Canoas

Canoas (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Portuguese pronunciation: [kaˈnoɐs]) is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, forming part of the of the Greater Porto Alegre area. Officially declared a city on June 27, 1939, after its separation from São Sebastião do Caí and Gravataí, Canoas derives its name from the historical crafting of canoes 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 79th most populous city in Brazil. Canoas is an industrial and educational hub, drawing residents from surrounding municipalities. It hosts a campus of the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul and several universities including Ulbra, UniRitter, Universidade La Salle, and IPUC. The city is positioned at an elevation of eight meters above sea level, and is distinguished by the Gravataí and Sinos 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 from Porto Alegre to São Leopoldo in 1874. A significant local event was the use of a large timbaúva tree (Enterolobium contortisiliquum) for constructing vessels on what was then the Gravataí Farm. This site became known as Capão das Canoas, influencing the names of the railway station and subsequent settlement. The timbaúva tree is also recognized as the city's symbolic tree.