São Francisco do Sul
São Francisco do Sul on the map of Santa Catarina
São Francisco do Sul is the third oldest inhabited settlement after the discovery of Brazil in 1500. It lies in the north of the state of Santa Catarina, in the north of the island of Ilha de São Francisco do Sul. It was founded in 1504, but only became independent in 1660 and after 1847 a town. In 2010, there were 42 569 inhabitants on an area of 540 km ². It is located on the Atlantic bay Baía da Babitonga at a height of 1-9 m above sea level.
Economy and Harbour
São Francisco do Sul has the fifth largest container port in Brazil and is adjacent to the ports of Itajaí and Rio Grande, the most important in southern Brazil. 70 % of the revenue of the village are produced here. The port is located on the island of Ilha de São Francisco do Sul, about 45 km from Joinville, 60 km from Jaragua do Sul and 160 kilometers away from Blumenau. The harbor is along with Itajaí as the main port of the State of Santa Catarina. It supplies the above mentioned places with goods and the resident textile and footwear industry shipped a large part of the export charge here. The depth of the access channel is 14 meters.
At five berths in 2010 a total of 726 ships were dispatched. Cargo turnover in the same period was 9.6 million tons. The port operations run in part by private companies. However, is the management of the harbor at the Administração do Porto de São Francisco do Sul. Except for container loading at the port handling and agricultural bulk silos with corresponding plays a role.
Tourism
Portuguese immigrants mainly from the Azores have built this place, which was provided with its 150 historic buildings under monument protection. Despite the busy harbor, the city has retained the character of a romantic resort resting along stretches along the banks of Babitongabucht. When in 1504 the French navigator Binôt Palmier de Gonneville went into the region at anchor, this meant the establishment of the oldest settlements of Santa Catarina. Lie in their field a total of 13 beaches, all on the nearby Atlantic Ocean. From the fortress Marechal Luz, which is situated on a hill overlooking the city, one has a panoramic view of the island Paz and the bay. The building was erected in 1909 on the ruins of the old Portuguese fort. In summer visit the city about 100,000 tourists.
Personalities
- Odilo Pedro Scherer Cardinal ( b. 1949 ), Archbishop of São Paulo