Caçapava do Sul is a Brazilian

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality ...

in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, located on the banks of the

Camaquã River The Camaquã River () is a river of Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. The delta of the river, where it empties into the Lagoa dos Patos, is protected by the Camaquã State Park The Camaquã State Park pt, Parque Estadual do Camaquã ...

. As of 2020, the city has an estimated population of 33,548. It was the 2nd capital of the

Piratini Republic The Riograndense Republic, often called the Piratini Republic ( pt, República Rio-Grandense or ), was a ''de facto'' state that seceded from the Empire of Brazil and roughly coincided with the present state of Rio Grande do Sul. It was procl ...

from 1839 to 1840. The economy depends primarily on the mining industry. Caçapava do Sul produces 80% of the

calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an a ...

rock mined in Rio Grande do Sul. For many years it was Brazil's major producer of

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...

and is still an important center of

copper mining Copper extraction refers to the methods used to obtain copper from its ores. The conversion of copper consists of a series of physical and electrochemical processes. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source, loca ...

. A major deposit of copper ore was discovered in the 1940s by the CBC (Companhia Brasileira do Cobre / Brazilian Copper Company), under the direction of Brazilian industrialist and famous playboy Francisco "Baby" Pignatari. The area, about from Caçapava, came to be known as the Minas do Camaquã (Camaquã Mines). This large operation contributed enormously to the town's economy and is still the site of operating copper mines, by such companies as Majestic Diamonds & Metals. The area has several interesting natural formations. Nearby lies Pedra do Segredo (Stone of the Secret), a natural outcropping of stone that attracts mountain climbers and tourists from all over the state and elsewhere.

Geography

The city is located at latitude 30º30'44"S and longitude 53º29'29"W, at an altitude of . It has a geographical area of . Guaritas Caçapava do Sul Brasil

Historic and natural sites

* Pedra do Segredo (Stone of the Secret) * Dom Pedro II Fort * Cascata do Salso (Salso Waterfall) * Minas do Camaquã (Camaquã Mines) * Casa de Borges de Medeiros (Borges of Medeiros' House) * House of Ulhôa Cintra ( pt, Casa dos Ministérios) * Parish Church of Our Lady of the Assumption * Guaritas (considered the 7th natural wonder of Rio Grande do Sul)

Nearby Municipalities

* São Sepé *

Cachoeira do Sul Cachoeira do Sul () is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southernmost Brazil. Its Marian Catedral da Nossa Senhora da Conceição http://www.gcatholic.org/churches/brazil/2666.htm GCatholic is the episcopal see of the Roman Catho ...

* Santana da Boa Vista * Pinheiro Machado *

Bagé Bagé () is a city located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In 2020, its population was 121,335 in a total area of 4,096 km2. It was the seventeenth largest city in the state according to the 2011 census. The city was founded in 18 ...

* Lavras do Sul * Vila Nova do Sul

References

Municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul Capitals of former nations {{RioGrandedoSul-geo-stub