Joinville, Santa Catarina, South Region, Brazil

🇧🇷 Joinville is the largest city in Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitiba and Porto Alegre. Joinville is also a major industrial, financial and commerce centre.

The city has a very high human development index (0.809) among Brazilian municipalities, occupying the 21st national position. One study pointed to Joinville as the second best city to live in Brazil. Joinville holds the titles of "Brazilian Manchester", "City of Flowers", "City of the Princes", "City of Bicycles" and "City of Dance". It is known for hosting the Joinville Dance Festival (considered the largest dance festival in the world), as well as for having the only branch of the Bolshoi Ballet School outside Russia in the world.

Many of the population of Joinville are of Portuguese, German, Swiss, Norwegian and Italian descent. The metropolitan area is the most populous metropolitan region of the state of Santa Catarina.

Owing to urban development and relatively good infrastructure, Joinville has become a major centre for events and business conferences. The city has one of the highest standards of living in Latin America.

Economy Joinville's economy is based on industrial activities and commerce. The city is also the centre to some of Brazil's largest software companies such as Datasul , Logocenter, Microvix and SoftExpert.

Joinville is also home to numerous large corporations in Brazil such as Tupy, Tigre, Embraco, Döhler, Whirlpool, Wetzel, Busscar, Ciser, Schulz S/A.

The city has one of the highest standards of living in Brazil. Its industrial output is the third-largest in the Southern States of Brazil, after the large main cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba. Joinville is also the third most populous city in the southern region of Brazil, after the neighbouring state capitals of Curitiba and Porto Alegre.

General Motors opened a motors factory in Joinville in 2012. It plans to invest up to US$1 billion in the coming years in another plant next to its new plant and a full assembly line is in the works for the future.

The neighboring town of Araquari is home to a BMW car manufacturing plant; the headquarters of are in Joinville.

Education: Universities State and Federal: • UFSC - Federal University of Santa Catarina • IFSC - Federal Institute of Santa Catarina • UDESC - Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina.

Private: • ACE - Associação Catarinense de Ensino • FCJ - Faculdade Cenecista de Joinville • CATÓLICA - Centro Universitário - Católica de Santa Catarina  • IELUSC - Instituto Superior e Centro Educacional Luterano Bom Jesus • IESVILLE - Instituto de Ensino Superior de Joinville • INESA - Instituto de Ensino Superior Santo Antônio • SENAI - Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial • SOCIESC - Sociedade Educacional de Santa Catarina (pt Wikipedia) • UNIVILLE - Universidade da Região de Joinville.

Domestic airport Joinville-Lauro Carneiro de Loyola Airport (IATA code: JOI) is a minor airport in southern Brazil and serves only domestic flights. It is located 13 km (8.1 mi) from downtown.

Transport: Road The city is served by Harold Nielson Bus Station. It is run by Seinfra and has two floors and eighteen companies, with buses that make intercity and interstate journeys daily. Passenger traffic occurs twenty-four hours a day, with sale of tickets varying from company to company.

Joinville is 135 km (84 mi) away from Curitiba on the BR-101, and 184 km (114 mi) from Florianópolis, the state capital.