Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost
state in
Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest
Human Development Index in the country.
In this state is located the southernmost city in the country,
Chuí, on the border with
Uruguay. In the region of
Bento Gonçalves and
Caxias do Sul, the largest
wine producing center in
Brazil, the attraction is
Italian gastronomy. Besides the
European influence, the
gaúchos, or inhabitants of Rio Grande do Sul, strongly cultivate the traditions of the
Pampas — region of the border with
Uruguay and
Argentina — such as drinking mate, eating the typical barbecue, known as
churrasco, and the traditional clothes are the bombachas, boots and large hats. Although the majority of the population dresses non-traditionally, there is a widespread value for tradition and culture, which renders the image of "cultural zealots" sometimes attributed to the gaúchos.