city, Rio de Janeiro estado (state), southeastern Brazil, suburb of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Until 1931 it was known as Meriti Station and from 1931 to 1943 as Caxias; it became the seat of the district of Caxias in 1931 and seat of the municipality of Duque de Caxias in 1943. The Duquecaxiense Academy of Letters is located there. The duke for whom the city was named was Luis Alves de Lima e Silva (Caxias, Luiz Alves de Lima e Silva, duque de), soldier and patron of the Brazilian army. It is a commercial and manufacturing centre best known for a large petroleum refinery located nearby. Pop. (2005 est.) 839,500.