Santa Cruz do Sul
Santa Cruz do Sul | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Santa Cruz do Sul | |
On the right, São João Batista Cathedral. On the left, the city hall, citizens parading in German attire during Oktoberfest, and the hilltop cross. Below, a panoramic view of the city center. | |
Location in Rio Grande do Sul | |
| Coordinates: 29°43′04″S 52°25′33″W / 29.71778°S 52.42583°W | |
| Country | Brazil |
| Region | South |
| State | Rio Grande do Sul |
| Founded | March 31, 1877 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sérgio Moraes (PL) |
| Area | |
• Total | 733.898 km2 (283.360 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 122 m (400 ft) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 138,104 |
| • Rank | RS: 14th BR: 233rd |
| • Density | 190/km2 (490/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Santa-cruzense |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (BRT) |
| HDI | 0.773 (2010) |
| HDI rank | RS: 26th BR: 197th |
| GDP | R$ 10,494,583,160 (2020) |
| GDP rank | RS: 5th BR: 115th |
| GDP per capita | R$ 79,888.73 (2020) |
| Climate | Temperate (Cfa) |
| Website | www |
Santa Cruz do Sul (ⓘ) is a Brazilian municipality located in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, approximately 155 kilometres (96 mi) from Porto Alegre. According to estimates by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), its population in 2024 was 138,104, making it the 14th most populous municipality in Rio Grande do Sul. Covering an area of 733.4 square kilometres (283.2 sq mi), it is situated in the Vale do Rio Pardo region, bordering the municipalities of Vera Cruz, Rio Pardo, Sinimbu, Venâncio Aires, and Passo do Sobrado. The municipality has a temperate climate, lies in a physiographic transition zone between the Brazilian Highlands and the Central Depression, and features vegetation from both the Atlantic Forest and the Pampas, with a predominance of volcanic rocks.
Originally established as the Santa Cruz Colony on December 6, 1847, the city was officially founded on March 31, 1877, when it was emancipated from Rio Pardo. A significant hub of German colonization in Rio Grande do Sul, the municipality is bilingual, with residents speaking both Portuguese and German, particularly the Hunsrückisch dialect. Its economy has historically been tied to tobacco, earning it the title of the world’s tobacco capital. The city experienced substantial economic growth, verticalization, and rural exodus from the 20th century into the early 21st century. In 2018, its gross domestic product (GDP) reached 9.4 billion reais, ranking as the sixth largest in the state, while its Human Development Index (HDI) in 2010 was 0.733, classified as high.
Predominantly Catholic and Evangelical, Santa Cruz do Sul is home to the St. John the Baptist Cathedral, the largest Gothic-style cathedral in South America, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the largest Evangelical temple in Rio Grande do Sul. The city is home to the University of Santa Cruz do Sul, with 11,000 students enrolled in 52 undergraduate programs, alongside three other higher education institutions, 14 high schools, 114 elementary schools, and three hospitals. It also has an airport and a regional prison.
With robust tourism infrastructure, Santa Cruz do Sul is renowned for hosting the largest Oktoberfest in Rio Grande do Sul, the Oktoberfest of Santa Cruz do Sul, and one of the largest amateur art festivals in Latin America, the Encontro de Arte e Tradição. The city is also home to the Santa Cruz do Sul International Raceway, as well as two professional football clubs, Esporte Clube Avenida and Futebol Clube Santa Cruz, and a professional basketball club, União Corinthians.