Riograndense Republic: Difference between revisions

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.

The Riograndense Republic saw two periods of a significant European migration to the nation, most notable people from the Italian Peninsula and German states. The first in the 1850s and 60s. These people left their nations in search of starting new lives on the other side of the Atlantic, escaping from revolts and poverty. The Riograndense government took advantage of the situation and started to offer free land for those who wanted to migrate to the country.

A second period of rise on immigration was in the early 1900s and majoritywas mostly italian. In the first decade of the 20th century, the Italian Peninsula became a troublesome area. In 1903, the Latial Famine hit the region,. fiveFive years later, in 1908, war took place in the Papal States. Adding this to economic and political issues facing the Italian nations, an influx of thousands of individuals left Europe.

During much of the 19th century, the Riograndense Republic had control over the majority of charque exports in the southern cone. Charque is a type of dry bovine meat that takes a long time to rot, therefore, ideal to export to distant places.  During colonial times, the dry meat was the main dish of the enslaved population across Brazil, and the captaincy of Rio Grande de São Pedro was responsible to fulfill the charque demand of the captaincies of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais. When the Riograndense Republic became independent, it made a deal with the Colony Of Brazil to keep sending the important product. Soon Brazil became the most important economic partner of the newborn country.

For the next 20 years left in the 19th century, railroads started to cut through the RiograndenseSouthern Highlands connecting Rio Grande and Porto Alegre to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Metal and textiles industries were constructed and the port of Porto Alegre, Riograndense Republic largest city, were renewed and amplified. During this period, the population exodus from the countryside to urban centers started to grow at a vertiginous rate. In the period of twenty years, the Riograndense Republic became the first luso-american country to have its urban population near 50% at the period.