Santa Catarina (state)
Encyclopedia
Santa Catarina (ˈsɐ̃ta kataˈɾina "Saint Catherine") 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 the Atlantic Ocean
, and to the west it borders the province of Misiones, Argentina
. Most of its inhabitants are descendants of Portuguese, German
, and Italian
immigrants.
The beach
es along the coast of 561 kilometres (348.6 mi) are a great attraction for tourists visiting the smallest state of the South Region
. Florianópolis
, the capital, is on an island and is one of the Brazilian cities that receives the most foreign tourists. To the south, Garopaba is the preferred destination of surfers looking for good waves. In the mountain region, São Joaquim
is an attraction during winter because of its low temperatures. Blumenau
, in the interior of Santa Catarina, is the stage for one of the biggest events of the country: the Oktoberfest
, a traditional beer party originated from Germany
, that happens in October. The heritage of the Italian
, German and Portuguese
immigrants can be seen in the architecture
and the customs
of the state. Joinville
is Santa Catarina's largest city.
, its capital, is 1673 km (1,039.6 mi) from Brasilia
, 705 km (438.1 mi) from São Paulo
, 1144 km (710.9 mi) from Rio de Janeiro
and 1850 km (1,149.5 mi) from Buenos Aires
.
The Serra Geral
, a southern extension of the Serra do Mar
, runs north and south through the state parallel to the Atlantic coast, dividing the state between a narrow coastal plain and a larger plateau region to the west.
The Atlantic coast of Santa Catarina has many beaches, islands, bays, inlets, and lagoons. The humid tropical Serra do Mar coastal forests
cover the narrow coastal zone, which is crossed by numerous short streams from the wooded slopes of the serras.
The central part of the state is home to the Araucaria moist forests
, dominated by emergent Brazilian pines (Araucaria angustifolia). The drainage of the plateau is westward to the Paraná River
, the rivers being tributaries of the Iguaçu, which forms its northern boundary, and of the Uruguay
, which forms its southern boundary. The semi-deciduous Paraná-Paraíba interior forests
occupy the westernmost valleys of the Iguaçu and Uruguay rivers.
The highest point of the state is the Morro da Boa Vista
, with an altitude of 1,827 m, and the second highest point is the Morro da Igreja
, in the town of Urubici
, with an altitude of 1,822 m.
European settlement began with the Spanish settlement of Santa Catarina island in 1542. The Portuguese took control in 1675 and established the captaincy of Santa Catarina in 1738.
Large numbers of European immigrants, especially from Germany
, began arriving early in the nineteenth century. Immigrants from Italy
, Poland
, Russia
, Ukraine
, Japan
and other parts of Europe
followed. These immigrants created an abundance of small, family-held farms, many of which continue to exist in the interior of the state.
Late in March 2004, the state was hit by the first hurricane ever recorded in the South Atlantic. Because there is no naming system for such an event in Brazil, Brazilian meteorologists
called it Cyclone Catarina
, after the state.
According to the IBGE
of 2008, there were 6,091,000 people residing in the state. The population density was 61.53 PD/km2.
Urbanization
: 82.5% (2006); Population growth
: 1.9% (1991–2000); House
s: 1,836,000 (2006).
The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 5,297,000 White
people (86.96%), 608,000 Brown (Multiracial) people (9.98%), 160,000 Black
people (2.63%), 15,000 Asian
people (0.25%), 5,000 Amerindian
people (0.09%).
People of Portuguese ancestry, mostly Azoreans, predominate on the coast. People of German
descent predominate in the northeast region (Itajaí Valley) and in the north (Joinville
region). There are many German communities in the west. People of Italian descent predominate in the south, as well in many areas in the west. People of African
, Amerindian or Japanese origins are small communities in a few towns.
The Portuguese
started arriving in the 1750s, mainly from the Azores
islands, and colonized the coast. In the late 18th century, half of Santa Catarina's population was Portuguese-born. These Portuguese established many important towns in the state, such as Florianópolis
, the capital.
was overpopulated and many people had no land to work. German immigration was very low until the 1850s, when waves started arriving in southern Brazil. To stimulate the German colonization of southern Brazil, the Brazilian government created many German colonies: these were ethnically Germanic areas where people from many parts of Germany settled. Initially, these colonies were in rural areas, where immigrants were able to cultivate their own farms. Many of these German colonies developed greatly and became large towns, Blumenau
and Joinville
, the largest city in Santa Catarina, among them.
Germans were isolated in rural communities for decades. They did not have much contact with the other peoples of Brazil, and for generations they were able to speak the German language
and maintain German traditions in Brazil. This situation changed in 1942, during World War II
, when Brazil declared war on Germany, and German immigrants and their descendants were required to learn the Portuguese language
and to follow a Brazilian way of life.
Yet German influence in the State of Santa Catarina remains very strong and visible. Many towns, especially the small ones, retain notable aspects of German culture: in Pomerode
, for example, a small town in which nine-tenths of the population is of German-Brazilian
descent, most inhabitants still speak German
fluently; and Oktoberfest
continues to be celebrated in Blumenau
and in many other towns in the region. Architecture, too, shows German influence, as do popular customs and local cuisine
.
and established themselves in ethnically Italian colonies close to the coast. In the beginning, Italian settlements failed, because many Italians
died of tropical diseases or left the colonies to find better conditions. However, in the Vale do Tubarão region (southern Santa Catarina), Italian immigrants found cooler weather and better lands, and the settlements prospered. Many Italians worked in the coal industry
and, unlike the German
immigrants, they did not dedicate themselves very much to agriculture
. As they were not isolated in rural colonies, Italian immigrants were quickly integrated into the Brazilian population of Portuguese
descent that had been living in Brazil since the 18th century.
represents 13.6% of GDP (2004). Santa Catarina exports: aviculture
26.1%, wood products
15.4%, compressors
8.5%, cotton
6.8%, and vehicles 5.8% (2002).
Share of the Brazilian economy: 4% (2005).
Santa Catarina has one of the highest standards of living in Brazil
, and is a major industrial and agricultural center.
The capital city, Florianópolis, has a diversified economy, being an important pole for the technology industry and a major touristic destination. Commerce and services are also very strong in the capital. Cities from Florianópolis metro area, like São José, Palhoça and Biguaçu are important and diverse industrial poles, as well as strong commerce areas.
In the northeast of the state, electric-mechanical, textile and furniture industries are strong; in the west, cattle and poultry breeding predominate, while in the south it is ceramics and shellfish.
The corridor between Joinville, Jaragua do Sul and Blumenau is heavily industrialized - more than 50% of the state's industrial output is concentrated in this small, but highly developed area.
Santa Catarina has some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil
- Summer months (Dec-Mar) make the state one of the most sought-after travel destinations in Brazil and South America. Tens of thousands of Argentines and Paraguayans flock to the state's beaches from mid December to late January.
The major cities and their respective fields are:
Mobile phone
s: 3.7 million (April/2007); Telephone
s: 1.6 million (April/2007). Cities: 293 (2007).
Portuguese
is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But English
, Spanish
and sometimes German
are part of the official high school
curriculum.
There are more than 105 universities in whole state of Santa Catarina.
for both domestic and international flights. The traffic has grown significantly at the airport and therefore the city will shortly build a new airport able to serve 2.7 million passengers a year.
The architectural design of the new airport was chosen by a public competition held by Infraero
in partnership with the Brazilian Architects Institute (IAB).
Among the over 150 original entries, the proposal of São Paulo architect Mário Bizelli was chosen. The construction work will be tendered in 2005 and should be finished in two years.
Santa Catarina offers a number of sights and events throughout the year: rural tourism, thermal mineral resorts, ecological tourism and adventure sports, historic monuments and sights, religious tourism, Beto Carrero World and Unipraias parks, and beach resorts of Florianópolis
.
Some of these sights can only be seen in the off-season, like the snow on the Catarinense Mountain Range - the only place in Brazil where it snows every year.
Between July and November, the Right whales visit the state's coast. The great festivities take place in October. The main Oktoberfest
in Blumenau
is Brazil's largest and the world's second largest (after Germany's Munich
).
Joinville
is the host city in July to the widely acclaimed "Joinville Dance Festival", the annual "Festival of Flowers" in November which showcases orchids produced in the region, and several business events in its Convention Center.
Florianópolis
, the city/island State Capital attracts a large numbers of tourists during the summer months who visit its 42 beaches.
There are also many smaller resort towns, including Itapema
, Piçarras, Barra Velha
and Penha
, home to the famous amusement park "Beto Carrero World
".
Figueirense FC
- black and white. Its nickname is Figueira ("Figtree") and it is also known as O Furacão do Estreito ("The Estreito's Hurricane"). Its stadium is the Orlando Scarpelli
, located in the Estreito neighborhood, in the continental part of the city. Figueirense is currently playing in the Brazilian first division.
Avaí FC
- blue and white. It is also known as O Leão da Ilha ("The Lion of the Island"). Its stadium is the Aderbal Ramos da Silva, popularly known as Ressacada
, located in the Carianos neighborhood, in the south part of the island. Avaí is currently playing in the Brazilian national first division.
In 2011, Figueirense and Avaí will, for the first time, be playing together the first division of the Brazilian national football league.
There's also a well known futsal
team from Jaraguá do Sul, Malwee.
The island is generally considered to be blessed with the best and most consistent waves in Brazil
, and in April of each year hosts what is currently South America
's only ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals
) World Championship Tour professional surfing competition. Brazil has played host to many an ASP tour event over the past 30 years. Former contest sites include Rio de Janeiro
, Barra de Tijuca and Saquarema, but the past four years have seen the tour set up shop in Florianopolis. Previously held towards the end of the tour, the past few years have seen several ASP world champions crowned in Brazil. In 2004 it was Andy Irons, and in 2005 it was Kelly Slater (who had his 2006 ASP World Title already stitched up by Brazil).
The minority languages of the state of Santa Catarina can be divided into two distinct groups:
In some cities and villages, German or Talian
are still the first spoken language.
Other important cities
Guia Catarina - Guia de informações sobre Santa Catarina Official Website Informações sobre as Cidades de Santa Catarina, Eventos, e Diretório de empresas Bela Santa Catarina
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...
with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is 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...
, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are 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...
to the south 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,...
to the north. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, and to the west it borders the province of Misiones, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Most of its inhabitants are descendants of Portuguese, German
German Brazilian
A German Brazilian is a Brazilian person of ethnic German ancestry or origin...
, and Italian
Italian Brazilian
-Italian immigration to Brazil:The Italian government claims there are 25 million Brazilians of Italian descent, which would be the largest population of Italian background outside of Italy itself. There are no actual surveys, or even verifiable calculations supporting such claims. According to...
immigrants.
The beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es along the coast of 561 kilometres (348.6 mi) are a great attraction for tourists visiting the smallest state of the South Region
Southern Region, Brazil
The South Region of Brazil is one of the five regions of Brazil. It includes the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul and covers 576,409.6 km ², being the smallest portion of the country...
. 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, is on an island and is one of the Brazilian cities that receives the most foreign tourists. To the south, Garopaba is the preferred destination of surfers looking for good waves. In the mountain region, São Joaquim
São Joaquim
São Joaquim is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina, situated in southern Brazil. It is located at latitude 28 ° 17 '38 "south and longitude 49 ° 55' 54" West, with an altitude of 1353 meters. Its population in 2004 was 23,114 inhabitants. Located in the Planalto Serrano, is located...
is an attraction during winter because of its low temperatures. Blumenau
Blumenau
Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well....
, in the interior of Santa Catarina, is the stage for one of the biggest events of the country: the Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
, a traditional beer party originated from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, that happens in October. The heritage of the Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, German and Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
immigrants can be seen in the architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and the customs
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
of the state. 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....
is Santa Catarina's largest city.
Geography
Santa Catarina is in a very strategic position in Mercosul, the South American Common Market. Its position in the map is situated between the parallel 25º57'41" and 29º23'55" of the Southern latitude and between the meridians 48º19'37" and 53º50'00" of Western longitude. FlorianópolisFlorianópolis
-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...
, its capital, is 1673 km (1,039.6 mi) from Brasilia
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, 705 km (438.1 mi) from 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...
, 1144 km (710.9 mi) from Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and 1850 km (1,149.5 mi) from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
The Serra Geral
Serra Geral
The Serra Geral is a mountain range in southern Brazil, constituting the southern portion of the Serra do Mar system which runs along Brazil's southeastern coast. The Serra Geral runs parallel to the Atlantic coast in Santa Catarina and northern Rio Grande do Sul states, separating a narrow coastal...
, a southern extension of the Serra do Mar
Serra do Mar
Serra do Mar is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil, which runs in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state of Espírito Santo to southern Santa Catarina, although some include Serra Geral in the Serra do Mar, in which case this range...
, runs north and south through the state parallel to the Atlantic coast, dividing the state between a narrow coastal plain and a larger plateau region to the west.
The Atlantic coast of Santa Catarina has many beaches, islands, bays, inlets, and lagoons. The humid tropical Serra do Mar coastal forests
Serra do Mar coastal forests
Biome: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forestsRealm: NeotropicalWWF ID: NT0160Size: 104,800 square kilometers...
cover the narrow coastal zone, which is crossed by numerous short streams from the wooded slopes of the serras.
The central part of the state is home to the Araucaria moist forests
Araucaria moist forests
The Araucaria moist forests are a subtropical moist forest ecoregion of southern Brazil and northeastern Argentina.-Setting:The Araucaria moist forests cover an area of , encompassing a region of mountains and plateaus in the Brazilian states of São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do...
, dominated by emergent Brazilian pines (Araucaria angustifolia). The drainage of the plateau is westward to the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
, the rivers being tributaries of the Iguaçu, which forms its northern boundary, and of the Uruguay
Uruguay River
The Uruguay River is a river in South America. It flows from north to south and makes boundary with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of the Mesopotamia from the other two countries...
, which forms its southern boundary. The semi-deciduous Paraná-Paraíba interior forests
Paraná-Paraíba interior forests
The Alto Paraná Atlantic forests, also known as the Paraná-Paraíba interior forests, is a tropical moist forest ecoregion of southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and eastern Paraguay.-Setting:...
occupy the westernmost valleys of the Iguaçu and Uruguay rivers.
The highest point of the state is the Morro da Boa Vista
Morro da Boa Vista
Morro da Boa Vista is the highest mountain in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, the highest at Serra Geral and the third highest in Southern Brazil, after Pico Paraná and Pico Caratuva, at . The peak can get quite cold during winter, with the possibility of snowfall....
, with an altitude of 1,827 m, and the second highest point is the Morro da Igreja
Morro da Igreja
Morro da Igreja is a peak situated in Urubici, a municipality of the Santa Catarina state, in southern Brazil. Its latitude is 28º07'31" S and its longitude is 49º29'38" W, with an elevation of 1,822 metres , the highest inhabited point and the second most elevated of this state...
, in the town of Urubici
Urubici
Urubici is a southern Brazilian city located in the state of Santa Catarina.-Neighboring Cities:Some of the nearest cities are São Joaquim-60 km , Lages, Tubarão, and Criciúma.-Climate:...
, with an altitude of 1,822 m.
History
Large numbers of European immigrants, especially from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, began arriving early in the nineteenth century. Immigrants from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and other parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
followed. These immigrants created an abundance of small, family-held farms, many of which continue to exist in the interior of the state.
Late in March 2004, the state was hit by the first hurricane ever recorded in the South Atlantic. Because there is no naming system for such an event in Brazil, Brazilian meteorologists
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
called it Cyclone Catarina
Cyclone Catarina
Cyclone Catarina is one of several informal names for a South Atlantic tropical cyclone that hit southeastern Brazil in late March 2004. The storm developed out of a stationary cold-core upper-level trough on March 12...
, after the state.
Demographics
IBGE
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics or IBGE , is the agency responsible for statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil...
of 2008, there were 6,091,000 people residing in the state. The population density was 61.53 PD/km2.
Urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
: 82.5% (2006); Population growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
: 1.9% (1991–2000); House
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
s: 1,836,000 (2006).
The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 5,297,000 White
White Brazilian
White Brazilians make up 48.4% of Brazil's population, or around 92 million people, according to the IBGE's 2008 PNAD . Whites are present in the entire territory of Brazil, although the main concentrations are found in the South and Southeastern parts of the country...
people (86.96%), 608,000 Brown (Multiracial) people (9.98%), 160,000 Black
Afro-Brazilian
In Brazil, the term "preto" is one of the five categories used by the Brazilian Census, along with "branco" , "pardo" , "amarelo" and "indígena"...
people (2.63%), 15,000 Asian
Asian Brazilian
An Asian Brazilian is is a Brazilian citizen of full or partial Asian ancestry, who remains culturally connected to Asia, or an Asian-born person permanently residing in Brazil. Brazil received many immigrants from Asia, both from Middle East and East Asia...
people (0.25%), 5,000 Amerindian
Indigenous peoples in Brazil
The Indigenous peoples in Brazil comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to the European invasion around 1500...
people (0.09%).
People of Portuguese ancestry, mostly Azoreans, predominate on the coast. People of German
German Brazilian
A German Brazilian is a Brazilian person of ethnic German ancestry or origin...
descent predominate in the northeast region (Itajaí Valley) and in the north (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....
region). There are many German communities in the west. People of Italian descent predominate in the south, as well in many areas in the west. People of African
Afro-Brazilian
In Brazil, the term "preto" is one of the five categories used by the Brazilian Census, along with "branco" , "pardo" , "amarelo" and "indígena"...
, Amerindian or Japanese origins are small communities in a few towns.
European settlement
Santa Catarina is one of the Brazilian states that exhibits the most signs of 19th century European immigration. The vast majority of the population are descendants of European settlers.Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
started arriving in the 1750s, mainly from the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
islands, and colonized the coast. In the late 18th century, half of Santa Catarina's population was Portuguese-born. These Portuguese established many important towns in the state, such as 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.
Germans
German people started arriving in 1828. These were peasants attracted by the opportunity to have their own land, for GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
was overpopulated and many people had no land to work. German immigration was very low until the 1850s, when waves started arriving in southern Brazil. To stimulate the German colonization of southern Brazil, the Brazilian government created many German colonies: these were ethnically Germanic areas where people from many parts of Germany settled. Initially, these colonies were in rural areas, where immigrants were able to cultivate their own farms. Many of these German colonies developed greatly and became large towns, Blumenau
Blumenau
Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well....
and 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....
, the largest city in Santa Catarina, among them.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and maintain German traditions in Brazil. This situation changed in 1942, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when Brazil declared war on Germany, and German immigrants and their descendants were required to learn the Portuguese language
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and to follow a Brazilian way of life.
Yet German influence in the State of Santa Catarina remains very strong and visible. Many towns, especially the small ones, retain notable aspects of German culture: in Pomerode
Pomerode
Pomerode is a Brazilian city in the state of Santa Catarina, in Southern Brazil. It is located in the valley of the Itajaí-Açu river, not very far from the city of Blumenau, one of the largest cities in the state....
, for example, a small town in which nine-tenths of the population is of German-Brazilian
German-Brazilian
A German Brazilian is a Brazilian person of ethnic German ancestry or origin...
descent, most inhabitants still speak German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
fluently; and Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
continues to be celebrated in Blumenau
Blumenau
Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well....
and in many other towns in the region. Architecture, too, shows German influence, as do popular customs and local cuisine
Cuisine
Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...
.
Italians
Italian settlers started arriving in Santa Catarina in 1875 and immigrated in large numbers until the 1910s. They were peasants from Northern ItalyNorthern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
and established themselves in ethnically Italian colonies close to the coast. In the beginning, Italian settlements failed, because many Italians
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
died of tropical diseases or left the colonies to find better conditions. However, in the Vale do Tubarão region (southern Santa Catarina), Italian immigrants found cooler weather and better lands, and the settlements prospered. Many Italians worked in the coal industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
and, unlike the German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrants, they did not dedicate themselves very much to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. As they were not isolated in rural colonies, Italian immigrants were quickly integrated into the Brazilian population of Portuguese
Portuguese-Brazilian
Portuguese Brazilians are Brazilian citizens whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Portugal. Most of the Portuguese arrived throughout the centuries to Brazil, sought economic opportunities...
descent that had been living in Brazil since the 18th century.
Economy
The industrial sector is the largest component of GDP at 52.5%, followed by the service sector at 33.9%. AgricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
represents 13.6% of GDP (2004). Santa Catarina exports: aviculture
Aviculture
Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds and the culture that forms around it. Aviculture is generally focused on not only the raising and breeding of birds, but also on preserving avian habitat, and public awareness campaigns....
26.1%, wood products
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
15.4%, compressors
Compressor (software)
Compressor is a video and audio media compression and encoding application for use with Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio on Mac OS X. It can be used with Qmaster for clustering.-History:...
8.5%, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
6.8%, and vehicles 5.8% (2002).
Share of the Brazilian economy: 4% (2005).
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...
, and is a major industrial and agricultural center.
The capital city, Florianópolis, has a diversified economy, being an important pole for the technology industry and a major touristic destination. Commerce and services are also very strong in the capital. Cities from Florianópolis metro area, like São José, Palhoça and Biguaçu are important and diverse industrial poles, as well as strong commerce areas.
In the northeast of the state, electric-mechanical, textile and furniture industries are strong; in the west, cattle and poultry breeding predominate, while in the south it is ceramics and shellfish.
The corridor between Joinville, Jaragua do Sul and Blumenau is heavily industrialized - more than 50% of the state's industrial output is concentrated in this small, but highly developed area.
Santa Catarina has some of the most beautiful beaches in 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...
- Summer months (Dec-Mar) make the state one of the most sought-after travel destinations in Brazil and South America. Tens of thousands of Argentines and Paraguayans flock to the state's beaches from mid December to late January.
The major cities and their respective fields are:
- FlorianópolisFlorianópolis-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...
, technology; tourism; services; commerce; government; education. - JoinvilleJoinvilleJoinville 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....
, metal-mechanic; tourism/events; software development; commerce; plastic; textile; chemist. - BlumenauBlumenauBlumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well....
, textile; software; commerce and beer. - São JoséSão José, Santa CatarinaSão José is a city in Santa Catarina, Brazil. It is a suburb located approximately five kilometers from Florianópolis, the state capital...
, industry; commerce and services. - CriciúmaCriciúmaCriciúma is a city in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. At , it is located 180 km south of Florianópolis, the state capital and around 900 km south of São Paulo...
, ceramics. - ChapecóChapecóChapecó 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....
, cattle and poultry breeding. - LagesLagesLages, 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"....
tourism and wood industry. - ItajaiItajaíItajaí is a Brazilian city in the state of Santa Catarina.-History:The city was founded on June 15, 1860, but the colonization of Itajaí started in 1658, when the Paulista João Dias D’Arzão arrived in the region. In 1750, Portuguese colonists coming from Madeira and the Azores made this region...
, seaport. - Jaraguá do Sul, electric motors and textile.
- PalhoçaPalhoça-History:Palhoça was founded in 1793, when the city was part of the way between Lages and Florianópolis in order to protect the capital state from possible invasions. It name comes from “straw roof” because the huge quantity of houses with this kind of roof, once the first Palhoça citizens was the...
, industry. - Balneário CamboriúBalneário CamboriúBalneário Camboriú is a major beach resort in the Brazilian southern state of Santa Catarina. The town, with its steep hills dropping down to the sea, is popular amongst South Americans. The main ocean boulevard is called Avenida Atlântica...
tourism; commerce. - TubarãoTubarãoTubarão is a Brazilian city located in southern part of Santa Catarina state. It coordinates are 28º28'00" S and 49º00'25"W. The population, according to the IBGE/2010 Brazilian Census was 97,281...
. - Brusque, textile.
- Rio NegrinhoRio NegrinhoRio Negrinho is a town and municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.-References:...
, furniture. - CaçadorCaçadorCaçador is a town and municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.-History:The banks of the Rio do Peixe were inhabited by ethnic native groups of Kaingangs and Xoklengs until 1881, when families of european origin settled here and, because of the abundance of...
, furniture; metal-mechanics; agribusiness.
Statistics
Vehicles: 2,489,343 (March/2007);Mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s: 3.7 million (April/2007); Telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
s: 1.6 million (April/2007). Cities: 293 (2007).
Education
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and sometimes German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
are part of the official high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
curriculum.
There are more than 105 universities in whole state of Santa Catarina.
Colleges and Universities
- Universidade Federal de Santa CatarinaUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaFederal University of Santa Catarina is a public university in Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil....
(UFSC) (Federal University of Santa Catarina); - Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC) (University of the State of Santa Catarina);
- Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL) (University of Southern Santa Catarina);
- Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI) (University of the Itajaí Valley);
- Universidade da Regiao de Joinville (UNIVILLE) (University of the Region of Joinville);
- Católica de Santa Catarina (Catholic of Saint Catherine)
- Universidade do Contestado (UnC) (University of Contestado);
- Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina (Unoesc) (University of Western Santa Catarina);
- Universidade do Planalto de Santa Catarina (Uniplac) (University of the Plateau of Santa Catarina);
- Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (Unesc) (University of Southernmost Santa Catarina);
- Fundação Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB) (Regional University Foundation of Blumenau);
- and many others.
Infrastructure
International Airport
Florianópolis is served by Hercílio Luz International AirportHercílio Luz International Airport
Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport , is the airport serving Florianópolis, Brazil. It is named after Hercílio Pedro da Luz , 3 times Governor of Santa Catarina and senator.It is operated by Infraero....
for both domestic and international flights. The traffic has grown significantly at the airport and therefore the city will shortly build a new airport able to serve 2.7 million passengers a year.
The architectural design of the new airport was chosen by a public competition held by Infraero
Infraero
Empresa Brasileira de Infraestrutura Aeroportuária, Infraero in short, is a Brazilian government corporation created in 1972 and responsible for operating the main Brazilian commercial airports. In 2009, Infraero's airports carried 128,135,616 passengers and 1,114,754 tons of cargo and operated...
in partnership with the Brazilian Architects Institute (IAB).
Among the over 150 original entries, the proposal of São Paulo architect Mário Bizelli was chosen. The construction work will be tendered in 2005 and should be finished in two years.
Tourism
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...
.
Some of these sights can only be seen in the off-season, like the snow on the Catarinense Mountain Range - the only place in Brazil where it snows every year.
Between July and November, the Right whales visit the state's coast. The great festivities take place in October. The main Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
in Blumenau
Blumenau
Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well....
is Brazil's largest and the world's second largest (after Germany's Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
).
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....
is the host city in July to the widely acclaimed "Joinville Dance Festival", the annual "Festival of Flowers" in November which showcases orchids produced in the region, and several business events in its Convention Center.
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 city/island State Capital attracts a large numbers of tourists during the summer months who visit its 42 beaches.
There are also many smaller resort towns, including Itapema
Itapema
Itapema is a city in Santa Catarina, Brazil.- Geography :Itapema can be accessed from highway BR-101 and it is surrounded by a rocky coastline.- Buildings :...
, Piçarras, Barra Velha
Barra Velha
Barra Velha is a resort town and county seat of about 20,000 inhabitants in the Northern region of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Its nine beaches extend from the Rio Itapocu in the North to the resort town of Piçarras on its Southern border...
and Penha
Penha
For the neighborhood in São Paulo, see Penha . For the neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, see Penha Circular. For the convent in Espírito Santo, Brazil, see Penha Convent....
, home to the famous amusement park "Beto Carrero World
Beto Carrero World
Beto Carrero World is the largest theme park and multi-theme park in Latin America, located in the municipality of Penha, Santa Catarina state, in Brazil. The park is a venture of the late Beto Carrero. The inauguration took place in 1991 and in 2009 already has more than 150 attractions to suit...
".
Sports
Football
There are two professional football teams playing the first division of the national football league (serie A). Both of them have 15 Santa Catarina State Championship titles, which is a state record. The derby between them is known as "O Clássico da Capital" ("The Capital's Classic").Figueirense FC
Figueirense Futebol Clube
Figueirense Futebol Clube, also known as Figueirense, is a Brazilian football team in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina.-History:In 1921, the club was founded as Figueirense Foot-ball Club. The club is named Figueirense after the neighborhood where it is located, in Centro neighborhood). Figueirense...
- black and white. Its nickname is Figueira ("Figtree") and it is also known as O Furacão do Estreito ("The Estreito's Hurricane"). Its stadium is the Orlando Scarpelli
Estádio Orlando Scarpelli
The Estádio Orlando Scarpelli is a football stadium inaugurated on May 27, 1961 in Estreito neighborhood, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, with a maximum capacity of 19,908 people. The stadium is owned by Figueirense Futebol Clube...
, located in the Estreito neighborhood, in the continental part of the city. Figueirense is currently playing in the Brazilian first division.
Avaí FC
Avaí Futebol Clube
Avaí Futebol Clube is a Brazilian football team from Florianópolis in Santa Catarina, founded on September 1, 1923. Their best known supporter is tennis player Gustavo Kuerten.Their home stadium is the Ressacada stadium, with a capacity 17,800...
- blue and white. It is also known as O Leão da Ilha ("The Lion of the Island"). Its stadium is the Aderbal Ramos da Silva, popularly known as Ressacada
Estádio da Ressacada
The Estádio Aderbal Ramos da Silva, usually called Estádio da Ressacada or just Ressacada, is a football stadium inaugurated on November 15, 1983 in Carianos neighborhood, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, with a maximum capacity of approximately 19,000 people. The stadium is owned by Avaí...
, located in the Carianos neighborhood, in the south part of the island. Avaí is currently playing in the Brazilian national first division.
In 2011, Figueirense and Avaí will, for the first time, be playing together the first division of the Brazilian national football league.
There's also a well known futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team from Jaraguá do Sul, Malwee.
Surfing
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...
, and in April of each year hosts what is currently South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
's only ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals
Association of Surfing Professionals
The Association of Surfing Professionals is the governing body for professional surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best talent in a variety of progressive formats.- Predecessors to the ASP :...
) World Championship Tour professional surfing competition. Brazil has played host to many an ASP tour event over the past 30 years. Former contest sites include Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Barra de Tijuca and Saquarema, but the past four years have seen the tour set up shop in Florianopolis. Previously held towards the end of the tour, the past few years have seen several ASP world champions crowned in Brazil. In 2004 it was Andy Irons, and in 2005 it was Kelly Slater (who had his 2006 ASP World Title already stitched up by Brazil).
Minority languages
- The Autoctone Languages or Indigenous Languages: KaingangKaingangThe 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...
; GuaraníGuaraní languageGuaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
; others... - The Extoctone Languages or Immigration Languages: GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(HunsrückischHunsrückischHunsrückisch is a German dialect spoken in the Hunsrück region of Germany . This mountainous region of Germany has long been an exporter of immigrants to the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia and other parts of the world....
, PomeraniaPomeraniaPomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
n Pommersch/PlautdietschPlautdietschPlautdietsch, or Mennonite Low German, was originally a Low Prussian variety of East Low German, with Dutch influence, that developed in the 16th and 17th centuries in the Vistula delta area of Royal Prussia, today Polish territory. The word is another pronunciation of Plattdeutsch, or Low German...
); Italian (ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
or VenetianVenetian languageVenetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people, mostly in the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia...
), Slavic (PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, UkrainianUkrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
, etc.) and others.
In some cities and villages, German or Talian
Talian
Talian is a dialect spoken mainly in the wine-producing area of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Talian is sometimes called Vêneto ...
are still the first spoken language.
Main cities
- JoinvilleJoinvilleJoinville 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....
- FlorianópolisFlorianópolis-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...
- BlumenauBlumenauBlumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well....
- São José
- CriciúmaCriciúmaCriciúma is a city in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. At , it is located 180 km south of Florianópolis, the state capital and around 900 km south of São Paulo...
- ChapecóChapecóChapecó 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....
- LagesLagesLages, 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"....
- ItajaíItajaíItajaí is a Brazilian city in the state of Santa Catarina.-History:The city was founded on June 15, 1860, but the colonization of Itajaí started in 1658, when the Paulista João Dias D’Arzão arrived in the region. In 1750, Portuguese colonists coming from Madeira and the Azores made this region...
- Jaraguá do Sul
- PalhoçaPalhoça-History:Palhoça was founded in 1793, when the city was part of the way between Lages and Florianópolis in order to protect the capital state from possible invasions. It name comes from “straw roof” because the huge quantity of houses with this kind of roof, once the first Palhoça citizens was the...
Other important cities
- TubarãoTubarãoTubarão is a Brazilian city located in southern part of Santa Catarina state. It coordinates are 28º28'00" S and 49º00'25"W. The population, according to the IBGE/2010 Brazilian Census was 97,281...
- BiguaçuBiguaçuBiguaçu is a town and municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.-References:...
- Balneário CamboriúBalneário CamboriúBalneário Camboriú is a major beach resort in the Brazilian southern state of Santa Catarina. The town, with its steep hills dropping down to the sea, is popular amongst South Americans. The main ocean boulevard is called Avenida Atlântica...
- Brusque
- CaçadorCaçadorCaçador is a town and municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.-History:The banks of the Rio do Peixe were inhabited by ethnic native groups of Kaingangs and Xoklengs until 1881, when families of european origin settled here and, because of the abundance of...
- JoaçabaJoaçabaJoaçaba 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...
- Rio do SulRio do SulRio do Sul is a town and municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.One of the postcards of the city is the mother church . Other important buildings are the bridge of the arches, the railway station and some German-style buildings...
- São Bento do SulSão Bento do SulSão Bento do Sul is a small town, pop. 75.543 located in southern Brazil, in the northeast part of the state of Santa Catarina, just south of the state of Paraná.- Industry :...
- MafraMafra, Santa CatarinaMafra is a city located in the northern border of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. This city borders to the state of Paraná and its urban area is attached to the urban area of its interstate neighbour, Rio Negro. This city's population is composed primarily of descendants of European...
External links
Santa Catarina on Youtube BrazilBrazil
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...
Guia Catarina - Guia de informações sobre Santa Catarina Official Website Informações sobre as Cidades de Santa Catarina, Eventos, e Diretório de empresas Bela Santa Catarina