Gravataí
Gravataí | |
|---|---|
| The Municipality of Gravataí | |
| Nickname: City of Bromelias | |
| Coordinates: 29°56′38″S 50°59′31″W / 29.94389°S 50.99194°W | |
| Country | Brazil |
| Region | South |
| State | Rio Grande do Sul |
| Settled | 1763 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1880 |
| Current limits | 1988 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Luiz Ariano Zaffalon (PSDB) |
| Area | |
• Total | 468.288 km2 (180.807 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 26 m (75 ft) |
| Population (2022 ) | |
• Total | 265,070 |
| • Density | 566/km2 (1,470/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Gravataiense |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (BRT) |
| Postal Code | 94000-000 |
| Area code | +55 51 |
| HDI (2010) | 0.736 |
| HDI Rank | RS: 179º BR: 876º |
| Gini (est. IBGE 2003) | 0.41 |
| GDP (2020) | R$ 10,640,983.01 million |
| GDP Rank | RS: 4º BR: 114º |
| GDP per capita (2020) | R$ 37,518.45 |
| Website | Prefeitura de Gravataí |
Gravataí is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, located north of the state capital, approximately 23 km away. It is one of the 32 municipalities within the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Region (RMPA). The municipality covers an area of 463.758 square kilometres (179.058 sq mi), with 121.37 square kilometres (46.86 sq mi) designated as the urban area, and its population was recorded in 2022 as 265,070 inhabitants, making it the sixth most populous municipality in the state and the third in the RMPA.
Gravataí was initially established in 1763, with official emancipation occurring in 1880. The name is believed to derive from a combination of gravatá, a species of Apiaceae (formerly Umbelliferae) abundant in the region, and hy, meaning river in the Guarani language. Today, the municipality's primary economic driver is the industrial sector, with the Gravataí Automotive Industrial Complex of General Motors serving as a significant source of revenue, positioning the city as a hub for Brazil's metal-mechanical industry.
The municipality also boasts a rich cultural heritage that includes handicrafts, theater, music and sports. One of its most prominent and traditional football clubs is the Cerâmica Atlético Clube, founded in April 1950. Gravataí hosts several annual events, including the Feast of Our Lady of Navigators, the Bromeliad Festival, and the Gravataí International Cycling Tour, alongside notable tourist attractions such as the Agostinho Martha Municipal Museum, which showcases the colonial history of the Gravataí River Valley.