This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Barracão, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)

Last modified: 2012-02-11 by ian macdonald
Keywords: rio grande do sul | barracão |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors



Barracão, RS (Brazil) image by Dirk Schönberger, 3 January 2012
Source: http://www.barracaors.com.br/simbolos_do_municipio.php


See also:

Description of the Flag

A black saltire, bordered white, on a field divided red above and below, and blue to hoist and fly, with the municipal arms centred in a white rectangle.

Official website at http://www.barracaors.com.br
Dirk Schönberger, 3 January 2012

The municipality of Barracão (9,027 inhabitants in 2007; 516.3 sq. km) is located 370 km of Porto Alegre, in north-western Rio Grande do Sul, on the border with Santa Catarina state, here the River Uruguai.

Barracão was first settled by gauchos from the São Paulo Province who wanted to escape the Santa Vitôria tax administration. They crossed River Uruguay on a ford known as the Pontoon Step. In 1848, the Provincial government was made aware that the gauchos illegally used the step and commissioned Captain Joaquim Antonio de Moraes Dutra to build a shed as the seat of the tax collectors. The village that developed around the shed (Portuguese, "barracão") was named Barracão. In 1849-1856, the Barracão shed was the most efficient tax collecting place in the province. The municipality of Barracão was created on 30 May 1964 by State Law No. 4,732 and inaugurated on 7 February 1965. Its territory, taken from the municipalities of Lagoa Vermelha and São José do Ouro, is made of the two Districts of Barracão and Espigãão Alto.
http://www.barracaors.com.br/historico.php - Municipal website

The flag is described on the municipal website as follows:

"On the flag, the coat of arms represents the Municipal Government while the white rectangle framing it represents the two proper, as the seat of the Municipality. White is a symbol of peace, friendship, work, prosperity, purity and religious feeling. The white stripes filled in black [the black stripes fimbriated in white] that quarters the flag represents the influence of the municipal power, which spreads to all parts of the territory. Black is a symbol of austerity, prudence, wisdom, moderation and firmness. The flag's quarters are in turn blue and red, representing the rural estates located on the municipal territory. Blue is a symbol of justice, nobleness, perseverance, zeal and loyalty. Red symbolizes commitment, patriotic love, audacity, intrepidity, courage and valiance."
The flag is hoisted in front of the town hall.
http://www.barracaors.com.br/fotos_g/cidade/P1010102.jpg - Photo, flag partially visible

The municipal symbols are provisioned in the Municipal Organic Law No. 674 of 7 February 1990, as "a flag, a coat of arms and an anthem, representative of its culture and history". They are not further described, however.
http://www.barracaors.com.br/arq_site/imagens/lei_organica_municipio.pdf
Ivan Sache, 6 January 2012