Araranguá

Araranguá is a city located in the south part of Santa Catarina state, in the south of Brazil. It has around 63,000 inhabitants and was settled mainly by Azoreans and Italians.

City data

*Foundation: April 3, 1880
*Population: around 63,000
*Area: 298.4 km²
*Ethnic groups: Azorean and Italian
*Average temperature: 20ºC
*Nearby cities: Criciúma, Içara,Turvo, Sombrio, Meleiro, Morro Grande, Balneário Arroio do Silva and Forquilhinha
*Nearby airport: Criciúma airport (31km away)
*Distance from Florianópolis: 210km

History

The first to arrive in Araranguá region were the Portugueses, who came from Laguna in the beginning of the 19th century. They settled in the Morro dos Conventos (“"Convents Mountain"”), where there was a road that connected the south with the center of the country. Later, Italian, German, Polish and Spanish immigrants and the African slaves arrived in the city. At that time, the region also had Carijós and Kaingang Indians, but they do not exist anymore.

The city was founded April 3, 1880, and was named Araranguá because of the Araranguá River.

Economy

*Agriculture – production of rice, beans, tobacco and corn.
*Industry – based on metallurgy, ceramics, furniture and textiles.
*Commerce
*Tourism

Trivia

*Araranguá is know as "A Cidade das Avenidas" ("The City of the Avenues"”) because of its wide roads.

External links

* [http://www.ararangua.net/ City’s official website] (in Portuguese)