Mato Grosso do Sul

Statistics
Capital:	Campo Grande
Area:	358,158.7 km²
Inhabitants:	2,026,600 (2000)
Pop. density:	3.1 inh./km²
Timezone:	GMT-4
ISO 3166-2:	BR-MS
Governor:	José Miranda dos Santos known as Zeca do PT
Map
Missing image Brazil_Mato_Grosso_do_Sul.png Map of Brazil highlighting the state

Mato Grosso do Sul is one of the states of Brazil, located in the western part of the country. Neighboring states are (from north clockwise) Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders Paraguay and Bolivia to the west.

The name means "thick grass of the South". The state is subdivided into 11 regions with 77 municipalities. Big cities include:

• Corumbá
• Dourados
• Bonito

Contents

1 Geography 2 History 3 Flag 4 External links

Geography

The state is located in western Brazil, in a region mostly occupied by the inland marshes of the Pantanal. Mato Grosso do Sul depends mainly on cattle-raising. Other agrarian products include sugarcane, wheat, soybeans, manioc, rice and cotton.

The highest elevation is the 1,065 m high Morro Grande.

History

In 1977 the state was split off from the state Mato Grosso. Its status as a state went into full effect January 1, 1979.

Flag

Missing image Br_MS.png Flag of Mato Grosso do Sul Larger version

The flag was adopted by the first law of the new state—article 1 of decree no. 1 implementing decree-law no. 1—on January 1, 1979. It was designed by Mauro Michael Munhoz. The white strip symbolizes hope; the green, vegetation. The star in the blue sky in the right side stands for balance, force and serenity.

External links

• Brazilian Embassy in London
• Official website (Portuguese)

See also: Mato Grosso do Sul, 1977, 1979, Acre State, Alagoas, Amapá, Amazonas State, Brazil, Bahia, Bolivia