Paranaguá

Paranaguá

Paranaguá (Tupi, 'Great Round Sea') is a city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is Paraná's oldest city. It is known for the Port of Paranaguá, which serves as both the sea link for Curitiba, 110 kilometres (68 mi) to the west and the capital of Paraná, and as one of the largest ports of Brazil.[4] As of 2020, the city has an estimated population of 156,174 and a population density of 169.92 persons per km², making it the tenth most populated city in the state of Paraná. The total area of the city is 826.674 km2 (319.18 sq mi).[3] Paranaguá was home to a sambaqui, or midden culture, for several millennia prior to the arrival of the Portuguese. Little is known of the population, which existed along the coast of Paraná. The area was later home to the Carijó people, an extinct subgroup of the Guaraní people. Portuguese explorers captured the Carijó for slave labor. Over time, the remaining Carijó intermarried with whites and African residents and formed the Caiçaras subgroup.[5]