Cantagalo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˌkɐ̃tɐˈɡalu]), formerly spelled Cantagallo,[2][3] is a city located in the east-central area of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The population is 20,168 (2020 est.) in an area of 749 km2.[4] Its elevation is 391 m (1,283 ft).
Cantagalo | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Location in Rio de Janeiro state | |
Cantagalo Location in Brazil | |
| Coordinates: 21°58′51″S 42°22′4″W / 21.98083°S 42.36778°W | |
| Country | Brazil |
| Region | Southeast |
| State | Rio de Janeiro |
| Area | |
• Total | 749 km2 (289 sq mi) |
| Population (2020 [1]) | |
• Total | 20,168 |
| • Density | 27/km2 (70/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-03:00 (BRT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-02:00 (BRST) |
History
editColonization of Cantagalo began in 1755, when Portuguese nobleman Manoel Henriques, Duke of Terso and a clandestine gold miner, left the state of Minas Gerais in search of unexplored riches. Henriques and his group erected a settlement[citation needed] on a small tributary of the Parahyba approximately 80 miles (129 km) northwest of Rio[2] and began exploring along the local rivers. It was originally known as Sertões de Macacu after the nearby Macacu River.[citation needed]
By 1784, the settlement had grown to accommodate approximately 200 houses. This growth caught the attention of the Portuguese rulers of Brazil, who had a monopoly over gold exploration in the colony. By order of the Viceroy Luiz de Vasconcelos e Souza, several expeditions were sent in search of Henriques and his group. The town's current name (Portuguese for "rooster crow") was inspired by the circumstances of his capture. A troop was about to return to their camp after a day of searching in vain around the woods, when a soldier heard the crowing of a rooster nearby and decided to further explore the area. One of Henriques's men was found in a clearing in the woods and, in exchange for his release, revealed the whereabouts of the rest of the group. Henriques was deported to Africa in dishonour.[citation needed]
By 1786, the settlement's name had been officially changed from Sertões de Macacu to Cantagalo. In 1814, Cantagalo was officially recognized by Emperor Pedro I as a municipality and in October 1857, was officially elevated to the category of city.[citation needed] By the mid-19th century, the area's gold was played out and the settlement came to depend on agriculture.[2] Corn, coffee, and sugarcane plantations covered several acres of highly fertile land.[citation needed]
Before the First World War, Cantagallo was considered a rich fruit- and coffee-producing district and was connected to Rio via a 100-mile-long eponymous railway.[3]
Nowadays, the city's economic activities still revolve around agriculture, with the exploration of granite and calcareous rock for the cement industry also playing a strong role. Some of the largest cement manufacturers in Brazil have facilities in Cantagalo.[citation needed]
Notable residents
editFinancial journalist Jose Carlos Rodrigues was the son of a coffee planter of Cantagallo, born here in 1844. Writer Euclides da Cunha was born here on January 15, 1886; a city district is named Euclidelândia in his honour.
Notes
editReferences
edit- Baynes, T. S., ed. (1878), , Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 5 (9th ed.), New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, p. 27
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911), , Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 5 (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press, p. 208
External links
edit- City's official website Archived 2020-08-23 at the Wayback Machine
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