Porto Alegre is one of the largest cities in Brazil, and the capital city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre is one of the most important cultural, political and economic centers of Southern Brazil. Porto Alegre held the highest standard of living among all Brazilian capitals for many years and it was the sole Brazilian city listed on Jones Lang LaSalle's World Winning Cities.

The city, located on the Guaiba Lake, was founded in 1742 by immigrants from the Azores. In the late 19th century the city received people from other parts of the world, particularly Germany, Poland, and Italy. Located at the junction of five rivers, it has become an important alluvial port as well as one of the chief industrial and commercial centers in Brazil.

The city is located at a delta resulting from the junction of five rivers, officially called Guaiba Lake (popularly mentioned as a river too). Although its origins date from the mid-18th century, when immigrants from the Azores settled in the area, the city was officially established in 1809.

Before this, Porto Alegre was the port of Viamao on the Shore of Guaiba Lake. Its ancient name was Porto dos Casais (Port of the couples), and it was initially settled by Azorians. Many families of settlers also came from the city of Rio Grande (Big River) in the litoral Lagunar region, to the south, a military fortress at that time. Today Rio Grande is the most important port of Rio Grande do Sul state.

More than 70 neighborhoods (see below) are part of the city and 2/3 of the population is concentrated in the Zona Norte (Northern Zone), where most of the economic activity, including the city center, takes place.

Porto Alegre was the seat of the World Social Forum in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005. As the second largest city in southern Brazil, it is also an important industrial center in the mentioned geographical area. It also is a center for gaucho (the popular name for natives of the State) history and culture, famous for its churrasco (barbecue) and chimarrao (a strong and hot tea prepared from erva mate). Important Brazilian universities, such as UFRGS, UFCSPA and PUCRS are located there.

Porto Alegre is also one of the wealthiest cities in Latin America, and one of the most diverse. It has welcomed immigrants from all over the world, the largest numbers coming from Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland. There are also significant Arab, Jewish and Afro-Brazilian contingents in the population.

Porto Alegre is located in the subtropical area and so is called its climate. Average precipitation is high and regular throughout the year. Summer temperatures only occasionally rise above 90°F, although high levels of humidity make the season very muggy. The highest temperature ever registered was 105°F in January 1943. The winter reveals mild average temperatures, contrasting to the quite changeable, and many times sudden behavioral, windy and rainy weather which also characterizes this time of the year. Usual winter temperatures range from 41°F to 77°F. Snow is very rare, sometimes confused with sleet. The main snowfall events in Porto Alegre were in 1879.1910 and 1984. The lowest temperature ever recorded was (4 degrees celsius below zero). Autumns tend to be as changeable as winters, but are typically warmer. Spring, stabler akin to summer, is slightly drier than all the other seasons. Occurrence of radiation fog is common, causing several delays in early flights.

The humid subtropical climate gets its name from the high humidity experienced in this environment. Dominance of the warm and moist maritime tropical air creates summers similar to the humid tropics. Precipitation is generally evenly distributed throughout the year. Annual precipitation varies from 100 inches near the coast to 25 inches inland. Frost is generally only a problem in winter when very cold ir masses penetrate this region, a real hazard for fruit and vegetable growers in the southeastern Brazil.

The gastronomic features have the same attention: there are countless options – but the favorite dish will always be the famous "gaucho" barbecue, accompanied by the inseparable chimarrao gourd. Whoever strolls along Porto Alegre’s streets is surprised with its perennial vegetation, hills, and ponds. What is also dazzling is the preservation condition of its historic buildings, which shelter memories and culture. But what really charms visitors is the surprisingly harmonious match of its welcoming manner of an interior town with the fast hustle and bustle of a large urban center, its architecture as the icon of modernity, and the cultural heterogeneity.