Erechim
Encyclopedia
Erechim is a Brazil
ian city located in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul
. A regional center in the northern portion of the state, it is the second most populous city in the region with 97,916 inhabitants, second only to the city of Passo Fundo
. The municipality ranks 17th in total gross domestic product
in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Erechim was one of the first planned modern cities in Brazil. City planners were inspired by urban concepts used in the design of Washington, D.C.
(1791) and Paris
(1850). These were characterized by very wide streets and bold outlines, with diagonal streets converging at important points. Key elements of its design include a perpendicular grid of streets cut by diagonal avenues, blocks of regular dimensions and a promenade around its perimeter.
The municipality is located north of Rio Grande do Sul, in the Upper Uruguay, on the ridge of the Serra Geral. The origin of the name of Erechim refers to the ancient indigenous inhabitants of the region, and comes from "Erechim Caingangue", which means "small field"; it probably was given this name as the city was surrounded by forests at the time.
.
The town was settled mostly by Polish, Italian and German immigrants, 36 pioneers from Europe and others from the old lands (Caxias do Sul). They came by railroad in 1908, building their homes beside the track, and the place soon became a district of Passo Fundo
.
The town's early economy depended on agriculture, livestock production, trade and services. It thrived and the city of Erechim was created on April 30, 1918, through Decree No. 2343 of April 30, signed by Antonio Borges, then governor of Rio Grande do Sul.
Once known as the "Capital of Wheat" due to the high volumes of grain produced, today Erechim is considered the "Capital of Friendship".
Today Erechim, with its ups and downs, is still thriving and flourishing. It has the air of a big city, with its cobbled streets and low buildings, and is increasingly known as the Capital of Friendship.
supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio
(b. 1981) was born in Erechim.
Also well known are Erechim born soccer players including former goalkeeper Gilmar Rinaldi, who played at International level, São Paulo and Flamengo striker Rafael Sóbis
, currently playing at International level and the former midfielder and current coach, Paulo Cesar Carpeggiani.
with scheduled flights to various cities.
The city can be reached by road via state highways RS-135, RS-331, RS-419, RS-420, RST-480, and federal highways BR-153 and BR-480. These roads link the various municipalities in the region and are all paved. Erechim lies 360 km from the state capital, Porto Alegre
.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian city located in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
. A regional center in the northern portion of the state, it is the second most populous city in the region with 97,916 inhabitants, second only to the city of Passo Fundo
Passo Fundo
Passo Fundo - RS is a city in the north of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is named after its river. It's the twelfth largest city in the state with an estimated population of 188,302 inhabitants living in a total municipal area of 780 km2.-Communications:The following...
. The municipality ranks 17th in total gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Erechim was one of the first planned modern cities in Brazil. City planners were inspired by urban concepts used in the design of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1791) and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1850). These were characterized by very wide streets and bold outlines, with diagonal streets converging at important points. Key elements of its design include a perpendicular grid of streets cut by diagonal avenues, blocks of regular dimensions and a promenade around its perimeter.
The municipality is located north of Rio Grande do Sul, in the Upper Uruguay, on the ridge of the Serra Geral. The origin of the name of Erechim refers to the ancient indigenous inhabitants of the region, and comes from "Erechim Caingangue", which means "small field"; it probably was given this name as the city was surrounded by forests at the time.
History
The city was initially called the Great Barn and then successively named Boa Vista, Boa Vista Erechim, Jose Bonifacio Erechim and finally just Erechim. Like many other villages in Brazil, it was built beside the railroad, in this case, the railroad that linked Rio Grande do Sul to São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
.
The town was settled mostly by Polish, Italian and German immigrants, 36 pioneers from Europe and others from the old lands (Caxias do Sul). They came by railroad in 1908, building their homes beside the track, and the place soon became a district of Passo Fundo
Passo Fundo
Passo Fundo - RS is a city in the north of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is named after its river. It's the twelfth largest city in the state with an estimated population of 188,302 inhabitants living in a total municipal area of 780 km2.-Communications:The following...
.
The town's early economy depended on agriculture, livestock production, trade and services. It thrived and the city of Erechim was created on April 30, 1918, through Decree No. 2343 of April 30, signed by Antonio Borges, then governor of Rio Grande do Sul.
Once known as the "Capital of Wheat" due to the high volumes of grain produced, today Erechim is considered the "Capital of Friendship".
Origins of the city's urban design
The following testimony was written in 1970 by José Maria de Amorim, the first clerk of Erechim, who lived there from 1924 until the date of his death on December 12, 1978. He recounts the design aspects of the city, its origin and its setbacks, which are not yet recorded in the official history of the county.Today Erechim, with its ups and downs, is still thriving and flourishing. It has the air of a big city, with its cobbled streets and low buildings, and is increasingly known as the Capital of Friendship.
Notable people
Victoria's SecretVictoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio
Alessandra Ambrosio
Alessandra Corine Ambrósio is a Brazilian model. Ambrosio is best known for her work with Victoria's Secret and was chosen as the first spokesmodel for the company's "PINK" line...
(b. 1981) was born in Erechim.
Also well known are Erechim born soccer players including former goalkeeper Gilmar Rinaldi, who played at International level, São Paulo and Flamengo striker Rafael Sóbis
Rafael Sóbis
Rafael Augusto Sóbis do Nascimento , commonly known as Rafael Sóbis, is a Brazilian footballer of Ukrainian descent, who plays for Fluminense.-Internacional:...
, currently playing at International level and the former midfielder and current coach, Paulo Cesar Carpeggiani.
Transportation
Erechim is served by Erechim AirportErechim Airport
Erechim Airport is the airport serving Erechim, Brazil.It is operated by DAP.-History:In 2010 the whole airport complex received major investments, including renovation of the runway and of the terminal building.-Airlines and destinations:...
with scheduled flights to various cities.
The city can be reached by road via state highways RS-135, RS-331, RS-419, RS-420, RST-480, and federal highways BR-153 and BR-480. These roads link the various municipalities in the region and are all paved. Erechim lies 360 km from the state capital, Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
.