Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil

Rio Grande do Sul (pronunciation  pron. IPA: [ʁiu 'gɾɐ̃.de do suɫ]; lit. "Great River of the South") is the southernmost state of Brazil, and the state with the fourth highest Human Development Index (HDI).

The state of Rio Grande do Sul is renowned as one of the most culturally rich states of Brazil. Rio Grande's music is a blend of many styles (Prata's Rhythms in the main), including the Chamamé, Milonga, Polca and Chacarera. The inhabitants of the state are famous in the country for drinking chimarrão, a local version of the mate drunk in neighbouring Uruguay and Argentina. Barbecue locally known as "churrasco" is one of the most important elements the culture. Rio Grande do Sul's culture is far from a typical Brazilian one. Samba and carnival are not popular as in the rest of the country and the Brazilian mulatas are rarely seen. Fashion plays a prominent role in Rio Grande do Sul, by far the largest provider of top models and misses in Brazil - Misses Rio Grande do Sul have won 5 of the last 10 editions -, Alessandra Ambrosio,Fernanda Lima,Shirley Mallmann, Gisele Bündchen, Ana Hickmann, sisters Letícia and Michelle Birkheuer , Xuxa, Raquel Zimmerman ,Cintia Dicker and Caroline Trentini are some of the international super models from Rio Grande do Sul.

 Super model Shirley Mallmann was born in Santa Clara do Sul.

Xuxa (pronounced [ˈʃuʃɐ] "shoo-shah" -, Maria da Graça Xuxa Meneghel, March 27, 1963, Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) is a Brazilian Grammy Award Winner, television actress, singer and children's television show host. Her various shows have been broadcast in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. Xuxa is of German, Austrian, Italian, and Polish descent.

 Actress Barbara Paz was born in the city Campo Bom.

She is a famous idol to Latin American children since the late 1980s and going through 1990's and 00's. Her achievements include the second best-selling album in the history of Brazil, and being the singer with the second highest total of number-one hits by a female in the Brazilian charts, surpassed only by Daniela Mercury. Xuxa has some of the biggest box office results in Brazilian history and a fortune of over $250 million dollars.

 Actress Juliana Didone was born in Porto Alegre,the capital.

 The Riograndenses are assiduous readers. The state has the highest proportion of books read per capita in Brazil, with Latin America's largest outdoor book fair, the Porto Alegre Book Fair, taking place in Porto Alegre every year.

 Fernanda Lima was born in Porto Alegre.

Ecotourism is very popular in the Germanesque cities of Gramado and Canela; their cold weather is among their attractions for internal tourism. Tourism is also high in the wine regions of the state, principally Caxias do Sul and Bento Gonçalves. The pampas of the native Brazilian gaúcho are both a national and international curiosity to tourists and their customs are alive in the capital city of Porto Alegre as well as in the cities of the "interior" or western Rio Grande do Sul such as Santa Maria and Passo Fundo. The state is also home to the historic São Miguel das Missões, the ruins of an 18th century Jesuit Mission. In the city of Nova Prata, in way the native bush, you find a park thematic, with sources that gush out thermal waters in a temperature of 41ºC, which possess excellent medicinal properties and therapeutical.

The state of Rio Grande do Sul and its cities have developed a series scenic routes to appeal to tourists. The Rota Romântica is a popular scenic drive that exhibits the diverse Germanic culture of the mountainous regions of the state referred to as the Serra Gaúcha. One can visit the state's Italian settlements through Caminhos da Colônia, tour the wine country through the Rota da Uva e do Vinho and visit a subsection of the Rota Romântica called the Região das Hortênsias, the region filled with beautiful blue hydrangea flowers each spring.

Each year, the citizens of Santa Cruz do Sul and visitors from the region celebrate Oktoberfest. The city has a large population of German-Brazilians. Thousands turn out each year for the Oktoberfest celebration.This is the hometown of super model and tv show hostess Ana Hickman.

(from wikipedia)