Riograndense Republic

Riograndense Republic
Riograndense Republic
: República Riograndense
Location of Riograndense Republic
Capital	Rio Grande
Largest City	Porto Alegre
Population	18 million
Government Type	Federated Republic
Languages	Portuguese (Official) Spanish (Regionally Official)

The Riograndense Republic; (Portuguese: República Riograndense); is a country located on the southern cone of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Brazil to the north, Paraguay to the west and Carolina to the south and southwest. The country is divided into five states and a federal district where the capital, Rio Grande, is located. The Riograndense Republic, differently from its other Portuguese speaking neighbors, has a culture molded by the junction of Iberian cultures along Italian, Slav and German influences. Geographically, the nation can be divided in two regions, the flat pampas in the south, with hot summer and mild winter, and the hilly north with its mild summer and cold winters. The riograndense economy is composed of varied sectors, with agriculture and meat production being its most prominent, but also can be cited tourism and industrial activities.

Etymology

The name Riograndense Republic in a literal translation means “the Republic of the Great River". This name came from misconceptions about the geography of the region. During early colonial times, many explorers had mistaken the Patos Lagoon( Lagoa dos Patos ) as the mouth of a large river. Although geographically incorrect, the name sticks to the region to this day.

History

Early History

Before colonization, the region where the Riograndense Republic lies today was inhabited by many indigenous tribes such as the Minuanos, Charruas and Guaranis. According to the Treaty Of Tordesillas(1494), the totality of the region was under the Spanish controlled hemisphere, but after more than 200 years, the treaty fell into oblivion. The region was first settled by the Portuguese in the early 18th century, and due to its temperate climate, wasn't suitable for the production of sugarcane, therefore, adopted the cultivation of tobacco and ranching as its main economic activities.

Riograndense Republic in the 19th century

Riograndense Independence War

In 1843, inspired by the ideals of the Spring of Nations and the Bahian War of Independence, the southernmost captaincy of the colony of Brazil started its own rebellion against the Portuguese crown. Inside the rebels were liberals, large landowners, local military personal and former slaves. The reasons to fight were many, amongst them were the lack of Brazilian representation in politics, the closed economy of the colony and taxation. In the case of the former slaves, freedom was promised to those who chose to fight along. After the success in defeating the local defense forces, the Riograndense Republic was proclaimed and a provisional capital in the town of Caçapava was established. Months later, the news of the newly proclaimed nation spread across the British colony of Carolina and the country( still not recognized but independent) of Paraguay. This encouraged many Hispanic gauchos, known as well as Carolinos, to volunteer themselves to the Riograndense cause. In exchange for help, the country would grant to those men and their families citizenship. In 1844, Paraguay recognized the independence of the Riograndense Republic, being the first country in the world to do it. In the same year, the Paraguayan government permitted the traffic of volunteers and smuggled weapons through its borders to assist its new neighbor. From the beginning of the rebellion to 1845, many towns and villages were either conquered or joined the republic willingly. By 1846, only the town of Rio Grande was under Portuguese control. Later on that year, a peace treaty was signed.

Carolino Migration

During the independence war, and in the following decades after, the Riograndense Republic gained independence from Portuguese Brasil the country saw a significant influx of migrants coming from the British colony of Carolina. Initially most migrants were war volunteers along their families, but after independence most migrants immigrated for cultural, political & religious reasons. These immigrants established themselves in the western state of Missões and to this day Spanish is still an official language in the state (but not as widely spoken like it was in the past). In total, the Riograndense Republic has the received the second largest amount of hispanophone immigrants from Carolina (beaten by Paraguay).

Government & Politics

Administrative Divisions

There are a total of five administrative divisions of the Riograndense Republic.

Provinces

• Jacui
• Lagoa
• Missoes
• Santa Catarina
• Serra Geral