Campos Novos is a city

City

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

 in Santa Catarina

Santa Catarina (state)

Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...

, in the Southern Region of Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. Campos Novos is a pioneer in production of pollen and the biggest grain and oat producer of Santa Catarina.
The municipality invests also into fatstock and poultry farming.

Main ethnic origins are Italian, German, Portuguese, Polonese and Drovers.

History

The Kaingang

Kaingang

The Kaingang people are a Native American ethnic group spread out over the four southern Brazilian states of São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. They are also called Caingang and Aweikoma, though some sources list Kaingang and Aweikoma as separate groups...

, an Indigenous people of southern Brazil, were the first inhabitants of the region.

The construction of the railway São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

 - Rio Grande do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...

 and the passages of the cattle drovers in the region mobilized many immigrants. Those migrations caused the creation of many villages at the Rio de Peixe river, like Bom Retiro

Bom Retiro

Bom Retiro may refer to:*Bom Retiro, a district of the Brazilian city of São Paulo*Bom Retiro, a Brazilian city in the state of Santa Catarina...

, Capinzal

Capinzal

Capinzal is a town and municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.-References:...

 and Videira

Videira

Videira is a city in the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil. The estimated population in 2006 was 47,510 inhabitants.The city is called "Capital do Vinho" in reference to the production of this alcoholic drink...

. The arrival of the Italian and German settlers induced commercial and industrial activities in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Therefore the city has a rich cultural diversity. It has even a community of descendents of African slaves.

19th century

As many of the municipalities in the region, Campos Novos populated from the first attempts of colonialisation in southern Brazil, which began between 1825 and 1830, as the farmer João Gonçalves de Araújo coming from Curitibanos

Curitibanos

Curitibanos is a city in Santa Catarina, Brazil....

 settled down in the region. Shortly afterwards came the gaúchos evaiding the War of the Farrapos. Many farmers originating from Lages

Lages

Lages, formerly Lajens, is a Brazilian town located in the central part of the state of Santa Catarina, in the region known in Portuguese as "Planalto Serrano"....

settled down as well, attracted by the huge quantity of terra and grassland. Then, the locality welcomed inhabitants coming from the states São Paulo

São Paulo (state)

São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...

 and Paraná

Paraná (state)

Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...

 on the search of territory for cattle breeding.

In 1854, Campos Novos became a district of the municipality of Nossa Senhora dos prazeres de Lages, today Lages

Lages

Lages, formerly Lajens, is a Brazilian town located in the central part of the state of Santa Catarina, in the region known in Portuguese as "Planalto Serrano"....

, with a total area of more than 5 000 km², according to provincial law nº 377, of June 16, 1854. Despite the many partitionings, Campos Novos is still one of the biggest municipality of Santa Catarina regarding the surface area.

From 1869 until 1881, Campos Novos was under control of Curitibanos

Curitibanos

Curitibanos is a city in Santa Catarina, Brazil....

. Then it became an independent municipality, according to provincial law nº 923, of March 30, 1881. Between 1850 and 1895, the province of Santa Catarina had only 11 municipalities.

20th century

In the beginning of the 20th century, Campos Novos was embossed by the construction of the railway São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

 - Rio Grande do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...

 and by the Contestado War

Contestado War

The Contestado War , broadly speaking, was a guerrilla war for land between settlers and landowners, the latter supported by the Brazilian state's police and military forces, that lasted from October 1912 to August 1916....

. From 1908 until 1910 many immigrants of various nationions arrived in Campos Novos: Poland, Russia, Lebanon as well as other settlers from other Brazilian states, especially descendants from Germany and Italy
after the Contestado War

Contestado War

The Contestado War , broadly speaking, was a guerrilla war for land between settlers and landowners, the latter supported by the Brazilian state's police and military forces, that lasted from October 1912 to August 1916....

 (1912–1916).

Geography

Campos Novos is 370 km east of Florianópolis

Florianópolis

-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...

, the capital of Santa Catarina

Santa Catarina (state)

Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...

.

It is at the crosspoint of the federal highways BR-470 and BR-282 and the state highways SC-455 and SC-458.

Campos Novos has a central bus station with connections to Curitiba

Curitiba

Curitiba is the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is the largest city with the biggest economy of both Paraná and southern Brazil. The population of Curitiba numbers approximately 1.75 million people and the latest GDP figures for the city surpass US$61 billion according to...

, Joinville

Joinville

Joinville is a city in Santa Catarina State, in the Southern Region of Brazil. Joinville is Santa Catarina's largest city. In 2010, its population has reached approximately 520,000, many of whom are of German descent....

, Chapecó

Chapecó

Chapecó is a major city in the western area of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, located 630 km west of Florianópolis, the capital of the state....

 and many other cities.

The next airports are in Chapecó

Chapecó

Chapecó is a major city in the western area of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, located 630 km west of Florianópolis, the capital of the state....

 (XAP) 155 km, Lages

Lages

Lages, formerly Lajens, is a Brazilian town located in the central part of the state of Santa Catarina, in the region known in Portuguese as "Planalto Serrano"....

 (LAJ) 145 km, Concórdia

Concórdia

Concórdia is a city in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. It was founded by colonizers of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, basically descendants of Italians and Germans, who immigrated to Brazil in the 19th century. Concórdia is polo of microrregion of Alto Uruguai Catarinense, in midwest of...

 (SSCK) 95 km, Videira

Videira

Videira is a city in the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil. The estimated population in 2006 was 47,510 inhabitants.The city is called "Capital do Vinho" in reference to the production of this alcoholic drink...

 (SSVI) 55 km, Joaçaba

Joaçaba

Joaçaba is a city situated in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, with approximately 27,500 inhabitants. Located in 27º10'22" S and 51º30'03" W and 516.74 m above sea level, the city was colonized in the early 20th century by German and Italian immigrants...

 (SSJA) 40 km.

The municipality is divided into following 7 districts since 2007:

• Campos Novos
• Bela Vista
• Dal`Pai
• Espinilho
• Ibicuí
• Leão
• Tupitinga

Economy/industry

Campos Novos is the biggest grain producer of Santa Catarina. Many farmers are joined in cooperatives. There are also livestock and poultry farming.

The Occident's highest dam of that type with a height of 202 m (663 ft) is 30 km (20 mi) from the city center. It was built from August 2001 to July 2006 by Enercan. The 3 installed Francis Turbine

Francis turbine

The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....

s have a power of 880 megawatts. The Campos Novos Dam

Campos Novos Dam

The Campos Novos Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Santa Catarina province in southern Brazil...

 produces 3,310,404 MW·h per year.

Tourism

The museum Fundação Cultural Camponovense (Campos Novos cultural foundation) better known as Casa da Cultura (house of the culture) exposes the historic archive of Dr. Waldemar Rupp and the Testament from 1877, related to the history of the community in the 19th century.

The church São João Batista on the Lauro Müller square is decorated by wooden sculptures and beautiful stained glass.

22 km from the city center is the Ibicui district, better known as Corredeira, where descendents of African slaves live. There is also the cemetery Invernada dos Negros.

External links

• Municipalities of Santa Catarina - in Portuguese
• information from FECAM - in Portuguese