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Joinville

Joinville, SC
Municipality
Downtown Joinville
Downtown Joinville
Official seal of Joinville, SC
Seal
Nickname(s): City of Princes - City of Flowers
Location of Joinville
Location of Joinville
Country  Brazil
Region South
State Santa Catarina
Mesoregion Norte Catarinense
Microregion Joinville
Founded March 9, 1851
Government
 • Mayor Udo Döhler () (PMDB) (January 1st 2013 - January 1st 2017)
Area
 • Total 1,130.878 km2 (436.634 sq mi)
Elevation 4 m (13 ft)
Population (2013)
 • Total 547,000
 • Density 484/km2 (1,250/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-3 (UTC-3)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-2 (UTC-2)
Postal Code 89200-000
Area code(s) +55 47
Website Official website

Joinville (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒõjˈvili], [ʒo.ĩˈvili] or [ʒwĩˈvili]) is the largest city in Santa Catarina State, in the Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitiba and Porto Alegre. Joinville is also a major industrial, financial and commerce center.

In 2014, the population of Joinville reached approximately 560,000 people, many of whom are of German and Italian descent. The metropolitan area is home to 1,212,997 residents according to the 2010 census by IBGE.

Owing to urban development and relatively good infrastructure, Joinville has become a major center for events and business conferences. The city has one of the highest standards of living in Latin America.

The first inhabitants in the region of Joinville were probably the Tupi people. Archeological indications and more than forty sambaquis (middens) found locally indicate human habitation as far back as 4800 BC. Although there are signs of agricultural activity, the principal elements in the diet at that time were apparently fish and shell-fish.

Joinville was founded on March 9, 1851, by German, Swiss and Norwegian immigrants.

Even though it is considered a German-Brazilian city, its name is French (Joinville was named after François d'Orléans, prince of Joinville, son of King Louis-Philippe of France, who married Princess Francisca of Brazil, in 1843). The city's former name was Colônia Dona Francisca (Lady Francisca Colony), but was changed to Joinville in 1851.


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