Região Sul

Região Sul (in yellow/amarelo)

Paraná (Simeon Brown)

Train ride via Sera Verda Express, Paraná, Brazil

Today Paraná is a highly developed state. Named after the Paraná River which separates Brazil from Paraguay and Argentina, the province’s excellent social indicators include the fifth largest GDP of Brazil and some of the lowest crime rates in the country. However, the history and beauty of Paraná are found in its wildness. The Portuguese briefly explored the coast, but didn’t push inland or colonize as quickly as other areas, allowing the indigenous peoples a slightly longer respite from the wave of colonization experienced by their neighbors. The native tribes local to the Paraná region are the Gê, found inland inhabiting what is left of South America’s largest auracaria forest, and the Tupi, a tribe that helped create a significant amount of the modern Brazilian population. Portuguese explorers capitalized on cunhadismo (from Portuguese cunhado, “brother-in-law”), the tribes’ practice of inviting a man into their community once he’d married a local women. This, coupled with polygyny, which allowed a Portuguese man to have many temerícos (native wives), meant that a settler could have dozens of indigenous relatives who could then be induced to work for him. 

Other unique populations call Paraná home. During the mid-18th & 19th centuries, slow immigration south from São Paulo brought the usual suspects (Portuguese, Japanese, Italians, Ukrainians), but Paraná also received significant Polish and Czech populations, which are rare in other regions. Additionally, a Volga-German colony settled both the Brazilian and Argentinian side of the river, where to this day a unique variety of German called Paraná-Wolga-Deutsch can still be heard. 

During settlement, the foundations of agriculture and industry grew into the pillars of Paraná’s economy today. Sugarcane, corn, soybeans, coffee, and tomatoes are the most prevalent agri-produce. Naturally occurring flora like yerba mate and timber are also harvested, of course. (Speaking of valuable timber: too many details outside the purview of my post, but if you’re feeling curious, check out the auracaria forest. I wanna go!)

Auracaria pine forest, Paraná, Brazil

Not only does Mother Earth provide the inhabitants of Paraná with agricultural riches, she’s also been harnessed to create the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Begun in 1971 and finished in 1984 on the border of Paraguay and Brazil, the Itaipa Dam was first opposed by Argentina, but the negotiations around its construction ended up setting the table for future Brazilian and Argentinian cooperation in other sectors. In 2016, Itaipa set a new world record by generating 103,098,366 MWh, surpassing the Three Gorges Dam. 

Itaipa Dam, Paraná, Brazil

Thankfully, part of Paraná’s precious nature will remain protected thanks to the National Park of Iguaçu. Iguaçu was one of the first three Brazilian nature parks created in the late 1930s. Named after the Iguaçu river, the park offers visitors the opportunity to visit the spectacular Iguazu Falls, and conservationists the opportunity to preserve and study delicate ecosystems. Named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988, Iguaçu is also a Nature Park on the Argentinian side of the river, affirming the two countries’ commitment to working together for conservation. 

Of course, this is 21st century Brazil, so it’s not all sugarcane and nature parks. The capital city of Curitiba reflects the history of the province as a whole. For a few centuries, it was a quiet hub between cattle-breeding country and the port city of Paranaguá. But around the beginning of the 20th century, the coffee industry from São Paulo moved to Paraná in force, and massive development was sparked (Rolim). Today, with a population of 1,879,355 people as of 2015, it’s the eight largest city in Brazil, but has the fourth largest economy of Brazilian cities. Curitiba has an unusually high Human Development Index for Brazil (0.856), achieved the Global Sustainable City Award in 2010 (Laughling), and is considered the best location to invest in the country. It's a global example of progressive and sustainable urban planning. For the football fans out there, don’t forget it’s been one of the World Cup host cities in both 1950 and 2014.

If you want to visit for the food, you might be more inclined to head to the small coastal city of Morretes. Here are produced the famous candies bala de banana and bala de gingibre. If you’re seeking a bit more of a buzz than just sugar, you can try cachaça, a sugar cane spirit sometimes infused with banana. A typical meal is the prato feito, a mixed plate which will be rice and beans, some kind of meat, and maybe a potato or salad. It’s often abbreviated to PF on the menus, but if you don’t see it, just ask, it’s a daily standard. The real pride of Paranán cuisine is barreado, a beef stew slow cooked in a clay pot. It was originally a carnival dish, but has become iconic regional cuisine. 

Bala de Banana, Morretes, Paraná, Brazil

Barreado, Paraná, Brazil

Remember those Volga-Germans mentioned a few paragraphs back? Well they introduced a European genre of music and dance called schottische. As the style hybridized with indigenous music and Spanish guitar, the folksy chamamé emerged. It sounds like a cowboy polka, and I love it. This style exists on both Brazilian and Argentinian sides, but I found better recording qualities in Spanish. Hope you don't mind. Divirta-se! 

Bibliography

* Arens, William, The Man-Eating Myth: Anthropology & Anthropophagy, 1979, New York: Oxford University Press
* "Brasil retiró casi 92 millones MWh de la producción récord de Itaipú". abcColor. abc.com.py. 2 January 2017. http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/economia/brasil-retiro-casi-92-millones-mwh-de-la-produccion-record-de-itaipu-1552332.html
* "Curitiba é eleita a melhor cidade do Brasil pelo ranking Istoé/Austin Ratings". istoedinheiro.com.br. 3 December 2016. https://www.istoedinheiro.com.br/noticias/economia/20150918/curitiba-eleita-melhor-cidade-brasil-pelo-ranking-istoe-austin-ratings/300248
* "Indo-European Polysector: Auswanderungs Deutsch". Linguasphere Press & David Dalby 1999. 
* Laughlin, Kirk. "Brazil Outsourcing: Curitiba Comes On Strong as 'Silicon Valley South'". nearshoresamerica.com. 21 April 2010. http://www.nearshoreamericas.com/brazil-outsourcing-curibita-comes-on-strong-as-silicon-valley-south/
* Ribeiro, Darcy, O Povo Brasileiro, Vol. 07, 1997, pp. 28 to 33; 72 to 75 and 95 to 101
* Rolim, Dr. Cássio Frederico Camargo Rolim. "Supporting the Contribution of HEIs to Regional Development - Brazil: Northern Region of the Paraná State". Federal University of Paraná. http://www.oecd.org/brazil/35883384.pdf

Santa Catarina (Erik C.)

Santa Catarina is in the southern region of Brazil. It is a very small state but considered to have the highest economic well-being in relation to any other state in Brazil. Santa Catarina attracts a large amount of domestic and foreign tourists during all seasons of the year. During the summer months, the beaches are packed with people looking to enjoy the sun. In the winter, the mountain ridges boast a great attraction for skiing with the low temperatures and snow over its canyons.

The industrial sector is the largest component of the GDP in Santa Catarina, followed by the service sector and agriculture. These strong industrial and agricultural centers have made Santa Catarina a state with one of the highest standards of living. The capital city, Florianópolis, has a diversified economy, being an important pole for the technology industry and a major touristic destination. It has the nickname of the “Silicon Valley of Brazil” due to its investment and innovation in technology. Commerce and services are also very strong in the capital. Cities from Florianópolis metro area, like São José, Palhoça and Biguaçu are important and diverse industrial poles, as well as strong commerce areas. In the northeast of the state, electric-mechanical, textile and furniture industries are strong; in the west, cattle and poultry breeding predominate, while in the south it is ceramics and shellfish. Santa Catarina has some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil - Summer months make the state one of the most sought-after travel destinations in Brazil and South America. Hundreds of thousands of Argentines, Uruguayans and Paraguayans flock to the state's beaches from mid-December to late February followed by Western European and American tourists.

If the cuisine from the Brazilian Southern region could be defined in one word, this word would be churrasco, the Portuguese name for barbecue. Due to its proximity to the Argentine and Uruguayan pampas, where livestock is the dominant economic activity, the consumption of beef is very high. Meat is usually seasoned only with rock salt and then cooked on iron skewers directly over fire. Of all the states in the South, Santa Catarina is the one where seafood is consumed the most. Oysters from the city of Florianópolis are known throughout the country, but shrimps and various fish are part of the regional cuisine as well. This state is also strongly influenced by German gastronomy, because of the immigration in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Some of the results of this influence are german pastries like apple pies.

Santa Catarina is a state with an extremely large diversity. People of Portuguese ancestry predominate on the coast while people of German descent predominate in the north and northeastern regions. Italian descent predominates in the south as well as the west. People of African and Japanese origin are present in small communities in a few towns. According to genetic studies, the population of Santa Catarina is made up of 80% European, 11% African and 9% Amerindian ancestry groups. Fifty percent of the entire population of Santa Catarina has German or Austrian ancestry.

Oktoberfest of Blumenau

Since Santa Catarina has a huge population of people of German descent. It is natural that this state holds what is considered the largest German festival in all the Americas. The Oktoberfest of Blumenau was created at 1984, after a big flooding of a major river with the objective of recuperating the city's economy and raising the morale of its inhabitants Even before that owners of industries and commercial buildings in the city were already planning to make some festival like the original form Munich, but the flood was an important event that set the festival in motion. Since its first edition it has been a success, and today it has an attendance of about than 700,000 a year.

Santa Catarina offers several sights and events throughout the year: rural tourism, thermal mineral resorts, ecological tourism and adventure sports, historic monuments and sights, religious tourism, Beto Carrero World and Unipraias parks. The most sought-after spots during the summer months are the beaches. The capital of Florianopolis boasts 42 beaches, each one with marvelous sands to enjoy the warm sun. Even supermodel Gisele Bundchen is known to visit these beaches throughout the summer months.

Bibliography

Santa Catarina (State). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Catarina_(state)

Facts about Florianopolis. 15 things you should know. http://www.thebrazilguide.com/interesting-facts-brazil/facts-about-florianopolis/

Oktoberfest of Blumenau. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest_of_Blumenau

Igor Utsimi. Everything About Brazilian Regional Cuisine. http://thebrazilbusiness.com/article/everything-about-brazilian-regional-cuisine

Rio Grande do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul is Brazil's southernmost state, bordering Argentina and Uruguay. Home to Parque Nacional da Serra Geral, Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra, and Gramado.

The region was originally thinly inhabited by Tupí-Guaraní, Ge, and Guaycurú Indians. It was first explored and colonized by the Portuguese during the late 17th century. Long disputed between Spain and Portugal, the region was the site of conflict between 1754 and 1870.

The state’s inhabitants include descendants of the Portuguese in the Jacuí valley, Germans on the lower slopes of the Paraná Plateau and above the Jacuí, and Italians on the plateau. There are also descendants of Polish and other European immigrants. A small percentage of the population is composed of blacks and persons of mixed white and black ancestry, and the northwest has some Indians and Asians. The main language is Portuguese. The vast majority of the people are Roman Catholics, but there are other Christian denominations also represented.

Porto Alegre

Capital of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. It lies near the Atlantic Ocean coast at the northern end of the freshwater Patos Lagoon along an arm of the lagoon known as the Guaíba River. The city is situated at the junction of five short but deep rivers that flow into the Patos Lagoon.

One of the country’s largest cities, it is second only to São Paulo in commercial and industrial importance in southern Brazil. Its rural vicinity yields a variety of agricultural and pastoral products, including meat and hides, wool, rice, beans, cashews, avocados, wheat, grapes, and tobacco; from the forests comes lumber. 

The city’s industries are chiefly concerned with processing those products and include meatpacking, lard refining, leather tanning, shipbuilding, and the manufacturing of textiles, metallurgic goods, electrical and communications equipment, plastics, pharmaceuticals, perfume, beer, and chemicals. There are also steel mills, an oil terminal, and a petrochemical complex. Power comes from coal mined at nearby São Jerônimo and from a hydroelectric plant at Salto.

Porto Alegre’s growth has stemmed from its strategic location. Because the lower courses of the rivers forming the Guaíba River are all navigable, the city has become Brazil’s most important center of inland navigation. Its products can be shipped across the Patos Lagoon. The city’s railroad service is excellent, with connections to Uruguayan and Argentine lines as well as to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro

Most of the state is tall-grass prairie, with pine and tropical forests in the higher elevations and deeper river valleys. Animal life includes deer, rodents, otters, armadillos, monkeys, and porcupines. Coastal and inland waters abound with fish (anchovies, dolphins, kingfish, flatfish, mullet) and shrimp. The climate is generally mild. In winter, cold air from the south brings heavy rains and occasional snow to the higher elevations. In summer, the prevailing northeast winds bring less rain and hot weather, especially inland.

Places to go:

Parque Nacional da Serra Geral

Parque Nacional da Serra Geral, contains canyons that rival Itaimbezinho. The Cânion da Fortaleza is an 8km stretch of escarpment with 900m drops. A gently inclining Trilha do Mirante leads to the edge of the canyon, yielding incredible views of the Cachoeira do Tigre Preto waterfall. The Pedra do Segredo is a tower of rocks that balances precariously on this precipice. Cânion Malacara is formed by the river of the same name; the Trilha Piscina do Malacara leads to a natural pool with cool, crystal waters and wonderful views.

Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra

Located 18km from the town of Cambará do Sul, this magnificent park occupies 102.5 sq km on the border between Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states. It's here that vast, uninspired pasturelands give way to a series of stunning canyons, where the earth opens up and drops to depths of 720m.

Gramado

Gramado isn't as sexy as Ipanema or as alluring as the Amazon, but this tiny mountain resort, which bills itself as ‘naturally European,’ is one of Brazil's nicest. It does indeed feel like a Swiss mountain village 

Bibliography:

“Rio Grande Do Sul.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_do_Sul.

Lonely Planet. “Rio Grande Do Sul Travel.” Lonely Planet, Lonely Planet, www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/rio-grande-do-sul.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Rio Grande Do Sul.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 Nov. 2012, www.britannica.com/place/Rio-Grande-do-Sul.

Schirmer, Stephan. “Map of Rio Grande Do Sul (Porto Alegre) (State / Section in Brazil).” Map of Curacao (Island in Netherlands) | Welt-Atlas.de, www.welt-atlas.de/map_of_rio_grande_do_sul_(porto_alegre)_9-1070.

Trvl. “TRVL - Power to the Traveler!” @Trvl, trvl.com/gramado.

“ICMBio - Parque Nacional De Aparados Da Serra - Guia Do Visitante.” Instituto Chico Mendes De Conservação Da Biodiversidade - Criação De UCs, www.icmbio.gov.br/parnaaparadosdaserra/guia-do-visitante.html.

“Aparados Da Serra - Canyons Do Brasil.” Canyon Fortaleza - Parque Nacional Da Serra Geral, 1 Jan. 1970, www.aparadosdaserra.eco.br/2015/05/canyon-fortaleza-parque-nacional-da.html.

averycreativeone. “A Glimpse of Rio Grande Do Sul's (Southern Brazil) Culture, YAY.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Dec. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVMIsjYtgGo&t=9s.