|
|
 |
| |
|
Home > Travel Central America > Central America Destinations > Blumenau
Blumenau
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is variably defined either as being a region of the Americas. Blumenau is a city in Santa Catarina state in southern Brazil which is located in Cental America. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Otto Hermann Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Muller migrated to Blumenau as well. As of 2006, Blumenau had an estimated population of approximately 300,000 people, with an area of 510 square kilometer. The main ethnic groups of the city are Germans and Italians. The city itself retains many historical and cultural reminders of its past, such as houses and other buildings built in a German style, statues and memorials.
The city is located in a valley, surrounded by hills with forests and bisected by the Itajai-Acu River. There are towers and tall buildings in the city center. The residential areas spread into the nearby hills and plains, and the lower areas, including the downtown, constantly suffer from the threat of floods. The worst floods 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 to avoid major flooding-related losses.
The municipality's economy is based on tourism, commerce and industry, particularly textiles, as the city is a major textile center of Brazil. The headquarters of Hering and Karsten are located in the city. 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 in Blumenau is beer production, with the micro-brewery Eisenbahn.
The most significant period for tourism is during October fest, a traditional Bavarian beer festival, which sold 365,288 tickets at its pavillions in 2005 at which 266,811 liters of beer were drunk. The record for public attendance was set in 1992, when over 1 million tickets were sold. Oktoberfest was created in 1984 after the second major flood, in an attempt to celebrate the resilience to its people, victims of many other floods during preceding century.
Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and gain enthusiasm in its natural beauty and populace. Central America enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers.
Back to Central America Destinations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|