Blumenau
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- For other uses, see Blumenau (disambiguation).
Blumenau is a city in Santa Catarina state in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Otto Hermann Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well.
As of 2005, Blumenau had a estimated population of approximately 280,000 people, with an area of 510 km². The main ethnic groups of the city are German and Italian. The city itself retains many historical and cultural reminders of its past. For example: houses and constructions built in a German style, statues and memorials.
The city is located in a valley. Blumenau is surrounded by hills with forests and is cut by a river named Itajai. There are towers and tall buildings at the central area.
Blumenau has a high standard of living, with an HDI of 0.856 as of 2004. The crime rate is very low and the illiteracy rate is under 2.85%.
Its economy is based on tourism, commerce and industry, particularly textiles, being a major textile center of Brazil. The headquarters of Hering and Karsten are located in the city. Recently, Blumenau has also become important in the area of software.
The most significant period for tourism is during the Oktoberfest, a folklorical beer festival.
History
Famous inhabitants
- Theo Balden - sculptor and writer
- Fritz Müller - biologist
External links
- City hall site (http://www.blumenau.sc.gov.br/)
- Informational site for tourism and business people (http://www.blumenau.com.br/)
- FURB - Universidade Regional de Blumenau, local university (http://www.furb.br/)
- Oktoberfest/Blumenau (in Portuguese) (http://www.oktoberfestblumenau.com.br/)
- German Genealogy: Brazil (http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/WELT/brasil.html)de:Blumenau