Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)

Santa Maria is a municipality (município) in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil. In 2025, its population was 282,395 inhabitants in a total area of 1,823 square kilometres (704 sq mi). Santa Maria is the 5th biggest municipality in the state, and the largest in its micro-region. Santa Maria is often referred to as the "heart of Rio Grande" (from Portuguese: "Coração do Rio Grande"), because the city is located in the geographical center of the State. Santa Maria is considered a university city, thanks to the Federal University of Santa Maria, created by José Mariano da Rocha Filho, and the Franciscan University, elevated to university center status on March 28, 2018. In the early morning of January 27, 2013, Santa Maria became world-famous due to the fire that occurred in a nightclub in the city, the Kiss nightclub. On that occasion, 242 people, mostly young people, died from smoke inhalation or being trampled, given that there was no emergency exit in the building.