Santa Catarina is a Brazilian state belonging to the South region, bordering Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Argentina. Its capital, Florianópolis, is on the coast and is the second most populous municipality in the state. The total population of Santa Catarina is today 7.2 million inhabitants.
The state has a relief marked by the presence of plateaus and mountains, as well as a subtropical climate, with well-distributed rainfall and mild temperatures for most of the year.
Read too: Southeast region - the most developed region in Brazil
General data for Santa Catarina
- Region: South.
- capital: Florianópolis.
- Government: representative democratic, with the governor at the head of the state executive branch.
- Areaterritorial: 95,730.684 km² (IBGE, 2020).
- Population: 7,252,502 inhabitants (IBGE, 2020).
- Densitydemographic: 65.27 inhab./km² (IBGE, 2010).
- spindle: Brasília Standard Time (GMT -3 hours).
- Climate: predominantly subtropical.
Santa Catarina geography
Santa Catarina is a Brazilian state in the South Region, with the city of Florianópolis as its capital.
It borders the two other states that make up the region:- Paraná, at North;
- Rio Grande do Sul, on the southern border.
To the west is the Argentina, while to the east the state has an exit to the Atlantic Ocean.
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Santa Catarina climate
The territory of Santa Catarina is located below the Tropic of Capricorn, therefore located in one of the Temperate Zones on the planet. As a result, O climate predominant in this state is the subtropical. Its main characteristics are the mild temperatures for most of the year, with averages around 22º C, and the distinction between the four seasons.
At rains are abundant and well distributed, with pluviometric indexes that vary between 1,400 and 2,000 mm per year. You winters they can be severe, with the occurrence of frost and even precipitation in the form of snow in some areas. This is due to the strong influence of the polar masses at this time of year.
Santa Catarina relief
The largest portion of Santa Catarina is located in the domain of the Southern Plateau, according to the classification of Aziz AbáSáber. Thus, its relief is predominantly composed of plateaus. In the lands to the east, preceding the plains fluvial and coastal, there is a set of mountain ranges, with the formations of the Serras Geral (southeast), the east of Santa Catarina and the sea (northeast). The highest point in the state is Morro da Boa Vista, with 1,827 meters, located in the city of Bom Retiro.
Santa Catarina vegetation
The territory of Santa Catarina belongs to the biome Atlantic forest. This includes the domain of araucarias, which covers a good part of the state. To the west, together with the Araucaria forest, there are also patches with characteristic steppe species (grass and shrubs), especially in areas close to the border with Rio Grande do Sul.
To the east, it is possible to observe the presence of the Atlantic Forest itself and the characteristic cover of coastal regions, such as mangroves, restingas and dunes.
Santa Catarina Hydrography
the state belongs to three hydrographic regions: from Paraná, Uruguay and the South Atlantic. In addition, the territory has two independent drainage systems, which have the Serra Geral as a watershed. They are the Interior Strand, to the west, and the Atlantic Strand, to the east of the formation. Among the most important rivers in the state are: Itajaí-Açu, Uruguay, Canoas, Tubarão, Pelotas.
See too: What are the hydrographic basins in Brazil?
Santa Catarina map
Santa Catarina Demographics
The population of Santa Catarina is 7,252,502 of inhabitants, according to the estimates of the IBGE for 2020. It is the least populated state in the South Region, although it is the 10th in population in Brazil, comprising a share of 3.4% of the inhabitants of the national territory. The 2010 census indicated a demographic density of 65.27 inhab./km², a number that reaches 75.75 inhab/km² (2020).
The people of Santa Catarina are distributed over 295 municipalities, the most populous of them being Joinville, with 597,658 inhabitants. The capital, Florianópolis, comes next, with a population of 508,826 inhabitants. The smallest city in the state is Santiago do Sul, with 1,235 people. Santa Catarina's urbanization rate is 83.98%.
O Human Development Index (HDI) of the state is 0.774, the third largest in the country, behind only the Federal District and Sao Paulo.
Geographical division of Santa Catarina
The municipalities of Santa Catarina are grouped into 24 immediate geographic regions, according to the IBGE classification used from 2017. These subdivisions, in turn, integrate the so-called intermediate geographic regions.
The state is thus divided into seven intermediate regions: Chapecó, in the western portion of the territory; Hunter, right after the first, located to the north; Lages, to the south; Joinville, covering the entire northeast of Santa Catarina and, in the coastal strip, Blumenau, Florianópolis and Criciúma.
Santa Catarina Economy
O Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Santa Catarina is BRL 298.22 billion, equivalent to 4.3% of the national GDP. This value places the state in the position of the sixth largest economy in the country. The largest share of Santa Catarina's GDP is derived from the service sector, followed by industry (26.74%) and, finally, the agricultural sector (5.51%), according to IBGE data for 2018.
Santa Catarina's industry accounts for 5% of the Brazilian industrial GDP. The civil construction, the food industry, the textile and clothing industry, and the electrical machinery and material industry stand out. The state is also present in the wood and pulp and paper sector, with the araucaria forest as the main source of raw material.
Agricultural production in Santa Catarina is geared towards the cultivation of rice, soy, tobacco, apple, potato, onion, corn, garlic and cassava. Considering animal husbandry, bovine and swine herds stand out, as well as the production of milk, eggs and honey.
Government of Santa Catarina
The government of Santa Catarina is of the representative democratic type, with elections held at intervals of four years. The state executive branch is headed by the governor. In the Legislative, the state is represented by 3 federal senators, 16 federal deputies and 40 state deputies.
Santa Catarina Infrastructure
Some important federal roads they cross the territory of Santa Catarina and make their connection with other regions of Brazil. Among these highways, we mention the BR-153, which cuts through the west of the state, the BR-101, which passes through coastal cities, the BR-116 and the BR-158.
Santa Catarina's transport network it also has railroads, which are responsible for a small portion of the state's cargo transportation. The main railways are Teresa Cristina, which transports coal, and the former railway managed by the ALL group, currently under the command of the logistics company Rumo, responsible for the grains.
The main airports in the state are in the capital, Florianópolis, and in the municipalities of Blumenau, Joinville, Navegantes, Lages and Chapecó.
Flag of Santa Catarina
Culture of Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina's cultural diversity was formed through the numerous traditions and customs that represent the ethnic groups present in its population. Many cultural manifestations express the influence of various peoples, such as Austrians, Germans, Portuguese, Polish, Italians, Dutch, as well as Africans and indigenous peoples.
One of the most traditional festivals in the state that attracts tourists from all over the country is the Oktoberfest, which takes place annually in the city of Blumenau. Also noteworthy are the Pine Nut Party, which is held in Lages, and the Feast of the Divine, on the island of Santa Catarina, on the coast of the state. In addition, Joinville organizes its dance Festival.
In gastronomy, seafood appears as the main ingredients of typical dishes from Santa Catarina, such as oysters, fish pirão and mullet. In addition to them, there are preparations such as pork knuckle or eisbein, cuca (German cake) and polenta on the wire.
See too: What is cultural heritage?
History of Santa Catarina
The first Portuguese landed where today is Santa Catarina in 1515, with the expedition of Juan Dias Solis. Until the arrival of foreigners, which took place along the coast of Santa Catarina, the lands were inhabited by indigenous populations. In addition to the Portuguese, a Spanish expedition also reached the state in 1526.
Although European navigators reached the territory in the first half of the 16th century, the population of Santa Catarina lands is attributed to Bandeiras, who entered the region in 1637. The occupation of the pioneers had as its starting point the current capital of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, which at the time was called Nossa Senhora do Desterro. During the 17th century, other villages were established along the coast.
THE Santa Catarina Island (also referred to as Captaincy) was created only in 1738 and covered mostly the central and east portions (including, therefore, the coast) of the current federative unit. The main motivation was the territorial defense of possible foreign invasions. Its first governor, José da Silva Paes, assumed the post in 1739.
In the year 1777, the lands were the target of the Spanish expeditions, motivated by the economic prosperity shown by Santa Catarina since at least the beginning of the century. The retaking of the area by the Portuguese happened later, in the same year, through the signing of the Treaty of Santo Ildefonso, a document that put an end to several conflicts between Portugal and Spain for the domain of land colonial.
From the first half of the 19th century, more precisely 1839, a series of migratory streams from European countries, like Germany and Italy, it arrived in Santa Catarina, giving rise to several colonies, which later became cities.
By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography teacher
The map below is highlighting a federative unit in Brazil. Indicate which state it is, the region to which it belongs and its capital.
Analyze the statements about the population aspects of the state of Santa Catarina and mark (T) for the true and (F) for the false.
a) Due to the large migratory flow of Germans, Italians, Poles, Portuguese and Italians, the culture of Santa Catarina presents elements of these European countries.
b) With approximately 6.1 million inhabitants, Santa Catarina is the second most populous state in the South Region, only behind Rio Grande do Sul.
c) The population of Santa Catarina lives in inferior social conditions compared to the rest of the country, as the state presents high infant mortality rate, high illiteracy rate and one of the worst Human Development Indexes (HDI) of the Brazil.
d) The territory of Santa Catarina was only inhabited in the 19th century, when the Portuguese occupied the coastal regions of the state.
e) Like most Brazilian states, Santa Catarina has a high rate of urbanization.
