Canoas | |
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 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inRio Grande do Sul, Brazil | |
  Canoas Location in Brazil | |
| Coordinates:29°55′12″S51°10′48″W / 29.92000°S 51.18000°W /-29.92000; -51.18000 | |
| Country | Brazil |
| Region | South |
| State | Rio Grande do Sul |
| Established | June 27, 1939 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Airton Souza |
| Area | |
• Total | 131.097 km2 (50.617 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Population (2020[1]) | |
• Total | 348,208 |
| • Density | 2,656.11/km2 (6,879.29/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (BRT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-2 (BRST) |
| Website | canoas.rs.gov.br |
Canoas (Portuguese pronunciation:[kaˈnoɐs]) is a municipality in the state ofRio Grande do Sul, Brazil, forming part of theGreater Porto Alegre area. It is the largest municipality of the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre and the third largest municipality of Rio Grande do Sul. Officially declared a city on June 27, 1939, after its separation fromSão Sebastião do Caí andGravataí, Canoas derives its name from the historical crafting ofcanoes in the area. It is the second largest city in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area, with the third-largest population and the third-highest GDP in the state. It is also ranked as the 79thmost populous city in Brazil.
Canoas is an industrial and educational hub, drawing residents from surrounding municipalities. It hosts a campus of theFederal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul and several universities includingUlbra,UniRitter, Universidade La Salle, and IPUC. The city is positioned at an elevation of 8 meters (26 ft) above sea level, and is distinguished by theGravataí andSinos rivers that traverse its landscape.
The city's name, Canoas, which means 'canoes' in Portuguese, traces back to the area's early settlement period during the construction of the railway line fromPorto Alegre toSão Leopoldo in 1874. A significant local event was the use of a largetimbaúva tree (Enterolobium contortisiliquum) for constructing vessels on what was then theGravataí Farm. This site became known asCapão das Canoas, influencing the names of the railway station and subsequent settlement. Thetimbaúva tree is also recognized as the city's symbolic tree.
The region that is nowCanoas was originally inhabited by theTapesIndigenous peoples until the arrival ofPortuguese explorers and settlers in the early 18th century.Francisco Pinto Bandeira, a notable earlysettler, established theGravataí Farm in the area by 1733. Over the following decades, the farm was subdivided and sold in smaller plots, leading to increased settlement.
The construction of the railway in 1871 to connectSão Leopoldo andPorto Alegre marked a pivotal development for the area. The establishment of a railway station in 1874 catalyzed the growth of the settlement that would become Canoas. The use of local timber forcanoe making at the station helped name the areaCapão das Canoas.
Significant growth continued into the 20th century with the arrival of theLasallian brothers in 1908, who founded a school that offered agricultural, primary, and secondary education. The military also played a crucial role in the city's development, particularly with the establishment of the 3rd Military Aviation Regiment in 1937, which was instrumental in advocating for the city's emancipation.Canoas officially became a city in 1939 and continued to expand rapidly, especially from the 1970s onwards, establishing itself as a key economic player in thestate.
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