Curitiba

Fog in the Botanical Garden

Curitiba has a typically humid subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cfb), with some characteristics of the oceanic climate due to its abundant precipitation all year round and the relatively warm, but not hot, summer. The city's mild winters, due to its low latitude, differentiate its climate from typically temperate ones.[21] It is located on a plateau and the flat terrain with flooded areas[22][23] contribute to its mild and damp winter, with an average minimum temperature of 9 °C (48 °F) in July. Temperatures can drop below 0 °C (32 °F) on the coldest days. Daytime temperatures in winter are usually pleasant, around 19 °C (66 °F). However, during cold snaps, daytime temperatures might not rise above 12 °C (54 °F), and on rare occasions, above 5 °C (41 °F).[24] During summertime, the average temperature is around 25 °C (77 °F) at daytime, but it can get above 30 °C (86 °F) on the hottest days. However, temperatures above 21 °C (70 °F) at night are rare.[25] Snowfall was experienced in 1889, 1892, 1912, 1928 (two days), 1942, 1955, 1957, 1962, 1975, 1988, 2013 and 2020.[26][27] Accumulation, however, is much rarer. It was last recorded in 1975.[28]

The terrain's flatness hinders water drainage after rain, therefore providing water vapor for the atmosphere. Cold fronts come year round, often from Antarctica and Argentina, bringing tropical storms in summer and cold winds and frost in the winter. They can move very quickly, with no more than one day between the start of the southern winds and the start of rain.[29] Curitiba's weather is also influenced by the dry air masses that dominate Brazil's midwest most of the year, bringing hot and dry weather, sometimes even in winter.[30]

Frost in Curitiba

Botanical gardens greenhouse in Curitiba

Curitiba is located in the area of the Ombrophilous Mixed Forest (also known as Araucaria moist forests), a sub-type of the Atlantic Forest. In Curitiba it is possible to find steppes, forests and other formations. The local vegetation consists of remnants of the Paraná (or Brazilian) pine (Araucaria angustifolia), which resisted the efforts of settlers. The Paraná pines are in private and public areas and are protected from logging. The Municipal Secretariat of the Environment maintains a botanical garden and three greenhouses that produce 150,000 native and exotic seedlings: 16,000 fruit trees, 260,000 flowers, foliage and underbrush specimens and the maintenance of another 350,000 seedlings.[37]

Curitiba's green area itself matches the size of other large Brazilian cities. The vegetation of Curitiba encompasses a large population of purple and yellow ipês (tabebuias), who flower at the end of winter. The yellow ipê is one of the city's most common tree.[38]

Panoramic view of Barigui Park.

Iguaçu River, running by the south region of the city

The catchment area of Curitiba consists of rivers and streams that cross the city in different directions, grouped in six river basins. The main rivers that form the city's watershed are: Atuba River, Belém River, Barigüi River, Passaúna River, Ribeirão dos Padilhas and the Iguaçu River, all with characteristics of dendritic drainage. Curitiba has been working since the 1970s on alternatives to minimize the negative impacts of urbanization on rivers. An example is the construction of parks along the rivers with artificial lakes, which absorb and retain water for longer periods of time, minimizing floods.[37] After many studies of local water flows, most rivers were found to be subject to a canalization process. Other alternatives developed to minimize the negative effects of urbanization are the implementation of programs for environmental education, inspection and monitoring, elaboration and application of legislation and infrastructure works.[37]

The Mountain Range of the Sea, "Serra do Mar"

The city covers 432.17 km² (166.86 sq mi) on the First Plateau of Paraná. Curitiba has a topography of smooth, rounded hills, giving it a relatively regular shape. The city has an average altitude of 934.6 m (3,066 ft) above sea level. The highest point is to the north at 1,021 m (3,350 ft), and with lower altitudes at 864 m (2,835 ft) to the south.

Mountain ranges and sets of rocky hills surround parts of the city, including the Serra do Mar, a hill range between the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and the First Plateau in Paraná.[39]

Brazilians of Ukrainian descent celebrating Easter in Curitiba

Old Polish house at João Paulo II park ("Pope John Paul II Park")

According to the 2010 IBGE Census, 1,678,965 people resided in the city of Curitiba.[44] The census revealed 1,381,938 White people (78.9%), 294,127 Pardo (Multiracial) people (16.8%), 49,978 Afro-Brazilian people (2.9%), 23,138 Asian people (1.4%), 2,693 Amerindian people (0.2%).[45]

In 2010, Curitiba was Brazil's 8th most populous city.[46]

In 2010, the city had 359,201 opposite-sex couples and 974 same-sex couples. The population of Curitiba was 52.3% female and 47.7% male.[45]

As with most of Southern Brazil's population, Curitiba is mostly inhabited by European descendants. The first Europeans to arrive were of Portuguese origin, during the 17th century. They intermarried with the native people and with the African slaves.[47]

Up until the 19th century, the inhabitants of the city of Curitiba were natives and mixed-race, Portuguese and Spanish immigrants. In 1808 foreigners were granted the right to ownership of land, and in 1853 Parana became an independent province, and these events resulted in a substantial number of immigrants from Europe.[18]

The first non-Iberian (Portuguese and Spaniard) immigrants to come to the city were German.[48]

The Memorial of Polish Immigration was inaugurated on 13 December 1980, after the visit of Pope John Paul II in June. Its area is 46,000 m² (500,000 sq ft) and was part of the former Candles plant. The seven wooden log houses are parts of this memorial area, as a memento of the Polish immigrants' struggles and faith. Objects like an old wagon, pipe of cabbage and a print of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa (patron saint of the Polish people), form parts of the memorial.[49] The first group of Poles arrived in Curitiba around 1871. Curitiba has the biggest colony of Polish immigrants in Brazil.

Italian immigrants started arriving in Brazil in 1875 and in Curitiba in 1878, coming mainly from the Veneto and Trento regions of Northern Italy. They settled mostly in the Santa Felicidade neighborhood, still a centre of the Italian community.[50]

Nearly 20,000 Ukrainian immigrants settled there between 1895 and 1897, consisting mostly of peasants from Galicia who immigrated to Brazil to become farmers. Around 300,000 Ukrainian-Brazilians live in Paraná.[51][52] The State of Paraná has the largest Ukrainian community and Slavic community.[53]

Curitiba has a Jewish community[54] that was originally established in the 1870s.[55] Much of the early Jewish congregation has been assimilated.[56] In 1937 with the rise of Nazi Germany, notable German Jewish academics migrated to Brazil, some settling in Curitiba.[57] Physicist César Lattes and former mayors Jaime Lerner[58] and Saul Raiz were Jewish. A Holocaust memorial is present in the city. The community centre, a Jewish school, a Chabad house (Beit Chabad),[59] a synagogue,[60] and two Jewish cemeteries are there,[61] one of which was defiled in 2004.[62]

Japanese immigrants began arriving in 1915, with a larger contingent arriving in 1924. Curitiba received a significant Japanese influx. They settled mostly between Paraná and São Paulo state. The city has the second largest Japanese community in Brazil, behind only São Paulo, according to IBGE. Although both cities have around the same proportion of Japanese descendants, other large cities in the interior of the state of Paraná, such as Maringá and Londrina, have an even higher rate. Some estimates suggest that more than 40,000 Japanese-Brazilians live in Curitiba.[63]

According to the 2010 Brazilian Census, most of the population (62.36%) is Roman Catholic, other religious groups include Protestants or evangelicals (24.03%), Spiritists (2.8%), Nones 6.71%, and people with other religions (3.69).[42][43]

• Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) – Federal University of Paraná – This federal university is the largest of Paraná, with more than 35.000 students. The first university of Brazil;
• Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR) – Federal Technologic University of Parana is the first university of technology from Brazil;
• Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Paraná – Paraná Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology;
• Universidade Positivo (UP) – Positivo University, private institution;
• Universidade Estadual do Paraná (UNESPAR) – State University of Paraná, which includes EMBAP (Paraná School of Fine Arts) and FAP (College of Arts of Paraná);
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR) – Pontifical Catholic University of Parana – A major private university;
• ESIC Business and Marketing School – International Website ESIC
• Centro Universitário Curitiba (UNICURITIBA) – University Center Curitiba, old Law School of Curitiba.[82]
• Centro Universitário Internacional (UNINTER)
• Fundação de Estudos Sociais do Paraná (FESPPR) – The First Economy Graduation in Paraná, since 1938

In the 1990s, the city started a project called Faróis do Saber ("Lighthouses of Knowledge"). These libraries are free educational centres that include libraries, free Internet access and other cultural resources. Libraries work with municipal schools, offering a collection of approximately 5000 books, and provide cultural reference and leisure.[83]

Among Brazilian capitals, Curitiba has the highest literacy rate,[84] and ranks number 1 in education among the Brazilian capitals.[85]

The capital of Paraná is an important gastronomic center in Brazil, and the typical foods of Curitiba tend be very different when compared to other common Brazilian dishes. The dishes of the local cuisine are a reflection of the history of the municipality and the typical foods. Curitiba's cuisine has mainly been influenced by Italian and German immigrants.[106]

Curitiba is the home of the largest restaurant in the Americas, and one of the world's largest restaurants, Restaurante Madalosso. Madalosso can feed more than 4,600 diners at a time in its 10 dining rooms, all named after Italian cities. Founded in 1963, the all-you-can-eat Madalosso focuses on family-style Italian cuisine: ravioli, lasagna, gnocchi, and salads rounded out with grilled meats.[107]

Egyptian Museum and Rosicrucianism

Curitiba was Brazil's first city to have an IMAX movie theatre.[108] Curitiba has many theaters. The largest and most important one is the Guaíra Theater.[109] Every year, in April, it hosts the Curitiba Theater Festival.

Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer designed the extravagant state museum of Curitiba. Its design includes a gravity-defying construction that was intended to look like a Paraná Pine, one of the city's symbols, but is widely interpreted by locals as an eye, which gave the Museum its nickname – Museu do Olho, or Museum of the Eye. In keeping with Curitiba's history and culture of science, the museum offers many science exhibitions, including biennial exhibitions. The Curitiba museum includes the Oscar Niemeyer auditorium.[110]

Tourism bus line in Curitiba

• Museu Paranaense ("Paranaense Museum") – dedicated to arts and history;
• Oscar Niemeyer Museum – the largest museum of South America,[111] dedicated to plastic arts;
• Museu de Arte Sacra ("Religious Art Museum") – the focus is Christian art;
• Museu do Expedicionário ("Museum of the Expeditionary") – dedicated to Brazilian participation in World War II;
• Museu de Arte Contemporânea ("Museum of Contemporary Art");
• Museu da Imagem e do Som ("Image and Sound Museum") – about cinema and photography;
• Museu Egípcio e Rosa Cruz ("Egyptian Museum and Rosicrucianism") - ancient Egypt antiquities
• Museu Metropolitano de Arte de Curitiba ("Metropolitan Museum of Art in Curitiba") – modern art;
• Museu de História Natural ("Natural History Museum") – biology and botany.
• Museu do Holocausto ("Holocaust Museum")[112]

Curitiba has yearly festivals related to arts, such as Curitiba Theatre Festival[113] and the Music Workshop of Curitiba.[114] Others celebrate immigrants festivals, such as the Grape Feast ("Festa da Uva"),[115] which is related to Italian immigrants, and the four Matsuri, related to Japanese immigrants.

The four Matsuri set in Curitiba are: Imin Matsuri (Japanese: 移民祭り, "Immigration Festival") which celebrates the arrival of Japanese immigrants in Brazil,[116][117] Haru Matsuri (Japanese: 春祭り, "Spring Festival") which celebrates the end of winter and coming of spring,[118] Hana Matsuri[119] (Japanese: 花祭り, "Flower Festival"), which celebrates the birth of Sakyamuni,[120] and Seto Matsuri ("Seto Festival"), in honor of Cláudio Seto,[121] comic artist, precursor of the manga in Brazil and idealist of the first Matsuri in Curitiba.

Curitiba also hold the famous Psycho Carnival,[122] a three-day festival that happens during the Brazilian Carnival, but devoted to psychobilly and rockabilly genres, attracting people from all over the world. In the same occasion the Zombie Walk also happens. The 2016 edition took more than 20,000 people to the streets.[123]

On 20–31 March 2006 the Convention on biodiversity took place in Pinhais (a city near Curitiba), addressing items of the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity adopted by 188 countries.[124]

Curitiba's public transportation consists entirely of buses. It opened the world's second bus rapid transit (BRT) system, Rede Integrada de Transporte, in 1974.[125] The popularity of Curitiba's BRT has effected a modal shift from automobile travel to bus travel. Based on 1991 traveler survey results, it was estimated that the introduction of the BRT had caused a reduction of about 27 million auto trips per year, annually saving about 27 million liters of fuel. In particular, 28 percent of BRT riders previously traveled by car. Compared to eight other Brazilian cities of its size, Curitiba uses about 30 percent less fuel per capita, resulting in one of the country's lowest rates of ambient air pollution. Some 1,100 buses make 12,500 trips every day, serving more than 1.3 million passengers, 50 times the number from 20 years ago. Eighty percent of travelers use the express or direct bus services. Curitibanos spend only about 10 percent of their income on transportation, far below the national average.[126]

The biggest bi-articulated bus in the world operating in the city.

Curitiba has in its transport fleet the largest bi-articulated bus in the world, with 28 meters in length and capacity for 250 passengers. The bus operates only with soy-based biofuel, which reduces pollutant emissions by 50%.[127]

The city government has been planning to introduce an underground metro for a number of years and in 2014 announced opened tenders for a 35-year public private partnership contract to build and operate a 17.6 km (10.9 mi), 14-station north–south line. The cost is estimated at 4.62 billion reais.[128]

Moving around in a car can be difficult in and around the city centre because of the many one-way streets and frequent traffic jams. The Trinary Road System allows quick access to the city centre for drivers. Some avenues are spacious and laid out in a grid. Apart from some points around the city centre, Munhoz da Rocha Street and Batel Avenue, traffic jams are not severe.[129]

Afonso Pena International Airport is Curitiba's main airport. It is located in the nearby city of São José dos Pinhais. All commercial flights operate from this airport.[130] It was evaluated as the best airport in Brazil according to the Ministry of Infrastructure of Brazil.[131]

The airport obtained the highest marks among all participants for queuing time at customs and the cordiality of customs officials; availability of sockets and seats in the departure lounge; quality of airport signage and vehicle parking facilities; availability and cleanliness of the toilets; general cleaning; airport thermal and acoustic comfort; quality of information on baggage claim conveyor panels, as well as availability of public transport to the airport.[131]

There is also the Bacacheri Airport, a smaller general aviation facility. It serves the handling of small and medium business aircraft.

Brazil's transportation and railway company, Rumo, has its headquarters in Curitiba.[132] Serra Verde Express provides a tourist train through scenic country[133] to Morretes and Paranaguá.[134]

Cable tram on XV November street

The city has 100 km (62 mi) of bike routes, used by around 30 thousand bikers daily. City streets carry almost one million vehicles, of which 2,253 are orange Taxis. To service these vehicles, more than 355 petrol stations serve the city.[135]

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Curitiba, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 72 min. 21% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 17 min, while 33% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 7 km, while 12% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.[136]

Curitiba is twinned with:[141]

Curitiba has cooperation agreements with:

• Lisbon, Portugal[144]

• Pierre Clostermann – World War II French pilot, engineer
• Egon Albrecht – World War II German flying ace

• Sérgio Moro – Politician

• Newton da Costa – mathematician
• José Hauer - electrical engineer
• Alex Kipman – scientist
• Ned Kock – systems scientist
• César Lattes – physicist
• Ricardo Ramina – physician

Chess

• Jaime Sunye Neto, chess Grandmaster

Football

Mixed martial arts

• Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino
• Bruno Pucci
• Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
• Murilo "Ninja" Rua
• Wanderlei Silva
• Anderson Silva

Motorsports

• Enrique Bernoldi – Formula One driver – IndyCar driver
• Raul Boesel – Formula One driver, IndyCar driver, 1987 World Sportscar Championship champion
• Marco Campos – racing driver
• Pietro Fantin – racing driver
• Augusto Farfus – DTM driver for BMW
• Lico Kaesemodel – racing driver
• Tarso Marques – Formula One driver
• Diego Nunes – racing driver
• Sérgio Paese – racing driver
• Edson Reis – racing driver
• Nilton Rossoni – racing driver
• Leonardo de Souza – racing driver
• Ricardo Zonta – Formula One driver, 1998 FIA GT Championship champion

Basketball

• Rolando Ferreira – (Gold medalist at the 1987 Pan American Games), former Portland Trail Blazers player

Beach volleyball

• Emanuel Rego (gold medalist in 2004 Olympics, bronze in 2008 Olympics and silver in 2012 Olympics)
• Agatha Bednarczuk (silver medalist in 2016 Olympics)

Horse racing

• João Moreira – jockey

Poker

• Alexandre Gomes (WSOP and WPT world champion 2008–2009)

Skateboarding

• Gui Khury

Swimming

• Henrique Rodrigues
• Fernanda de Goeij

• Jaime Lerner
• João Batista Vilanova Artigas

• Abraskadabra - Ska punk band
• Alfredo Andersen – Norwegian painter and sculptor[145]
• Alexandre Slaviero – actor
• Andrade Muricy – composer and musical and literary critic[146]
• Dalton Trevisan – writer
• Dinho Ouro Preto – rock musician
• Emílio de Meneses – poet and journalist, "immortal" of the Brazilian Academy of Letters[147]
• Fernanda Machado – actress
• Florian Essenfelder – piano maker
• Francisco Lachowski – super model
• Guido Viaro – Italian painter and teacher[148]
• Guilherme Weber – actor
• Guta Stresser – actress
• Icarius De Menezes – creative director
• Isabeli Fontana – super model
• Isadora Ribeiro – actress
• Ary Fontoura – brazilian actor, writer and blogger
• Ewandro Stenzowski – operatic tenor
• Katiuscia Canoro – actress
• Luís Melo – actor
• Luiz Carlos Alborghetti – TV host
• Marjorie Estiano – actress and singer
• Henrique de Curitiba – composer
• Marcelo Madureira – brazilian comedian, part of the Casseta & Planeta.
• Simone Spoladore – actress
• Tasso da Silveira – poet, journalist, deputy and professor[149]