Porto Alegre, Brazil
City
Porto Alegre is one of the largest cities in Brazil as well as being a cultural and economic hub (2). The capital of the state of Rio Grande, Porto Alegre, has a population of 1.5 million people (2). Porto Alegre is an important industrial, business, and financial center (3). Since the 19th century, Porto Alegre has been receiving immigrants, particularly from Europe, which were of decisive importance, influencing architecture and cuisine (1).
Education
Porto Alegre has several colleges and some universities (1).
Culture & Tourism
Brazil has a large tourism industry from which Porto Alegre benefits (2).The city has a large amount of architectural sites of interest, chief amongst them are Piratini Palace and the Public Market (2). Porto Alegre is also well-known for its botanical gardens (2).
Transportation
Salgado Filho International Airport is the airport serving Porto Alegre; it has an air cargo terminal (1).
The Port of Porto Alegre is one of Brazil's largest ports (1). Due to its location at the junction of five rivers, Porto Alegre has always been a trading and logistics hub (2). The port of Porto Alegre is important for transporting local produce (1).
Economy
About 64 percent of the economy is based on services, followed by the industrial sector at 29 percent (1). The service industry encompasses sectors such as computers, health, education and tourism (1).
The main economic sectors of Porto Alegre are agriculture and industry (1). Porto Alegre produces: beef, rice, soybeans, leather, meat, wool, beans, cashews, avocados, wheat, grapes, tobacco, maize, Persimmon, fig, guava, orange, walnut, pear, peach, tangerine, grape, sweet potato, cane sugar, onions, cassava, plums, peaches, melon and tomatoes (1).
The city's major industries include meat-packing, lard refining, leather tanning, shipbuilding, and the manufacturing of textiles, metallurgic goods, electrical and communications equipment, plastics, pharmaceuticals, perfume, beer, chemicals, automobiles. There are also steel mills, an oil terminal, and a petrochemical complex (1).
Porto Alegre is the headquarters of Industries of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The largest companies in the city are Petroleo Ipiranga, Zaffari, RBS, General Motors, and Dell Computers (2).
Other industries:
The lumber industry is also a steady contributor to the economy (2). In the construction industry, the trend has been to focus on building real estate (1). Porto Alegre recently constructed the Electronics Technology Centre to boost the production of electronic circuits and advanced semiconductors (2).
Porto Alegre is the third largest exporter in Brazil, exporting $37 billion in goods between 2007 and 2012 (3). Porto Alegre’s exports are diverse (3). Its major exports include plastics, oil seeds, grains, and fruits, footwear, meat, and vehicle and parts, Soybeans, leather, canned beef, and rice (1;3). Argentina and China are the largest destination markets, followed by the United States which receives 12 percent of metro exports (3).
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sulhas is space available waiting for new business (4). Major Industrial production include: foodstuff, chemicals, vehicles, machine and equipment, leather and shoes, metal products, tobacco, metallurgy, rubber, and plastic (4).
In 2011, Rio Grande do Sul exported 15.4 US$ billion and imports 13.3 US$ billion (4), and in 2010, the city imported 26% from the United States and exported 8% to the U.S. (4).
Rio Grande do Sul’s imports are: Fuels and Lubricants, Industrial Inputs, Capital Goods, and Durable Consumption Goods (4). Its exports include: Industrial Inputs, Non-Durable Consumption Goods, Industrial Food and Beverage, and Capital Goods (4).
View Porto Alegre agreement (English)
View Porto Alegre agreemement (Portuguese)
References