| Centro Ocidental Rio-Grandense | |
|---|---|
| Mesoregion | |
 | |
| Country | Brazil |
| State | Rio Grande do Sul |
| Area | |
| • Total | 25,954.69 km2 (10,021.16 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 556,062 |
| • Density | 21/km2 (55/sq mi) |
The Centro Ocidental Rio-Grandense (Brazilian Portuguese :Western Center of Rio Grande) is one of the seven mesoregions of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It consists of 31 municipalities, grouped in three microregions: [1]
A mesoregion was a subdivision of the Brazilian states, grouping together various municipalities in proximity and with common characteristics. They were extinguished in 2017 and replaced by "intermediary geographic regions". The mesoregions were created by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics for statistical purposes and do not, therefore, constitute an administrative area. They are further divided into microregions.
Rio Grande do Sul is a state located in the southern region of Brazil. It is the fifth most populous state and the ninth largest by area. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Rio Grande do Sul is bordered clockwise by Santa Catarina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Uruguayan departments of Rocha, Treinta y Tres, Cerro Largo, Rivera and Artigas to the south and southwest, and the Argentine provinces of Corrientes and Misiones to the west and northwest. The capital and largest city is Porto Alegre. The state has the highest life expectancy in Brazil, and the crime rate is considered to be low.
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers and with over 208 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the fifth most populous. Its capital is Brasília, and its most populated city is São Paulo. The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states, the Federal District, and the 5,570 municipalities. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations, due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world.
