Geopolitics of Paraná
Located in the Southern Region of the country, Paranácomprises an area of 199,554 km2, which
corresponds to 2.3% of the total surface of Brazil, with a total of 399 installed municipalities (2009). The State has five natural zones: the Litoral (Coast), the Serra do Mar (Mountains), and the Primeiro, Segundo and Terceiro Planalto (First, Second and Third Plateaus), all of which reserve pleasant surprises in several tourist segments.
Paraná is sub-divided into two main hydrographical basins: the basins of the Paraná River and the river complex of the Atlantic drainage basin.
On the coast, which extends over 98 km, there is the Paranaguá bay with an area of 300 km2, one of the most important bays of southern Brazil, with the ports of Paranaguá and Antonina.
Average temperature in the State is 18.5ºC, and the climate is divided into two regimes: the tropical that dominates the North, West and Coast with average temperatures of 22° C, and the sub-tropical or tempered in the Central-South regions, with average temperatures that range from 10° C to 22ºC.
Financial indicators position the State as one of the largest producers of Brazil, participating with around 23% of national grains production, namely wheat, corn, beans, cotton, soybean, coffee, cassava, sugarcane and mate, in addition to poultry farming, pig farming, and cattle farming for milk and beef. In the industrial sector, highlights include the industries of agriculture, food, fertilizers, cement, electro-electronics and metal mechanics, and it is one of the main exporting states of the country, with a GDP of BRL 150,712 billion (IPARDES - 2007). Currently, the road network of the State of Paraná comprises 15,818.18 km of roads, of which 13,507.81 km are paved. In the energy sector, power capacity is approximately 18,000 MW generated in 118 enterprises.
With a population of 10,284 million inhabitants (IBGE - 2007), the State is predominantly formed by descendents of various ethnic groups, such as Polish, Italian, German, Ukrainian, Dutch, Spanish and Japanese immigrants that settled here and joined the indigenous populations, the Portuguese and the Black Africans, the three basic elements that formed the people and culture of the State of Paraná, for which the State became known as, “The Land of All People” (in Portuguese, "Terra de Todas as Gentes").
The State presents the greatest advancement in the HDI – Human Development Index, positioned among the top six states in the national scale. Paraná comprises the main cities of Curitiba, Londrina, Cascavel, Ponta Grossa, Maringá, Guarapuava and Foz do Iguaçu.
