Canoas

Canoas (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaˈnoɐs]) is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, forming part of the Greater Porto Alegre area. It is the largest municipality of the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre and the third largest municipality of Rio Grande do Sul. Officially declared a city on June 27, 1939, after its separation from São Sebastião do Caí and Gravataí, Canoas derives its name from the historical crafting of canoes in the area. It is the second largest city in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area, with the third-largest population and the third-highest GDP in the state. It is also ranked as the 79th most populous city in Brazil. Canoas is an industrial and educational hub, drawing residents from surrounding municipalities. It hosts a campus of the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul and several universities including Ulbra, UniRitter, Universidade La Salle, and IPUC. The city is positioned at an elevation of 8 meters (26 ft) above sea level, and is distinguished by the Gravataí and Sinos rivers that traverse its landscape.