Santa Leopoldina

{{Infobox settlement | name = Santa Leopoldina | official_name = Municipality of Santa Leopoldina | settlement_type = [[List of municipalities in Espírito Santo|Municipality]] | image_shield = Brasão_de_Santa_Leopoldina_Espírito_Santo.png | image_flag = Bandeira_do_município_de_Santa_Leopoldina.jpg | image_skyline = AMR - STª LEOPOLDINA ES - panoramio.jpg | image_caption = | image_map = | map_caption = Location in Espírito Santo | pushpin_map = Brazil | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Brazil | coordinates = {{coord|20|6|3|s|40|31|48|W|region:BR|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Brazil}} | subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Brazil|Region]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Southeast Region, Brazil|Southeast]] | subdivision_type2 = [[States of Brazil|State]] | subdivision_name2 = {{flag|Espírito Santo}} | subdivision_type3 = [[Mesoregions of Brazil|Mesoregion]] | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = [[Microregion (Brazil)|Microregion]] | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = [[Metropolitan area#Brazil|Metrop. region]] | subdivision_name5 = | established_title = | established_date = | leader_party = | leader_title = [[Mayor]] | leader_name = | elevation_m = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 718 | area_metro_km2 = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 12,885 | population_as_of = 2015 | population_metro = | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | timezone1 = [[Time in Brazil|BRT]] | utc_offset1 = −3 | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | postal_code_type = [[List of postal codes in Brazil|Postal code]] | postal_code = | area_code_type = [[List of dialling codes in Brazil|Area code]] | area_code = | blank_name = '''[[Human Development Index|HDI]]''' (2010) | blank_info = 0.626 – <span style="color:#FFD215">medium</span><ref>{{Cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.pnud.org.br/arquivos/ranking-idhm-2010.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233352/http://www.pnud.org.br/arquivos/ranking-idhm-2010.pdf |archive-date=July 8, 2014 |access-date=August 1, 2013 |publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]] (UNDP) }}</ref> | website = }} '''Santa Leopoldina''' is a [[Municipalities of Brazil|municipality]] in central [[Espírito Santo]], [[Brazil]]. Its population was 12,885 (2015) and its area is {{cvt|718.1|km2}}.<ref>[[Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics|IBGE]] - [https://cod.ibge.gov.br/F6E]</ref> It is 16 meters above sea level, and is located 44 km from the state capital of [[Vitória, Brazil|Vitória]].

==History== Santa Leopoldina was founded in 1856 by around 60 [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[immigrant]]s who came up the Santa Maria River, closely followed in 1857 by roughly 200 immigrants from [[Germany]] and [[Luxembourg]]. The old extended version of the name, "Cachoeiro de Santa Leopoldina", was given in 1860 by the emperor [[Pedro II of Brazil|Pedro II]], in honour of his mother [[Maria Leopoldina, Archduchess of Austria]].

During the 19th century the town was, for a period, the biggest commercial centre of the state, but its influence declined after the arrival of roads which took traffic away from the [[river]], which was then the town's biggest advantage. Santa Maria River was navigable right through to the Atlantic from this point.

The first highway (''rodovia'') in the state was built between Santa Leopoldina and [[Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo|Santa Teresa]] and was completed in 1918, which was extended to [[Vitória, Brazil|Vitória]] in 1924. Cachoeiro de Santa Leopoldina first became a municipality in 1887 and dropped "Cachoeiro de" (Portuguese for ''[[waterfall]] of'') from its name in 1943.

In 1890 Santa Teresa separated from Santa Leopoldina, and in 1988 [[Santa Maria de Jetibá, Espírito Santo|Santa Maria de Jetibá]] also separated, leaving a much smaller area under its power.

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Leopoldina, Espirito Santo}} [[Category:Municipalities in Espírito Santo]] [[Category:1856 establishments in Brazil]]