a Southern Brazilian television network owned by Grupo RBS, and one of the oldest Rede Globo Network affiliate, affiliates. The acronym originally stood for Rede Brasil Sul de Televisão (English language, English: "Brazil South Televi ...

(Rede Brasil Sul de Televisão). Gravataí also has several newspapers in circulation, including the ''Jornal de Gravataí'', which has been published since March 22, 2005, and the ''Correio de Gravataí''. Major radio stations include Rádio Metrópole and Rádio Cultura do Valle 105.5 FM.

Transportation

In 2009, the municipal vehicle fleet consisted of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, pickup trucks, mopeds, trucks, 422 minibuses, 489 buses, 376 tractor-trucks, and 126 wheeled tractors. The city's duplicated and paved avenues, along with numerous

traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...

s, facilitate traffic flow, but the rapid increase in the number of vehicles during the first decade of the 21st century has led to increasingly slow traffic, particularly in the municipal seat. Additionally, finding parking spaces in the city's commercial center has become challenging, causing some losses to local commerce. The city also has a

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whi ...

system managed by the Municipal Secretariat of Traffic and Transportation of Gravataí (SMTT). This municipal agency is responsible for regulating the city's transportation and traffic systems, managing public transportation, overseeing traffic flow, and, through its traffic agents, issuing citations to drivers who commit traffic violations. Due to the scarcity of rivers, Gravataí has little tradition of waterway transportation. The city has no airports within its territory, but the

Salgado Filho International Airport Porto Alegre–Salgado Filho International Airport is the airport serving Porto Alegre and the region of Greater Porto Alegre, Brazil. Since October 12, 1951, it is named after the Senator and first Minister of the Brazilian Air Force Joaquim ...

is approximately 20 km from the city center. Gravataí also has a

bus terminal A bus station, bus depot, or bus interchange is a structure where city buses or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. A bus station is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can st ...

located in Vera Cruz. The city is served by the RS-118 (connecting to Sapucaia do Sul and the Itapuã district in Viamão), the RS-020 (to

São José dos Ausentes São José dos Ausentes is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality with an average altitude of 1200 meters, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Its population was approximately 3,543 in 2020. It has an area of approximately 1176 km ...

), and the RS-030 (to Tramandaí). The BR-290 (Osvaldo Aranha Highway) is the primary link between Gravataí, the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Area, and the state coast in Osório; the section connecting the metropolitan area to the coast is known as the ''Freeway''. It also connects the RMPA to Uruguaiana, on the border with

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Culture

The Gravataí Municipal Secretariat of Culture, Sports, and Leisure (SMCEL) oversees the city's cultural sector, aiming to plan and implement cultural policies through programs, projects, and activities that promote cultural development. As part of the municipality's indirect public administration, it enjoys administrative and financial autonomy, supported by budgetary allocations, its own assets, revenue application, and the ability to sign contracts and agreements with other institutions.

Arts and crafts

In Gravataí's theatrical scene, the services provided by the Gravataí branch of the Serviço Social do Comércio (SESC Vale do Gravataí) stand out. The institution features a multipurpose room for 120 people, a

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

with over literary works and technical reference books, a senior citizens' club, and a theater hall with a capacity of 779 people. The SESC organizes various cultural activities annually, including theater productions, film screenings, and musical performances. The municipal government also organizes notable artistic events, such as the Municipal Culture Conference in March and the Municipal Reading Week in October. A prominent entity in the city's artistic scene is the SCB Acadêmicos de Gravataí, a

samba school A samba school () is a dancing, marching, and drumming (Samba Enredo) club. They practice and often perform in a huge square-Compound (enclosure), compounds ("quadras de samba") and are devoted to practicing and exhibiting samba, an Afro-Brazili ...

founded in 1961 that currently represents Gravataí in the Porto Alegre Carnival. It is the municipality's leading samba school. Since 2007, the school has been part of Porto Alegre's "Special Group," which includes the ten best samba schools in the capital's parades.

Handicraft A handicraft is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid material ...

is one of the most spontaneous forms of cultural expression in Gravataí. Throughout the municipality, unique artisanal products are crafted using regional

raw material A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials/Intermediate goods that are feedstock for future finished ...

s and inspired by local culture and lifestyles. Groups such as the Casa do Artesanato de Gravataí bring together various local artisans, providing spaces for the creation, exhibition, and sale of handmade products. These items are typically sold at fairs, exhibitions, or shops dedicated to crafts.

Tourism and events

Gravataí boasts several tourist attractions, including the Nossa Senhora dos Anjos Matrix Church, whose construction began in 1772 and was built in the Portuguese

style; the Dom Feliciano College, the municipality's first private school, currently maintained by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known for its architecture featuring an arch connecting the school buildings over José Loureiro da Silva Avenue; CTG Aldeia dos Anjos, which has won the ENART championship 10 times; the City Hall Building, the city hall's headquarters, constructed in an

eclectic style Eclecticism is a kind of mixed style in the fine arts: "the borrowing of a variety of styles from different sources and combining them" . Significantly, Eclecticism hardly ever constituted a specific style in art: it is characterized by the fact t ...

with neoclassical and modern characteristics, acquired in 1894 for the municipal administration and renovated in 1996; the Santa Cruz Chapel, built by indigenous people to house a

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

and serve as a place of worship and prayer for the early Gravataí settlers, which was in ruins by 1909 but rebuilt with community donations and completed in 1944; the Agostinho Martha Municipal Museum, whose collection tells the colonial history of the Gravataí River Valley, highlighting a sugarcane mill, a handloom, and the entire artisanal weaving complex, as well as a room with furniture from the

, and housing the Municipal Historical Archive; the Fonseca Manor, known since 1877, featuring characteristics of

Portuguese colonial architecture Portuguese colonial architecture refers to the various styles of Portuguese architecture built across the Portuguese Empire (including Portugal). Many former colonies, especially Brazil, Macau, and India, promote their Portuguese architecture as ...

brought by Azorean settlers; and the Bina Manor, built in the Portuguese style in 1882, part of a 40-hectare rural property called Sítio do Sobrado, whose basement once housed a slave camp with a significant number of enslaved people. This site now serves as the headquarters of the Municipal Environmental Foundation. To promote local socioeconomic development, the Gravataí municipal government, sometimes in partnership with local companies, invests in festivals and events. These events often attract visitors from other cities, requiring improved municipal infrastructure and encouraging the professionalization of the sector, which benefits not only tourists but also the entire local population. Activities take place throughout the year. The city's Official Events Calendar, published annually by the municipal government, includes: the Feast of

, held on February 2; the Gravataí Carnival, in February or March; the Passion of Christ, in March or April; the Bromeliad Festival, in April; Corpus Christi celebrations, in May or June; the Homeland Week and Civic Parade, in September; the Farroupilha Week, in September; and the Black Consciousness Week in the Municipality, in November.

Sports

As in much of Brazil, the most popular sport in Gravataí is

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

. The city is home to several clubs, including the Clube Esportivo Alvi-Rubro, the oldest in the municipality, founded on May 7, 1933; the América Futebol Clube, established in 1950; and the

, founded on April 19, 1950. The municipality's main football stadium is the Antônio Vieira Ramos Stadium, inaugurated on March 2, 2008, and home to the Cerâmica Atlético Clube. In addition to the Gravataí City Football Championship, a significant municipal football competition, the city organizes several other annual sporting events involving various disciplines. These include: the Municipal Stage of the Gaucho Summer Sports Circuit, in February; the Gravataí School Games, in March; the Gravataí International Cycling Tour, in April; the Hachiman Karate Cup and the Aldeião Municipal Futsal Cup, in May; the Taekwondo Tournament, the Gravataí Table Tennis Cup, and the South Gravataí Canoeing Cup, in June; the Municipal Women's Futsal Championship, in July; the Municipal Men's/Women's Volleyball Championship, in September; and the Bromeliad City Mountain Bike Event, in October.

Holidays

Gravataí observes two municipal holidays, eight national holidays, and three optional holidays. The municipal holidays are Corpus Christi, celebrated on the Thursday following the Sunday of the

Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

, and the day of Our Lady of the Angels, the city's patron saint, on August 2. According to Federal Law No. 9,093, enacted on September 12, 1995, municipalities may have up to four municipal holidays, including

Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...

References

External links

Gravataí Mayor's Office
(in Portuguese)
Sogil: Gravataí's Intercity bus system and schedule
(in Portuguese) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gravatai Municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul