Santa Maria

(sănˌtə mə-rēˈə)

1. also (säɴˈtä mä-rēˈä) A city of southern Brazil west of Pôrto Alegre. It is a rail junction and processing center. Population: 252,000.
2. A city of southern California northwest of Santa Barbara. It is a trade, processing, and shipping center in an agricultural region. Nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base is also important to its economy. Population: 84,700.