Profile
Curitiba is the capital of the State of Parana, one of the three States that compose Brazil's South Region. Its official foundation was on March 29th, 1693, when the Town Council was created.

In the 17th Century, its main economic activity was mining, coupled with subsitence agriculture. The following cycle, which occured during the 18th and 19th centuries, was the Tropeiro muleteer activities, which resulted from cattle-raising. Tropeiro muleteers herded cattle that moved between Viamão, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, and the Sorocaba Fair, in Sao Paulo, taking cattle to their final destination, which was the State of Minas Gerais. The long route and the bad weather made the muleteers take shelter, waiting from the harsh winters to pass, in farms located in the "fields of Curitiba". Tropeiro muleteers are responsible for traditions such as fogo de chão (gaucho-style bonfire) for roasting meat and telling "causos" (muleteer stories), the leitE quentE (warM milK) accent, the chimarrão [matte tea without sugar with hot water taken from the cuia (pipe-like cup), because the indigenous people used it in the tererê form, with cold water), the use of woolen ponchos, the opening of routes and the formation of villages.

At the end of the 19th century, with the matte tea and timber economic cycle in expansion, two events were quite remarkable: the massive arrival of European immigrants and the construction of the Paranagua-Curitiba railway, linking the coast to the First Parana Plateau.

Immigrants from Europe and other continents, throughout the 20th century, gave new meaning to everyday life in Curitiba. They brought with themselves ways of life and of incorporating themselves to the city that nowadays are quite typical of Curitiba with respect to civic and religious festivities from several ethnic groups, dance, music, cooking, expressions, and the heritage of their ancestors. Such heritage is represented in various immigration memorials in public spaces, such as municipal parks and woods.

The “immigrant mythical of labour" (observation of poet Paulo Leminski, deceased in the past century) jointly with municipal administrations without the breaking of their continuity, ended creating a planned Curitiba, and internationally recognised, regarding urban management, environment, and mass transportation.

The capital of the State of Parana, formed at a high plateau, 934 metres above sea level, which lacks landscape landmarks provided by nature, ended up creating its own references through science and the work of mankind.

In the 20th century, in the scenery of the planned city, the industry joined in with strength to the economic profile previously based on commercial activities and on the service sector. The city faced, particularly in the 1970s, accelerated urbanisation, mostly caused by migrations from the country, resulting from the substitution of agricultural labour for machines.

Curitiba now faces the challenge of a big metropolis, where the urban issue is rethought under the humanist focus that the city essentially belongs to those who live in it. Its people, and admirable melting pot that gathers foreigners from all parts of the world and Brazilians from all corners, teaches in the daily life the art of meeting one another and living together. Curitiba is born everyday with hope and work in its veins, like in the dawn of its pioneers.

Major data:

 • Area: 430.9 km²
   • Population: 1.727.010 (estimate IBGE/2004)
   • Neighbourhoods: 75
   • Relief: Slightly wavy
   • Green area per inhabitant: 51 m²
   • North-South Extension: 35 km
   • East-West Extension: 20 km
   • Average altitude: 934.6 m
   • Latitude 25º25'48'' South
   • Longitude 49º16'15'' West
   • Time zone: Brasília
   • Climate: Temperate
   • Annual rainfall: 1.500 mm
   • Average temperature in the summer: 21ºC
   • Average temperature in the winger: 13ºC
   • Distance from Sao Paulo (Brazil): 400 km

Source: Portal of the Municipality of Curitiba, 2008.