Blumenau
Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in the South Region of Brazil. It is away from the state capital of Florianópolis. The city was founded by the German chemist and pharmacist Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau, who arrived on a boat via Itajaí-Açu River accompanied by seventeen other Germans. It has a cultural agenda focused on parties based on the daily life and habits of European immigrants, with emphasis on German heritage, including the second largest Oktoberfest in the world, which takes place during 17 days in October. History. The city was founded  September 2, 1850, by Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau and seventeen other German immigrants. Later arrivals include biologist and early proponent of Darwinian Evolution, Fritz Müller. The history of Blumenau is the result of the arrival of German immigrants who settled these fertile areas of the Atlantic Forest. Having an interest in the problems faced by European immigrants, in 1845 Hermann Blumenau reached an agreement with the Society for the Protection of German Emigrants to represent it and traveled to Brazil, aiming to create new German settlements and to check the situation of those that already existed. He traveled to Rio  Grande do Sul, and then to Santa Catarina, where he visited the German colony of São Pedro de Alcântara. Aware of comments about the Itajaí Valley, he explored it in detail, in association with his compatriot , since the aforementioned society was dissolved. After taking certain precautions, Hermann Blumenau headed for Germany, to seek immigrants. On September 2, 1850, Hermann Blumenau returned to the chosen area with the seventeen initial immigrants. Despite the floods, clashes with wild animals and even with the indigenous peoples, due to the work of German immigrants willing to migrate continuously in greater numbers, the settlement prospered . On February 4, 1880, the municipality of Blumenau was created, composed of about 13,000 residents. Demographics. , Blumenau had an estimated population of 361,855 people, with an area of 519 km (200 sq mi). The main ethnic origin of the city inhabitants are German and Italian. The city displays many historical and cultural reminders of their heritage, such as houses and other buildings built in traditional German styles, statues, and memorials. Blumenau, compared to other Brazilian cities, has a very high Human Development Index, 0.855 as of 2000. Geography. The city is located in a valley bisected by the Itajaí-Açu  River, surrounded by hills with forests. The lower areas, including towers and tall buildings in the city center, constantly suffer from the threat of floods. Blumenau's first recorded flood took place in the dawn on September 23, 1880. The worst 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 spread into the nearby hills and plains to avoid flooding. However, this planning could not avoid even worse flooding in late November 2008, that killed over 100 and  forced thousands to evacuate. Climate. The climate of Blumenau is considered to be subtropical, a climate of transition between the predominantly tropical climate of Brazil and the predominantly temperate climate of Argentina. Under the Köppen climate classification, the city has a warm, humid subtropical climate. Blumenau, like the entire state of Santa Catarina, is located south of the Tropic of Capricorn; therefore it is mild in the winter with temperatures averaging 16.6 °C (61 °F) and hot and humid in the summer with high temperatures averaging around 30 °C (87 °F). On July 23, 2013 the  downtown of the city got a snow-rain mix and higher neighborhoods had accumulating snow. Economy. Blumenau's main economic activity is still the textile industry, represented by large manufacturers such as Cia. Hering, Karsten and Teka. Another area that draws attention is that of information technology; the city is the headquarters of the so-called Brazilian Silicon Valley, and many software leaders in its segment, some of whom were born in Blusoft and Instituto Gene startup incubators. Blumenau is also known as a location for the manufacturing of metallurgic, mechanical, and electrical equipment. It has a strong economy, boosted  by strong trade, service, and tourism events, with exhibitions of international importance, which are generally held in "Vila Germânica" (German Villa Park). Additionally, a new but rapidly expanding market is the production of craft beer, such as Eisenbahn. Transport. Even though Blumenau has its own airport, normally passengers use scheduled flights operated from Ministro Victor Konder International Airport, located in the nearby municipality of Navegantes. Gol Airlines, Azul Brazilian Airlines, Latam, and Avianca offer for its passengers bus transfers between Navegantes and Blumenau at regular times. Tourism. The Blumenau's Tourism Department maintains four tour routes covering different aspects of  the city. Besides these, there's the festival of the municipality. Also, the Oktoberfest of Blumenau, held every October, attracts over a million tourists every year. Subdivisions. Blumenau has 35 neighbourhoods: Twin towns – sister cities. Blumenau is twinned with: