Curitiba, Brazil

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Curitiba, is located on the eastern coast of Brazil. The city has the largest population and also the largest economy in Southern Brazil. The population of Curitiba numbers approximately 1.8 million people

Jacksonville twinned with Curitiba, Brazil on April 3, 2009 – becoming Jacksonville’s seventh Sister City. Jacksonville's newest Sister City is largely the results of a partnership between Jacksonville Sister Cities, Brazil-Jacksonville Alliance of Northeast Florida and Jacksonville Port Authority. Brazil-Jacksonville Alliance of Northeast Florida is a 502 (c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting trade with Curitiba.

History

The first ten years of the 16th century marked the beginning of a war of conquest of Europeans (Portuguese colonists) against the indigenous peoples who inhabited the area of the city. Waves of European immigrants started arriving after 1850, mainly Germans, Italians, Poles and Ukrainians. In 1853, the south and southwest of the province of São Paulo were separated, forming the new province of Paraná, and Curitiba became its capital.

During the 20th century, especially after 1950, the city rapidly increased in population and consolidated its position as regional hub for trade and services, becoming one of the richest cities in Brazil and a pioneer in urban solutions. In the 1940s and 1950s, Alfred Agache, co-founder of the French Society for Urban Studies, was hired to produce the first city plan. It emphasized a "star" of boulevards, with public amenities downtown, an industrial district and sanitation. It was followed when possible, but was too expensive to complete.

Culture

Curitiba is the first city in Brazil to have an IMAX cinema. It is in the Palladium Shopping Center which is the biggest mall in Southern Brazil.
Curitiba also has many theaters. The biggest and most important one is the Guaíra Theater.
Every year, in April, it hosts the Curitiba Theater Festival, with various artists playing in Curitiba Theaters and even on the squares.

Business

According to IPEA data, the GDP is estimated at real 29 billion, without recording activities in the agriculture and livestock farming (0.03%) sectors. Industry represented 34.13% and the commerce and service sectors 65.84%
Cidade Industrial de Curitiba, the industrial district of Curitiba, is home to many multinational industries, such as Nissan, Renault, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, HSBC, Siemens, ExxonMobil, Electrolux and Kraft Foods, as well as many national industries, such as Sadia, O Boticário, Positivo Informática.

Curitiba's infrastructure makes bus travel fast and convenient, effectively creating demand for bus use in the same way that the infrastructure of traditional cities creates demand for private motor vehicles.

In July 2001, Curitiba has become the first city in the country to receive the prize "Pole of Information Technology", granted by InfoExame magazine, because the performance of their companies of technology. According to the magazine, the number of companies of "Technology and Information Technology" based in Curitiba submitted in 2001 a turnover of US$1.2 billion, representing a growth of 21% over the previous year.

The GDP for the city is R$ 29,821,203,000 (2005).
The per capita income for the city was R$ 16,964 (2005).

Links to Curitiba Websites

Curitiba, Brazil News Media

Curitiba City Planning

Curitiba Travel Guide and Photos

Curitiba - Story of a City

First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Brazil-Jacksonville Alliance of Northeast Florida