Porto União is a city located in the Northern Plateau in the State of
Santa Catarina and on the left bank of
Iguazu River, bordering the city of
União da Vitória,
Paraná. In 2020, its population was estimated in 35,543 inhabitants.
History
The history of Porto União has always been intrinsically connected with the
Iguazu River and with what is considered its twin city
União da Vitória.
It all began in 1842 with the discovery of the 'Vau do Iguaçu' (literally meaning 'Iguazu Ford'), the best connection between the
South and the
Southeast Region, where the army troops and people from
Rio Grande do Sul known as 'tropeiros' used to cross the river with their oxen in order to sell them in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
and
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
. It was also an important stop point for those who used the river in transportation, receiving its first name: Porto da União (Harbour of Union). In a few years, the area rapidly developed.
The small village grew and in 1855 its name was changed to Porto União da Vitória. In the same year, immigration began with the influx of
Germans
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, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
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, pop4 = ...
,
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in C ...
,
Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...
,
Italians
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, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
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, region2 ...
,
Austrians
, pop = 8–8.5 million
, regions = 7,427,759
, region1 =
, pop1 = 684,184
, ref1 =
, region2 =
, pop2 = 345,620
, ref2 =
, region3 =
, pop3 = 197,990
, ref3 ...
and
Russians
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, population =
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118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate)
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. In 1901, its name again changed, this time to
União da Vitória.
In 1912, the
Contestado War
The Contestado War ( pt, Guerra do Contestado), broadly speaking, was a guerrilla war for land between settlers and landowners, the latter supported by the Brazilian state's police and military forces, that lasted from October 1912 to August 1916 ...
took place and on September 5, 1917 the municipality of Porto União was created.
In the 1950s, both cities, União da Vitória and Porto União, reach their economic and regional importance as the result the growth of the native wood market and of yerba mate.
Nowadays, the city, just like its twin, lives of the non-native wood market and tourism.
Porto União has a subtropical Cfa-like climate with hot summers and rainy months
References
Municipalities in Santa Catarina (state)
{{SantaCatarina-geo-stub