Erechim

Erechim
Municipality
The Municipality of Erechim
Top left:View of downtown Aratiba area, Top right:Erechin Cathedral, Bottom left:Castelinho native house in Alemanda street, Bottom right:A fountain in Bandeira Square, near Tiradentes Avenue
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Flower city
Location of Erechim
Erechim Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 27°38′02″S 52°16′26″W / 27.63389°S 52.27389°W / -27.63389; -52.27389
Country	Brazil
Region	South
State	Rio Grande do Sul
Founded	April 30, 1918
Government
• Mayor	Paulo Alfredo Polis (MDB)
Area
• Total	430,764 km2 (166,319 sq mi)
Elevation	783 m (2,569 ft)
Population  (2020 [1])
• Total	106,633
• Density	0.25/km2 (0.64/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−3 (BRT)
Postal Code	99700-000
Area code	+55 54
Website	Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul

Erechim is a Brazilian municipality located in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. A regional center in the northern portion of the state, it is the second most populous city in the region with 106,633 inhabitants, second only to the city of Passo Fundo. The municipality ranks 17th in total gross domestic product in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Erechim was one of the first planned modern cities in Brazil. City planners were inspired by urban concepts used in the design of Washington, D.C. (1791) and Paris (1850). These were characterized by very wide streets and bold outlines, with diagonal streets converging at important points. Key elements of its design include a perpendicular grid of streets cut by diagonal avenues, blocks of regular dimensions and a promenade around its perimeter.

The municipality is located north of Rio Grande do Sul, in the Upper Uruguay, on the ridge of the Serra Geral. The origin of the name of Erechim refers to the ancient indigenous inhabitants of the region, and comes from "Caingangue, which means "small field"; it probably was given this name as the city was surrounded by forests at the time.