In the year 1857 two provincial colonies were founded, i.e., =Santo Angelo= and =Nova Petropolis=. The year 1858 marked the second period of private colonization. In that year =Sao Lourenco= was founded by Jakob Rheingantz. The first settlers of this colony were Pomeranians and natives of the Rheinland. In the same year =Teutonia= was founded by a group of capitalists of Porto Alegre.[33] The last period of strictly provincial colonization is marked by the founding of =Monte Alverne= in 1859 and of =Sao Feliciano= in 1867. In the most recent period a number of colonies supported by both the state and central governments have been founded. Of these the following have been settled largely by Germans; =Guarany=, founded in 1891; =Ijuhy=,[34] founded in 1891; and =Erechim=, founded in 1909.[35] In addition, Dr. Hermann Meyer's private colonies of =Xingu= and =Neu Wuerttemberg= were founded in this period; the former in 1897 and the latter in 1899. The German element is very strongly represented in the important cities of Porto Alegre and Pelotas as well as in the "municipios" of Sao Joao de Montenegro, Sao Sebastiao do Cahy (now includes Nova Petropolis), Venancio Ayres, Lageado, Taquara, Cruz Alta and Palmeiro. Rio Grande do Sul has a much larger population of German descent than any other state in Brazil. The main reason why so many Germans settled in this state we may attribute to the climatic conditions which are here more favorable to Germanic peoples than in any other section of the country. AN ESTIMATE AS TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GERMANS IN BRAZIL. It is impossible to make an exact statement as to the total number of Germans in the country. The reasons for this are not far to seek. The fact that an accurate census for Brazil does not exist is not surprising when we consider the enormous expanse of territory.[36] The greater part of this is but sparsely settled and largely covered with primeval forests. Official statistics, where they do exist are apt to have been carelessly compiled and often are entirely untrustworthy, "Paciencia," has been the watchword here as well as throughout all other walks of life in Brazil. If we restrict ourselves to estimate, among the total of Brazilian citizens, those of any particular European origin, the difficulty increases. Here the census reports offer practically no help because all persons are listed simply as Brazilians, no reference being made as to their origin. The primary sources in making up the estimates are furnished by the immigration reports as they are found in the "Ministerio da Agricultura" in Rio and the "Secretaria da Agricultura" of several individual states. Even here the statistics are inadequate for our purpose. As a rule only such colonists as came in third class on ships from Europe are listed.[37] In addition, it is impossible to determine how many colonists came by land (indirect immigration) from adjoining South American countries such, as Uruguay, Paraguay or Argentine.