Curitiba

For the plant genus, see Curitiba (plant). For the beetle genus, see Curitiba (beetle).

Curitiba
Municipality
Município de Curitiba
Municipality of Curitiba
Panoramic view of the city.
Tanguá Park
Barigui Park
Botanical Garden
24 Hour Street
Paço da Liberdade
Avenida Palace at 15 November Street
Oscar Niemeyer Museum
Flag of Curitiba
Flag
Official logo of Curitiba
Nickname(s): 
Cidade Modelo ("Model City"); Capital Ecológica do Brasil ("Ecological Capital of Brazil"); Cidade Verde ("Green City"); Capital das Araucárias ("Capital of Araucarias"); A Cidade da Névoa Eterna ("The City of Eternal Fog")
Motto(s): 
A Cidade da Gente (Our City; The People's City)
Location of Curitiba
Curitiba is located in Brazil
Curitiba
Curitiba
Curitiba is located in South America
Curitiba
Curitiba
Coordinates: 25°25′47″S 49°16′16″W / 25.42972°S 49.27111°W / -25.42972; -49.27111
Country Brazil
RegionSouth
State Paraná
Founded29 March 1693
Incorporated1842
Government
 • MayorRafael Greca (PSD)
Area
 • Municipality430.9 km2 (166.4 sq mi)
 • Urban
319.4 km2 (123.3 sq mi)
 • Metro
15,416.9 km2 (5,952 sq mi)
Elevation
934.6 m (3,066.3 ft)
Population
 (2022[1])
 • Municipality1,773,718 (8th)
 • Density4,062/km2 (10,523/sq mi)
 • Metro
3,559,366 (9th)
 • Metro density210.9/km2 (546.2/sq mi)
Demonymin Portuguese: curitibano/a[1]
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
 • Year2023
 • Total$77.8 billion[2]
Time zoneUTC-3 (UTC-3)
Postal code
80000-000 to 82999-999
Area code+55 (41)
HDI (2010)0.823 – very high[3]
Major airportAfonso Pena International Airport
Federal Highways
Websitecuritiba.pr.gov.br (in Portuguese)

Curitiba (Brazilian Portuguese: [kuɾiˈtʃibɐ]) is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Southern Brazil. The city's population was 1,773,718 as of 2022, making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region.[1] The Curitiba Metropolitan area comprises 29 municipalities with a total population of over 3,559,366,[4] making it the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the country.

The city sits on a plateau at 932 m (3,058 ft) above sea level. It is located west of the seaport of Paranaguá and is served by the Afonso Pena International and Bacacheri airports. Curitiba is an important cultural, political, and economic center in Latin America[5] and hosts the Federal University of Paraná, established in 1912.

In the 19th century, Curitiba's favorable location between cattle-breeding countryside and marketplaces led to a successful cattle trade and the city's first major expansion. Later, between 1850 and 1950, it grew due to logging and agricultural expansion in Paraná State (first Araucaria angustifolia logging, later mate and coffee cultivation and in the 1970s wheat, corn and soybean cultivation). In the 1850s, waves of European immigrants arrived in Curitiba, mainly Germans, Italians, Poles and Ukrainians, contributing to the city's economic and cultural development and richness in diversity.[6] Nowadays, only small numbers of immigrants arrive, primarily from Middle Eastern[7] and other South American countries.

Curitiba's biggest expansion occurred after the 1960s, with innovative urban planning that allowed the population to grow from some hundreds of thousands to more than a million people.[8] Curitiba's economy is based on industry and services and is the fourth largest in Brazil.[citation needed] Economic growth occurred in parallel to a substantial inward flow of Brazilians from other parts of the country, as approximately half of the city's population was not born in Curitiba.[9]

Curitiba is one of the few Brazilian cities with a very high Human Development Index (0.856) and in 2010 it was awarded the Global Sustainable City Award, given to cities and municipalities that excel in sustainable urban development.[10] According to US magazine Reader's Digest, Curitiba is the best "Brazilian Big City" in which to live.[11][12] Curitiba's crime rate is considered low by Brazilian standards and the city is considered one of the safest cities in Brazil for youth.[13] The city is also regarded as the best in which to invest in Brazil.[14] Curitiba was one of the host cities of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and again for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite its good social indicators, the city has a higher unemployment rate than other cities in the state.[15]

  1. ^ a b c "IBGE 2021" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 15 September 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  2. ^ "TelluBase—Brazil Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series)" (PDF). Tellusant. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Região Metropolitana de Curitiba cresce 10% em 12 anos, indica Censo". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 28 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Curitiba". Rnestrangeiros.com.br. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Tradições Culturais" (in Portuguese). Curitiba-parana.net. Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  7. ^ "A imigração árabe muçulmana em Curitiba" (in Portuguese). Etni-cidade. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  8. ^ "Dados do IBGE sobre Curitiba" (in Portuguese). IBGE. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Quase metade de Curitiba é dos "estrangeiros"" (in Portuguese). Bem Paraná. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  10. ^ "The Brazilian city Curitiba awarded the Globe Sustainable City Award 2010". globeforum.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Brazil Outsourcing: Curitiba Comes on Strong as 'Silicon Valley South'". Nearshore Americas. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Bestcitiestolivein.net". Bestcitiestolivein.net. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  13. ^ "As 10 capitais mais seguras para os jovens do Brasil". Planetasustentavel.abril.com.br. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  14. ^ "Curitiba é eleita a melhor cidade do Brasil pelo ranking Istoé/Austin Ratings – ISTOÉ DINHEIRO". Istoedinheiro.com.br. 18 September 2015. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Curitiba foi a segunda capital que mais demitiu em 2017". Archived from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2018.