Blumenau (Brasilien)

Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in the South Region of Brazil. It is 130km away from the state capital of Florianópolis.HistoryThe city was founded on September 2, 1850, by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with seventeen German immigrants. Later arrivals include biologist and early proponent of Darwinian Evolution, Fritz Müller.Demographics, Blumenau had an estimated population of 302,000 people, with an area of 519 km² . 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 a traditional German style, statues, and memorials.Blumenau, compared to other Brazilian cities, has a very high standard of living, with a Human Development Index of 0.855 as of 2000.Ethnic compositionSource: IBGE 2000. ReligionIBGE. Census 2000.GeographyThe 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 an even worse flooding in late November 2008, that killed over 100 and forced thousands to evacuate.