Pelotas

Pelotas (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [peˈlɔtɐs]) is a Brazilian city and municipality (município), the fourth most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, after Porto Alegre, Caxias do Sul and Canoas. It is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre, the state's capital city, and 130 km (80.8 mi) from the Uruguayan border. The Lagoa dos Patos lies to the east and the São Gonçalo Channel lies to the south, separating Pelotas from the municipality of Rio Grande. In the 19th century, Pelotas was Brazil's leading center for the production of dried meat (charque), a staple food made by slaves and destined to feed the slaves of sugarcane, coffee and cocoa plantations across the country. Currently Pelotas hosts two major universities, the Federal University of Pelotas, and the Catholic University of Pelotas. Together, they account for a population of 22,000 higher education students. The city has three football clubs: Esporte Clube Pelotas (founded 1908), Grêmio Esportivo Brasil (also known as Brasil de Pelotas; founded 1911) and Grêmio Atlético Farroupilha (founded 1926).