PELOTAS

coastal city, southeastern Rio Grande do Sul estado (state), southern Brazil, on the left bank of the Canal de So Gonalo, the river that connects the Mirim Lagoon with the dos Patos Lagoon. Founded in 1780 as So Francisco de Paula, it was raised to town status and renamed in 1830; it became a city in 1835. Located at 23 feet (7 m) above sea level, it serves with the port of Rio Grande (25 miles southeast) as a transfer point for ocean vessels that cannot cross the shallow dos Patos to Prto Alegre fully loaded. It is also the chief port for the cattle-ranching area of southern Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas is Brazil's largest producer of xarque (jerked beef) and has meat-packing plants, flour and rice mills, tanneries, and other factories. It is the site of the Sul Riograndense, Rural do Sul, and Catlica de Pelotas universities (all established in 1960) and the Federal University of Pelotas (1883). Pop. (1980 prelim.) 197,092.