BAGE

bage, a town and municipality of the state of rio grande do sul, brazil, about 176 m. by rail w.n.w. of the city of rio grande do sul. pop. of the municipality (1890) 22,692. it is situated in a hilly region 774 ft. above sea-level, and is the commercial centre of a large district on the uruguayan border in which pastoral occupations are largely predominant. this region is the watershed for southern rio grande do sul, from which streams flow e. and s.e. to the atlantic coast, and n.w. and s.w. to the uruguay river. the town dates from colonial times, and has always been considered a place of military importance because of its nearness to the uruguay frontier, only 25 m. distant. it was captured by the argentine general lavalle in 1827, and figured conspicuously in most of the civil wars of argentina. it is also much frequented by uruguayan revolutionists.