- Piranhas
:"This article is about the Brazilian city in the state of Alagoas. For the Brazilian city in the state of
Goiás seePiranhas, Goiás . For the fish, seePiranha ; for the band, seeThe Piranhas ."Piranhas is a historic city and municipality in the western of the State of
Alagoas , in the Northeast Region ofBrazil . Located on the bank of theSão Francisco River , just at the border with the State ofSergipe , Piranhas was founded in1891 and originally namedFloriano Peixoto (in honor of the Army General who was one of the founders of the Republic and later elected President). It was initially named "Porto de Piranhas", because a fisherman had caught somepiranha s (a carnivore predator fish) there. In the 30s, Piranhas was attacked several times by the cangaceiros, bands of marauders and bandits commanded by the infamousLampião , who frequently hid from the police in the rocky outcrops near the city.* Population: 23,483 (2005) [
IBGE - [http://www.ibge.gov.br/cidadesat/default.php] ]
* Area: 407,65 km²
* Elevation: 88 m
* Distance from the capital (Maceió ): 291 km
* Climate: dry and hot, average annual temperature: 28 degrees Celsius
* Economic activity:fishing ,agriculture ,cattle raising,ecotourism .Its architecture is late Empire, Northeast style of constructions. Water sports such as
catamaran s,sailboat s andcanoe s are available at river beaches and lakes, as well tours along the São Francisco using typicalpaddle steamer s ("gaiolas"). Severalwaterfall s, the mighty and wide river itself, the semi-arid and roughcaatinga , strange rock formations, and its rivergorge s are appreciated by tourists and trekkers for their natural beauty.Piranhas can be reached by boat from several ports along the São Francisco, or by car, via a paved road from Maceió (AL-225).
"Piranhas have also made contributions to many sports teams including the Columbia Athletic Club Swim Team in Issaquah, WA, USA. ACTUALLY ITS PINE LAKE"
References
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