Blumenau
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| Blumenau | |||
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| Nickname(s): Cidade Jardim ("Garden City") | |||
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| Coordinates: 26°55′08″S 49°03′57″W / 26.91889°S 49.06583°W | |||
| Country | Brazil | ||
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| Region | South | ||
| State | Santa Catarina | ||
| Founded | September 2, 1850 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | João Paulo Kleinübing | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 510 km2 (196.9 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 21 m (69 ft) | ||
| Population (2007 est.[update])[1] | |||
| - Total | 292,972 | ||
| - Density | 563.6/km2 (1,459.7/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | GMT-3 (UTC) | ||
| Website | [2] | ||
Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well.
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[edit] Etymology
A popular etymology derives the name of the city from the German words Blumen meaning "flowers", and "Au" being a suffix used to refer to floodplains. Blumenau hence would mean "Floodplain of Flowers". But, in reality, it just refers to Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau, who founded the city.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2006, Blumenau had an estimated population of 300,000 people, with an area of 510 km². The main ethnic groups of the city are Brazilians of German and Italian ancestries[2]. The city displays many historical and cultural reminders of their heritage, such as houses and other buildings built in a traditional German style, statues, and memorials.
Blumenau, compared to other Brazilian cities, has a high standard of living, with a Human Development Index of 0.855 as of 2000.[3]
[edit] Ethnicity
| Race/Skin color | Percentage | Number |
| Whites | 94.55% | 247,527 |
| Pardos (brown) | 3.50% | 9,171 |
| Blacks | 1.16% | 3,042 |
| Amerindians | 0.13% | 340 |
| Yellow (Asian) | 0.10% | 252 |
[edit] Religion
| Religion | Percentage | Number |
| Catholics | 73.90% | 193,474 |
| Protestants | 22.13% | 57,935 |
| No religion | 1.22% | 3,200 |
| Kardecists | 0.72% | 1,894 |
[edit] Geography and environment
The city is located in a valley bisected by the Itajaí-Açu River, surrounded by hills with forests. The lower areas, including towers and tall buildings in the city center, constantly suffer from the threat of floods. Blumenau's first recorded flood took place in the dawn on September 23, 1880. The worst took place in 1983 and 1984, when the city was completely isolated for weeks. Today, Blumenau is well-prepared against such threats, but many citizens prefer to live in higher areas spread into the nearby hills and plains to avoid flooding. However, this planning could not avoid an even worse flooding in late November 2008, killing over 100 and thousands evacuated.
[edit] Climate
The climate of Blumenau is considered to be subtropical, a climate of transition between the predominantly tropical climate of Brazil and the predominantly temperate climate of Argentina.
Blumenau, like the whole state of Santa Catarina is located below the Tropic of Capricorn; therefore it is mild in the winter with temperatures averaging 16.6°C (61°F) and warm and humid in the summer with temperatures averaging around 30°C (87°F).
Below is a table with the average of temperatures of Blumenau:
[edit] Economy
The municipality's economy is based on industry, commerce, and tourism. The city is a major textile center of Brazil. The headquarters of Hering, Karsten and Laibel are located there. Recently, Blumenau has also become important in software development, with Senior Sistemas, WK Sistemas, and Benner as its main software employers. Another recent economic development is beer production, with the micro-brewery Eisenbahn.
The principal commercial streets are found in the central area, with XV de Novembro being the most important thoroughfare. Blumenau also has many shopping centers, with Neumarkt being the biggest, its tower easily visible against the city's skyline.
The most significant period for tourism is during Oktoberfest, a traditional Bavarian beer festival. Oktoberfest was created in 1984 after the second major flood to celebrate the resilience of its people. In 2008 there were 690,144 tickets sold, and 384,821 liters of beer were bought at its pavilions.
[edit] Divisions
Blumenau has 2 districts and 33 neighbourhoods:
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[edit] Landmark dates
- The city was owned by its founder for 32 years, until it was emancipated in March 18, 1882.
- Blumenau was Brazil's first city to have public electrical lights in the streets. They started working in February 19, 1909.
- The city was divided in 1934, creating four new towns: Gaspar, Indaial, Timbó, and Dalbérgia (later renamed Ibirama).
- Cinema began in Blumenau in 1900. Radio arrived in 1935, and television in 1969.
- Teatro Carlos Gomes, the city's main theatre, was opened to the public in 1939.
- In 1956 the city's first major church opened. It was later rebuilt in 1963, with the addition of a bell tower.
- The city's most famous landmark is Moellman's Castle, a replica of the city hall of the German town of Michelstadt. It was inaugurated in 1978.
- The city's new city hall was inaugurated in 1982.
- Blumenau's first shopping center opened in 1994.
[edit] Famous inhabitants
- Theo Balden, sculptor and writer;
- Fritz Müller, biologist;
- Vera Fischer, actress;
- Mariana Weickert, model;
- Ana Moser, volleyball player.
- Rafael Schmitz, Lille OSC football player.
- Tiago Splitter, Professional basketball player (San Antonio Spurs contracted)
- Emílio Henrique Baumgart, architect
- Hermann Blumenau, founder of the city
- Evandro Goebel, soccer player
- Christian Maicon Hening, soccer player
- Urda Alice Klueger, writer
- João Geraldo Kuhlmann, botanist
- Jean Carlo Witte, soccer player
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- City hall site
- Informational site for tourism and business people
- FURB - Universidade Regional de Blumenau, local university
- Oktoberfest/Blumenau (in Portuguese)
- German Genealogy: Brazil
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Blumenau |
Coordinates: 26°56′S 49°03′W / 26.933°S 49.05°W
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