Curitiba
Capital of Paraná state, on the Curitiba River, southeast Brazil, situated on the Serra do Mar plateau at an altitude of 900 m/2,593 ft; population (2000) 1,587,300; metropolitan area (2005 est) 3,141,400. It is connected by rail to its seaport Paranaguá, 80 km/50 mi to the east. Curitiba is in the centre of a rich agricultural region which produces timber, coffee, yerba maté, and cereals. Industries include paper, textiles, chemicals, and furniture. Coffee, timber, and maté (a beverage) are exported. It has a cathedral (1893) modelled on the cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, and is the site of the Federal University of Paraná. The city was founded in 1648 as a gold-mining camp and made capital of the state in 1853.
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