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Porto alegre

Porto Alegre
Município de Porto Alegre
Municipality of Porto Alegre
From upper left: Porto Alegre Public Market; Plant of Gasômetro; view of the city; Monument to the Azores before the building of the Administrative Center of the Rio Grande do Sul; panoramic view of the city from Guaíba River; Iberê Camargo Foundation; and the Monument to the Expeditionary at the Farroupilha Park.
From upper left: Porto Alegre Public Market; Plant of Gasômetro; view of the city; Monument to the Azores before the building of the Administrative Center of the Rio Grande do Sul; panoramic view of the city from Guaíba River; Iberê Camargo Foundation; and the Monument to the Expeditionary at the Farroupilha Park.
Flag of Porto Alegre
Flag
Official seal of Porto Alegre
Seal
Motto: Leal e Valerosa Cidade de Porto Alegre
Loyal and Valiant city of Porto Alegre
Location of Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is located in Brazil
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 30°01′59″S 51°13′48″W / 30.03306°S 51.23000°W / -30.03306; -51.23000Coordinates: 30°01′59″S 51°13′48″W / 30.03306°S 51.23000°W / -30.03306; -51.23000
Country  Brazil
State Rio Grande do Sul
Mesoregion Metropolitan Porto Alegre
Microregion Microregion of Porto Alegre
Founded 26 March 1772
Government
 • Mayor Nelson Marchezan Jr (PSDB)
Area
 • City 496.827 km2 (191.826 sq mi)
Elevation 10 m (30 ft)
Population (2010)
 • City 1,509,939 (10th)
 • Density 3,030/km2 (7,800/sq mi)
 • Metro 4,405,769 (4th)
Demonym(s) Porto-alegrenses
Time zone UTC-3 (UTC-3)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-2 (UTC-2)
Postal Code 90000-000
Area code(s) +55 51
Website Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul

Porto Alegre (local Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpoɾtu aˈlɛɡɾi];Joyful Harbor) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Founded in 1769 by Manuel Sepúlveda, its population of 1,509,939 inhabitants (2010) makes it the tenth most populous city in the country and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area, with 4,405,760 inhabitants (2010). The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian state.

Porto Alegre was founded in 1769 by Manuel Jorge Gomes de Sepúlveda, who used the pseudonym José Marcelino de Figueiredo to hide his identity; but the official date is 1772 with the act signed by immigrants from the Azores, Portugal. The vast majority of the population is of European descent.

The city lies on the eastern bank of the Guaíba River (also referred to as a lake), where five rivers converge to form the Lagoa dos Patos (Lagoon of the Ducks), a giant freshwater lagoon navigable by even the largest of ships. This five-river junction has become an important alluvial port as well as a chief industrial and commercial center of Brazil.

In recent years, Porto Alegre hosted the World Social Forum, an initiative of several non-government organizations. The city became famous for being the first city that implemented participatory budgeting. The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches was held in Porto Alegre in 2006. Since 2000, Porto Alegre also hosts one of the world's largest free software events, called FISL.


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