Criciúma

Criciúma

Criciúma is a city in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. At 28°40′39″S 49°22′11″W / 28.67750°S 49.36972°W / -28.67750; -49.36972, it is located 180 km south of Florianópolis, the state capital and around 900 km south of São Paulo. The city is the center of Brazil's flooring and home materials industry, and is the second-largest such center in the world. The city was founded on January 6, 1880, by Italian immigrants. It has an approximate population of 213,000 inhabitants, and an area of 209.8 km². In April 2004, Criciúma was affected by a tropical cyclone, a phenomenon unheard of in recent South Atlantic history, which caused some damage. It is the Brazilian capital of coal and ceramic tiles, but also very strong in plastic, textiles (jeans), and chemicals.