Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul

Santa Rosa is a town in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, located at latitude 27º52'15" and longitude 54º28'53" at a height of 277 meters above sea level. It has an area of 488.42 km². Its estimated population is 68,468 (2004).

Santa Rosa is heavily populated with German-Brazilian descendants and the majority of the citizens exhibit Germanic features such as blond hair and blue eyes. Gaúcho culture is very strong in the city. The Portuguese dialect and accent of the citizens in Santa Rosa borrows sounds and words from Spanish in consequence of the city's proximity to the Argentine border.

The city is the birthplace of the popular Brazilian celebrity Maria da Graça Meneghel known as Xuxa and Brazilian World Cup Winning Goalkeeper Cláudio Taffarel.

External links

* [http://www.santarosa.rs.gov.br/ Santa Rosa city hall page "(Portuguese)"]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=santa+rosa,+brazil&ie=UTF8&z=13&om=1&iwloc=A Santa Rosa detailed Street Map]
* [http://www.sanoticias.com/ SA Notícias - news from the city and region]