The State of Paraná is located in Southern Brazil occupying an area of 199,554 square kilometers or 2.3% of the total Brazil’s surface. In July 1004 Paraná had 399 municipalities. The state is divided in five natural areas: the seacoast, the mountains near the sea (Serra do Mar) and three plateaus: the first, the second and the third plateaus. All regions reserve pleasant surprises. Nature and history in the coast; progress and humanism in the capital located on the first plateau; mystery and peacefulness in Vila Velha on the second plateau; industry and agriculture in the North and Southwest; the exciting waterfalls of Foz do Iguaçu where is also located the Itaipu power plant, in the West, in Iguaçu Falls.
Please, check the Parana State Government website for more information.
CURITIBA CITY
The capital of Paraná State, established in 1693, is located in the South of Brazil. With a GNP (Gross National Product) of U$ 12.1 billion/year, it has a per capita income of approximately U$ 8 thousand/year, compared to a national average of U$ 5 thousand/year. The population is 1.587.315 inhabitants (IBGE 2000) OR about 1.6 million.
It is the only Brazilian city to enter the 21st century as a national and international reference of urban planning and quality of life. In March of 2001, a research sponsored by the UN pointed at Curitiba as the best capital of Brazil for the Life Conditions Index (LCI). The high standard of quality of life has attracted investments, allied to operational and living costs in average 30% inferior to those of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, although it enjoys the same central location, efficient logistics of distribution and communication besides the high level of education and professional qualification of its citizens.
Curitiba has a strategic position due to the fact that it has easy access to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, totaling more than 200 million consumers. Another important factor is its location: within 1300 kilometers of the main commercial, agricultural and industrial centers of the country, that add 70% of the Gross National Product. Companies such as Renault, Chrysler, Audi/Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo, Bertrand Faure and Detroit Diesel Corporation have invested more than 9 billion dollars in recent years, which haveprovided thousands of new jobs.
Curitiba is recognized nationally and internationally for innovative urban solutions, the city has the most efficient mass transit system in the country and boasts the index of 55 square meters of green area per person, which makes it to be considered the Ecological Capital of Brazil . (source: Curitiba Convention & Visitors Bureau website)
Distances:
450 km south from São Paulo
900 km south from Rio de Janeiro
100 km west from the sea
600 km east from Iguassu Falls
More useful information about Curitiba can be found in the Curitiba Convention & Visitors Bureau website and in The Geographic Guide.