Covering over half of Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, the Brazilian Pampas is a flat grassland biome. Its typical steppes are humid and warm, with grass and scattered shrubs and trees being the dominant vegetation. Although at first glance its absolute numbers are not as impressive as those of the other Brazilian biomes – after all, the Pampas occupy only 2% of the country’s lands – recent studies have indicated that it presents the largest botanical biodiversity per square meter in the country: 57 different species per square meter of native field, compared to 35, in the Cerrado. Its diverse fauna, of which 40% are endemic, includes approximately 100 mammal species and 500 bird species, among which are the Pampas deer, Pampas fox, the rhea (South American ostrich), and the southern screamer. Besides rural and ecotourism attractions, this region offers a lovely wine tourism route.