Arroio Grande (Portuguese meaning the big stream) is a small Brazilian town in the southeastwern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population is around 19,000. Its second industry is agriculture which was primary until the 1970s, it currently has more urban population (80%) than rural (20%). Much of the area are made up of plains.

The settlement was founded in the beginning of 1803, around eighteen years before independence by Manuel Jerônimo de Sousa, who was Baron of Mauá's grandfather. In the right bank, the Ferreira family halted the construction, on the right bank, the sons of Manuel de Sousa Gusmão constructed secretly a ranch.

Under law 54 of May 26, 1846, it was lifted to a parish as Curato de Nossa Senhora da Graça de Arroio Grande under constitution 39, parish of the state. Under law 596 on January 2, 1867, it separated the municipality of Jaguarão into five districts and four became a part of the parish of Arroio Grande.

Under the provincial law 843 on March 24, 1873, it became a town with a same name. Under law 590 on November 5, 1890, it became a city with a federal denomination that on July 6, 1891 under law 522, and was renamed to Arroio Grande.

Jorge Vera-Cruz Barbosa (25 May 1902 – 6 January 1971) was a Cape Verdean poet and writer. He collaborated in various reviews and Portuguese and Cape Verdean journals. The publication of his poetry anthology Arquipélago (Archipelago) in 1935 marked the beginning of Capeverdean poetry. He was, along with Baltazar Lopes da Silva and Manuel Lopes one of the three founders of the literary journal Claridade ("Clarity") in 1936, which marked the beginning of modern Cape Verdean literature.

Jorge Barbosa was born in the city of Praia, on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde archipelago (then a territory of Portugal). Soon after, he moved to the island of São Vicente, where he spent his early years on — excluding his years of study in Lisbon. He then lived for many years on the island of Sal, working as a civil servant of the customhouse. He died in Cova da Piedade, in Lisbon, Portugal.