Foz do Iguaçu
Encyclopedia
Foz do Iguaçu (ˈfɔs du iɡwaˈsu) is the 7th largest city in Paraná
state, Brazil, with a population of 255,900 inhabitants. It is located approximately 650 km (400 mi) west of Curitiba
, Parana's capital city, being the westernmost city in that state. The inhabitants of the city are known as iguaçuenses.
The Itaipu Dam produces about 20% of Brazil's electricity needs, and employs (directly and indirectly) about 5,000 Iguaçuenses.
Many Iguacuenses work in the neighboring city of Ciudad del Este
in Paraguay, which is a duty-free market. All trade between Brazil and Paraguay uses the Friendship Bridge
(called Ponte da Amizade in Brazil). Another bridge, the Fraternity Bridge
(Ponte da Fraternidade, or Ponte Tancredo Neves
, in Brazil), connects Foz do Iguaçu with its Argentine neighbor, Puerto Iguazú
. The Fraternity Bridge, however, is far less important than the Friendship Bridge. Recently, the Friendship Bridge has faced problems such as traffic congestion as well as protests and blockades.
The city is strategically positioned, due to its position in Mercosur
, and it is expected that its importance will increase following the formation of the UNASUR (Union of South American Nations).
Foz do Iguaçu has few industries apart from electrical energy generation; most are textile-related. Because of the importance of tourism, domestic and international crises can affect the city's economy by reducing tourist numbers and by bringing fewer consumers to Ciudad del Este
.
Until 1860, it was in Paraguayan territory, but given its defeat in the War of the Triple Alliance
, and big loses of territory to the winners, the falls passed to Brazilian control in the north side and Argentine control in the south side.
The region was almost uninhabited, and there was only a military colony until 1897, with the creation of a postal office in the region. Given the little attention of the political authorities, the region was very predated by foreigners, mainly Argentines.
In 1910, the colony's status was upgraded to the position of "vila" (town or village), named "Vila Iguazu", and, in 1914, to city. At that time, the city was known as Foz do Iguassu.
In 1916, Alberto Santos-Dumont
visited the region and, impressed with the beauties of the region, suggested more attention of the government to the area and asked for the appropriation of the land where currently is the Parque do Iguaçu (Iguazu Park). Until 1917, this region had an owner, Jezus Val. The state appropriated the land in the next year, and, in 1939, the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu was created.
In 1945, an agreement between the Brazilian Academy of Letters
and the Academy of Lisbon
changed the city name to Foz do Iguaçu.
The city experienced a big economical boom in the 1960s to the late 1980s, first with the construction of the Friendship Bridge, concluded in 1965, and the Itaipu Dam, finished in the beginning of the 1990s. However, the city suffered with the world economy's recession, that resulted in fewer tourists and fewer consumers of Ciudad del Este's imported goods.
In 2004, the city's economy started again to grow up, after a long time of recession.
On October 19, 2005, a proposal was made to adjust the city name to: Foz do Iguassu. The proposal was approved in a first debate and then rejected in a second debate, at the Town Hall (Câmara Municipal), by four votes for and eight against. The bill
was initiated by city councillor Djalma Pastorello, of the PSDB
. The purpose of the adjustment to the city name was to return the spelling to the original form, as at the foundation of the city in 1914. The change occurred due language reforms of 1945, which changed the orthography of Brazilian Portuguese; however, existing proper names were not obliged to change. Another reason for the proposed adjustment back to the original was that 146 of the 198 member countries of the United Nations do not have the "ç" character in their alphabets. The adjustment would therefore rationalise any search for the city in search engines, since Foz do Iguaçu's claim to fame world wide is due almost entirely to the falls, which are known as the Iguassu Falls. Djalma Pastorello felt that tourism to the city of Foz do Iguaçu would be improved greatly by a clarification of its association with the now-famous Iguassu Falls. However, he estimates that 70% of the city's population were against the name change because the local media anticipated the change and presented it in a distorted way, so that locals were unable to see that the intention was to benefit the population.
, Italians, Lebanese
, Paraguayans, Argentines
, Palestinians, French
, Swedes, Portuguese
and Ukrainians
.
The city has the second largest Chinese community in Brazil (approx. 55,000, and second only to São Paulo), and the third largest Islamic community.
The city is predominantly Roman Catholic but a relatively large minority of Muslims and Buddhists are represented in the city as well. The city itself has a large mosque and a Buddhist temple.
Fenartec is an annual event held in the city's convention centre commemorating the city's multicultural diversity, usually in May.
The climate of the city is generally hot or warm throughout the year, due to the relatively low altitude (standing only 173 m, 567 ft (172.8 m), above sea level).
Generally, the city is sunny during the year, but rain is fairly common during the spring and in the summer. The weather of the city, however, changes very constantly, because the region where the city stands is the zone where frequently three fronts meet. As consequence, it is not uncommon to see temperatures as high as 35°C (95°F) and in the summer as low as 8°C (46°F) in the city and, frequently, thunderstorms.
, to Paranaguá
, and also to the east by the Friendship Bridge to Ciudad del Este, and to the south to Puerto Iguazú by the Fraternity Bridge. Both the BR-277 and the Friendship Bridge are very busy roads, linking Paraguay to the Paranaguá's seaport.
The city is served by the Foz do Iguaçu/Cataratas International Airport
, in which 1,155,615 passengers transited in 2010.
act as commuter vehicles for people whose earnings are based in the informal economy (mainly smuggling). This worsens the traffic problems in the Friendship Bridge, where they act, and are claimed to increase the deficits of Brazilian commerce with smuggling and crime rates near the bridge.
As of 2004, the prefecture of the city decided that a major revitalization of "Avenida Brasil" (Brazil Avenue) was needed. Attracting many consumers from many different areas of the city and even from its neighbours Ciudad del Este and Puerto Iguazú, the avenue, wide enough only to support two cars side-by-side, is frequently used during business days, and even more in important holidays (Christmas
, Children's day, Easter
, Mother's day), with many cars competing for a parking space.
The revitalization proposals asks for removal of parking space, giving major attention to pedestrians. Also, the avenue would be wide enough only to support one car side-by-side. The project started at the end of 2004, and by 2006 was concluded. The avenue does not have a bus route, by municipal order.
and education
are two extremes in the city. Recently, in a survey, citizens declared that public education and transport (particular companies, although heavily subsidized) as the strongest points of the city.
Citizens gave emphasis to the effort that the prefecture is doing in transportation and daycare.
Foz do Iguaçu has a Human Development Index
of approximately ~0.890 (high).
rate of 95.5%, with most children attending public or private schools. Public education has been a priority of the municipality of the city and the government of the state of Paraná; however, most middle and upper-class families continue to send their children to particular elite schools.
The city has six colleges,Cesufoz, UDC, Uniamérica, Unifoz, Unioeste and Anglo-Americano Faculdades., approximately 30 private schools and approximately 120 public schools (including daycare and kindergarten schools).
In January 2010, the Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana
(UNILA) was founded.
exchange-rate depreciation in recent years, unemployment is about 15% and criminality rates are high. Approximately 20% of the population is living in poverty, a lot of them in slums along the Paraná River
. Crime rate is very low in the downtown core and in other areas of tourist interest. Figures for 2006 show Foz do Iguaçu recording 326 intentional homicides, a rate of 107 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The Brazilian Federal Police has increased its operations in the region for the last few decades, although its staff did not meet the local needs. This led to a moderate reduction of 45% in smuggled goods value between 1999 and 2004. Some locals blame the stronger law enforcement by the crisis and economic decline of the city. Meanwhile, Brazilian commercial laws have always allowed importing as long as the taxes were properly paid.
In 2004 and 2005, the Friendship Bridge
was blocked several times by smugglers and their suppliers, in protest against the Brazilian government's enforcement in area.
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
state, Brazil, with a population of 255,900 inhabitants. It is located approximately 650 km (400 mi) west of Curitiba
Curitiba
Curitiba is the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is the largest city with the biggest economy of both Paraná and southern Brazil. The population of Curitiba numbers approximately 1.75 million people and the latest GDP figures for the city surpass US$61 billion according to...
, Parana's capital city, being the westernmost city in that state. The inhabitants of the city are known as iguaçuenses.
Economy
The city is one of Brazil's most-frequented tourist destinations. Most tourists are Brazilians and Argentines, but Canadians, Americans, British, Germans, Italians, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese and Chinese tourists are also numerous. The city has about 100 hotels and inns. Its main attractions are:- Iguaçu Falls, which has a flow capacity equal to three times that of Niagara FallsNiagara FallsThe Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
. Part of the falls are on the Brazilian side. Others are on the Argentine side, including the "Garganta do Diabo" ("Devil's Throat" in Portuguese), the tallest of the falls, which is 97 m, 318 ft (96.9 m) high. - Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (Iguaçu National Park), in both Brazil and Argentina, where the falls are. It is protected by the IBAMAIbamaBrazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources is the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment's enforcement agency...
- Itaipu Dam, the second-largest generator of hydro-electric power in the world, in the Parana river, between Brazil and ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
- The Tríplice Fronteira (Triple Frontier) location where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. Each side has its own Marco (landmark)
- The Omar Ibn Al-Khattab mosque, the largest in Latin America
- The Bird Park (Parque das AvesParque das AvesParque das Aves is a privately owned zoo situated in Foz do Iguacu, Paraná State, Brazil, and it is near to Iguaçu Falls. Its exhibits comprise mainly birds as well as other animals and butterflies....
), which features a collection of wild birds, and the "Bosque Guaraní", the city's zooZooA zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
Many Iguacuenses work in the neighboring city of Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este is the second largest city in Paraguay and capital of Alto Paraná department, located at the Rio Paraná....
in Paraguay, which is a duty-free market. All trade between Brazil and Paraguay uses the Friendship Bridge
Friendship Bridge (Paraguay–Brazil)
The Friendship Bridge is an arch bridge connecting the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu and the Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este.-History and importance:...
(called Ponte da Amizade in Brazil). Another bridge, the Fraternity Bridge
Fraternity Bridge
The Tancredo Neves Bridge, better known as Fraternity Bridge connects the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu with the Argentine Puerto Iguazú, crossing over the Iguassu River....
(Ponte da Fraternidade, or Ponte Tancredo Neves
Tancredo Neves
Tancredo de Almeida Neves, SFO more commonly Tancredo Neves was a Brazilian politician. He was born in São João del Rey, in the state of Minas Gerais, of mostly Portuguese, but also Austrian descent and graduated in law. The Neves family name comes from an Azorean great great grandfather...
, in Brazil), connects Foz do Iguaçu with its Argentine neighbor, Puerto Iguazú
Puerto Iguazú
Puerto Iguazú is a frontier city in the province of Misiones, Argentina. With a population of 82.227 ,it is the fifth largest city in the Province, after Posadas, Oberá, Eldorado and San Vicente....
. The Fraternity Bridge, however, is far less important than the Friendship Bridge. Recently, the Friendship Bridge has faced problems such as traffic congestion as well as protests and blockades.
The city is strategically positioned, due to its position in Mercosur
Mercosur
Mercosur or Mercosul is an economic and political agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people,...
, and it is expected that its importance will increase following the formation of the UNASUR (Union of South American Nations).
Foz do Iguaçu has few industries apart from electrical energy generation; most are textile-related. Because of the importance of tourism, domestic and international crises can affect the city's economy by reducing tourist numbers and by bringing fewer consumers to Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este is the second largest city in Paraguay and capital of Alto Paraná department, located at the Rio Paraná....
.
History
In 1549, a Spanish explorer, Cabeza de Vaca, found the falls while trailing down the river. Very impressed, he named them "Quedas de Santa Maria". But later the name changed to Quedas del Iguazu; this name is a native name from the Guarani Indians who once lived there.Until 1860, it was in Paraguayan territory, but given its defeat in the War of the Triple Alliance
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
, and big loses of territory to the winners, the falls passed to Brazilian control in the north side and Argentine control in the south side.
The region was almost uninhabited, and there was only a military colony until 1897, with the creation of a postal office in the region. Given the little attention of the political authorities, the region was very predated by foreigners, mainly Argentines.
In 1910, the colony's status was upgraded to the position of "vila" (town or village), named "Vila Iguazu", and, in 1914, to city. At that time, the city was known as Foz do Iguassu.
In 1916, Alberto Santos-Dumont
Alberto Santos-Dumont
Alberto Santos-Dumont , was a Brazilian early pioneer of aviation. The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, Santos Dumont dedicated himself to science studies in Paris, France, where he spent most of his adult life....
visited the region and, impressed with the beauties of the region, suggested more attention of the government to the area and asked for the appropriation of the land where currently is the Parque do Iguaçu (Iguazu Park). Until 1917, this region had an owner, Jezus Val. The state appropriated the land in the next year, and, in 1939, the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu was created.
In 1945, an agreement between the Brazilian Academy of Letters
Academia Brasileira de Letras
Academia Brasileira de Letras is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of 40 writers and poets inspired by the Académie Française. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on December 15, 1896, with the statutes being...
and the Academy of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
changed the city name to Foz do Iguaçu.
The city experienced a big economical boom in the 1960s to the late 1980s, first with the construction of the Friendship Bridge, concluded in 1965, and the Itaipu Dam, finished in the beginning of the 1990s. However, the city suffered with the world economy's recession, that resulted in fewer tourists and fewer consumers of Ciudad del Este's imported goods.
In 2004, the city's economy started again to grow up, after a long time of recession.
On October 19, 2005, a proposal was made to adjust the city name to: Foz do Iguassu. The proposal was approved in a first debate and then rejected in a second debate, at the Town Hall (Câmara Municipal), by four votes for and eight against. The bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
was initiated by city councillor Djalma Pastorello, of the PSDB
Brazilian Social Democracy Party
The Brazilian Social Democracy Party is a centrist political party in Brazil. Originally a centre-left party at the time of its foundation, PSDB moved to the centre after Fernando Henrique Cardoso forged an alliance with the right-wing Liberal...
. The purpose of the adjustment to the city name was to return the spelling to the original form, as at the foundation of the city in 1914. The change occurred due language reforms of 1945, which changed the orthography of Brazilian Portuguese; however, existing proper names were not obliged to change. Another reason for the proposed adjustment back to the original was that 146 of the 198 member countries of the United Nations do not have the "ç" character in their alphabets. The adjustment would therefore rationalise any search for the city in search engines, since Foz do Iguaçu's claim to fame world wide is due almost entirely to the falls, which are known as the Iguassu Falls. Djalma Pastorello felt that tourism to the city of Foz do Iguaçu would be improved greatly by a clarification of its association with the now-famous Iguassu Falls. However, he estimates that 70% of the city's population were against the name change because the local media anticipated the change and presented it in a distorted way, so that locals were unable to see that the intention was to benefit the population.
Population
The city has a population of 255,900 inhabitants, whilst the Triplice Fronteira (Tri Frontier) region (Ciudad del Este, Hernandarias, Puerto Iguazú and the rural areas included within those municipalities) has a total of 820,000. The city is very heterogeneous, with many immigrant communities, such as: Arabs, Chinese, GermansGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Italians, Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Paraguayans, Argentines
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Palestinians, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Swedes, Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
.
The city has the second largest Chinese community in Brazil (approx. 55,000, and second only to São Paulo), and the third largest Islamic community.
The city is predominantly Roman Catholic but a relatively large minority of Muslims and Buddhists are represented in the city as well. The city itself has a large mosque and a Buddhist temple.
Fenartec is an annual event held in the city's convention centre commemorating the city's multicultural diversity, usually in May.
Climate
The climate of Foz do Iguaçu is sub-tropical, with two distinctive seasons; one humid and hot in the summer and another, dry and cold, in the winter. The city's annual average temperature is 23.8°C (74.8°F), but can be as high as 40°C (104°F) in the summer (highest) or as low as -5°C (23°F) in the winter (lowest). The average in the summer is 26.5°C (79.7°F)and in the winter 15.4°C (59.6°F).The climate of the city is generally hot or warm throughout the year, due to the relatively low altitude (standing only 173 m, 567 ft (172.8 m), above sea level).
Generally, the city is sunny during the year, but rain is fairly common during the spring and in the summer. The weather of the city, however, changes very constantly, because the region where the city stands is the zone where frequently three fronts meet. As consequence, it is not uncommon to see temperatures as high as 35°C (95°F) and in the summer as low as 8°C (46°F) in the city and, frequently, thunderstorms.
Transport
Foz do Iguaçu is connected to the east by the BR-277BR-277
BR-277 is a federal highway of Brazil, across the state of Paraná, between the town of Paranaguá and Foz do Iguacu....
, to Paranaguá
Paranaguá
Paranaguá is a city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is Paraná's oldest city.It is known for its excellent port facilities, being the sea port for Curitiba, the capital of Paraná....
, and also to the east by the Friendship Bridge to Ciudad del Este, and to the south to Puerto Iguazú by the Fraternity Bridge. Both the BR-277 and the Friendship Bridge are very busy roads, linking Paraguay to the Paranaguá's seaport.
The city is served by the Foz do Iguaçu/Cataratas International Airport
Foz do Iguaçu International Airport
Foz do Iguaçu/Cataratas International Airport , is the airport serving Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. It is named after the Iguazu Falls .It is operated by Infraero.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...
, in which 1,155,615 passengers transited in 2010.
Public transport
The city does not operate its own municipal transport networks, but instead licenses four private bus companies to operate services on its behalf. The bus fares are set by the municipality for all four companies. In 2003, the city initiated an integrated city fare and created a hub near the city centre. Now, most of the bus routes pass through this hub and passengers pay a standard fare within the city zone, which enables them to transfer routes, even when these may be operated by another company. The transport network extends to certain distant areas, such as the city's airport and the Iguazu Park, but not between the city and its neighbor Ciudad del Este, nor with Puerto Iguazú, which are serviced by other companies. These routes are not part of the integrated network, a situation reflected by higher fares.Informal transportation
Every day, hundreds of vansShare taxi
A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between taxis and conventional buses. These informal vehicles for hire are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled...
act as commuter vehicles for people whose earnings are based in the informal economy (mainly smuggling). This worsens the traffic problems in the Friendship Bridge, where they act, and are claimed to increase the deficits of Brazilian commerce with smuggling and crime rates near the bridge.
Avenida Brasil (Brazil Avenue)
Since Foz do Iguaçu's foundation, Brazil Avenue is the city's main road. While during its early years the street was primarily the military headquarters' location (now they are just in the right beginning of the Avenue), nowadays the street is a very active place where many retail stores are located. It is located at the downtown of the city and it is 5 km (3 mi) long (of which 3 km, 2 mi (3.2 km), is arterial road).As of 2004, the prefecture of the city decided that a major revitalization of "Avenida Brasil" (Brazil Avenue) was needed. Attracting many consumers from many different areas of the city and even from its neighbours Ciudad del Este and Puerto Iguazú, the avenue, wide enough only to support two cars side-by-side, is frequently used during business days, and even more in important holidays (Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, Children's day, Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, Mother's day), with many cars competing for a parking space.
The revitalization proposals asks for removal of parking space, giving major attention to pedestrians. Also, the avenue would be wide enough only to support one car side-by-side. The project started at the end of 2004, and by 2006 was concluded. The avenue does not have a bus route, by municipal order.
Social care and problems
HealthHealth
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
are two extremes in the city. Recently, in a survey, citizens declared that public education and transport (particular companies, although heavily subsidized) as the strongest points of the city.
Citizens gave emphasis to the effort that the prefecture is doing in transportation and daycare.
Foz do Iguaçu has a Human Development Index
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...
of approximately ~0.890 (high).
Education
The city has a literacyLiteracy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
rate of 95.5%, with most children attending public or private schools. Public education has been a priority of the municipality of the city and the government of the state of Paraná; however, most middle and upper-class families continue to send their children to particular elite schools.
The city has six colleges,Cesufoz, UDC, Uniamérica, Unifoz, Unioeste and Anglo-Americano Faculdades., approximately 30 private schools and approximately 120 public schools (including daycare and kindergarten schools).
In January 2010, the Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana
Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana
The Federal University of Latin American Integration is a unique project in the history of higher education in Latin America. Its vocation is to contribute to Latin American integration, with emphasis on Mercosur, through the humanistic knowledge, and scientific and technological cooperation among...
(UNILA) was founded.
Health
As most Brazilian cities, health care in Foz is either public or private. While the private system provides the city's middle and elite classes with a rather good, modern and reliable health care, the public system is completely efficient and sufficient to suit the demand of the lower income or very poor classes (which compose 40% of the city's population).Sanitation
Sanepar is responsible for water treatment, distribution and sewage. 98% of the population has access to clean water, and 90% to public sanitary services (sewer and/or garbage collection). Most of the sanitary problems in the city are over.Crime and unemployment
Because of economic depression and RealBrazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
exchange-rate depreciation in recent years, unemployment is about 15% and criminality rates are high. Approximately 20% of the population is living in poverty, a lot of them in slums along the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
. Crime rate is very low in the downtown core and in other areas of tourist interest. Figures for 2006 show Foz do Iguaçu recording 326 intentional homicides, a rate of 107 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The Brazilian Federal Police has increased its operations in the region for the last few decades, although its staff did not meet the local needs. This led to a moderate reduction of 45% in smuggled goods value between 1999 and 2004. Some locals blame the stronger law enforcement by the crisis and economic decline of the city. Meanwhile, Brazilian commercial laws have always allowed importing as long as the taxes were properly paid.
In 2004 and 2005, the Friendship Bridge
Friendship Bridge (Paraguay–Brazil)
The Friendship Bridge is an arch bridge connecting the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu and the Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este.-History and importance:...
was blocked several times by smugglers and their suppliers, in protest against the Brazilian government's enforcement in area.
See also
- Ciudad del EsteCiudad del EsteCiudad del Este is the second largest city in Paraguay and capital of Alto Paraná department, located at the Rio Paraná....
(A sister city of Foz do Iguaçu) - Puerto IguazúPuerto IguazúPuerto Iguazú is a frontier city in the province of Misiones, Argentina. With a population of 82.227 ,it is the fifth largest city in the Province, after Posadas, Oberá, Eldorado and San Vicente....
- Iguazu FallsIguazu FallsIguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River originates near the city of Curitiba. It flows...
- Itaipu Dam