Guaíba River

The Guaíba Lake (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɡwaˈiba]) is a waterway in Rio Grande do Sul, a state in southern Brazil. It is famous for its beautiful reflection at sunset. The Guaíba is an extension of the Lagoa dos Patos, a huge coastal lagoon to the south, and although commonly referred to as a "river", the Guaíba is an estuary, and is also referred to as a bay, lake, or lagoon. The Jacuí River empties into the Guaíba from the north.

Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, lies on the eastern shore of the Guaíba River, and the city of Guaíba lies opposite Porto Alegre on the western shore. The Guaíba is navigable, and is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Lagoa dos Patos and its outlet channel, located farther south at Rio Grande.

Coordinates: 30°13′00″S 51°14′00″W / 30.2167°S 51.2333°W / -30.2167; -51.2333

Guaíba

Guaíba is a city located in the Metropolitan Porto Alegre of Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is on the shores of the Guaíba Lake.

History

In the current territory of the municipality of Guaíba there have been archeological discoveries of elements representing Guaraní culture, the oldest found in the region. These indigenous settlements would have been settled between 10000 and 6000 BCE (Laroque 2002).

There is conclusive evidence of multiple conflicts between the indigenous peoples of the area and the colonial-era Portuguese on the land where Guaíba currently stands, with the indigenous incurring substantial losses while trying to defend their land.

The border disputes in between the Spanish and Portugueses thrones also involved the strategic land on which Guaíba now sits. The Portuguese had used a system of quickly distributing land to new settlers called the sesmaria in what was considered contested territory, but the new beneficiaries of this system helped Portugal consolidated rule over what is now Rio Grande do Sul.