Chapecó facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chapecó
City
City of Chapecó
Downtown Chapecó
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Capital of the West, Chape, City of Chapecó
Location of Chapecó
Country	Brazil
Region	South
State	Santa Catarina
Founded	August 25, 1917
Area
• City	624.308 km2 (241.047 sq mi)
• Urban	113.24 km2 (43.72 sq mi)
• Metro	4,938.15 km2 (1,906.63 sq mi)
Elevation	674 m (2,211 ft)
Population  (2020)(metro pop IBGE/2010)
• City	224,013
• Density	329.64/km2 (853.8/sq mi)
• Urban	202,300
• Metro	403,458
• Metro density	81.7/km2 (212/sq mi)
	IBGE
Demonym(s)	Chapecoense
Time zone	UTC-3 (UTC-3)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-2 (UTC-2)
HDI (2000)	0.834
Website	www.chapeco.sc.gov.br

Chapecó (pronounced shah-peh-KOH) is a city in the state of Santa Catarina, located in the southern part of Brazil. It's a busy place, known for its industries, banks, and schools. The city is especially famous for making lots of processed food products.

Chapecó is considered a medium-sized city. About 224,013 people live there. It's one of the four most important cities in its state. The city is about 550 kilometers (340 miles) from Florianópolis, which is the capital city of Santa Catarina.

Chapecó is a very important city for the western part of Santa Catarina. It also has a big influence on nearby areas in Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná. This influence covers things like the economy, culture, and politics.

The city became known around the world because of its soccer team, Chapecoense. Sadly, it also became known due to a plane crash involving the team. This event, LaMia Flight 2933, tragically killed 71 people, including most of the team's players and staff.

Chapecó is often called "Brazil's agribusiness capital" because of its strong farming and food industry. It's also known as "Brazil's business tourism capital." The city was planned out like a chess board. It has several universities that attract students from all over Brazil. Some of the main universities are UFFS, UCEFF, UNOCHAPECÓ, UNOESC, and UDESC.

History of Chapecó: How the City Began

Until the 1800s, the land where Chapecó is now was mostly controlled by native groups, especially the Kaingang people. It was also claimed by Spain. Not many European people lived there, and there were often disagreements about the borders.

Brazil officially took control of the area by setting up a military base in 1882. Chapecó officially became a municipality (a type of city area) on August 25, 1917. This happened after a conflict called the Contestado War.

After this, a private company started selling land in the area. Many people moved there, mainly from the nearby state of Rio Grande do Sul. Most of the people living in Chapecó today are descendants of immigrants from Italy, Germany, and Poland.

People and Population in Chapecó

Buildings in the central part of the city in 2017

The Chapecó region has always been important because it's near the border. This led to some disagreements in the past. During the Contestado War, airplanes were used for the first time in the Americas. They helped with scouting and supporting military actions.

The city was settled by immigrants from Italian and German backgrounds. They came mostly from other parts of Brazil, like Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo, and the coast of Santa Catarina. Today, many people move to Chapecó because it is growing and developing.

Chapecó is one of the cities in Santa Catarina with a high percentage of people living in apartment buildings. According to the IBGE, almost 16% of its population lives in apartments. This is a higher percentage than in cities like Joinville, Itajaí, and Blumenau.

Economy: How Chapecó Makes Money

An image showing the city's growth.

This part of the state is home to some of the biggest companies that process and export meat. Companies like Sadia and Seara Foods are here. Farmers in the area work together in agricultural cooperatives (groups that help farmers).

Chapecó is known as Brazil's capital for farming and industry. It specializes in pork and poultry (chicken and other birds) products. It also uses advanced technology in these areas. The city is home to the Aurora Central Cooperative. The company BRF S.A. has had a factory here since 1973.

Other important parts of Chapecó's economy include:

• Making metal parts, especially for slaughterhouses and transportation.
• Producing plastics and packaging.
• Making furniture.
• Producing beverages (drinks).
• Developing software.
• Working with biotechnology.

Building new homes and businesses (called Civil construction) and trade (buying and selling goods) are also big sources of income for the city. Chapecó is served by the Serafin Enoss Bertaso Airport.

Culture and Sports in Chapecó

Sports: The Passion for Football

Football (soccer) is a huge passion for the people of Chapecó. The Chapecoense Football Association is the city's main team. Fans call them "Hurricane from the West," "Chape," or "Verdão" (which means "Big Green"). Their most recent title was the Campeonato Catarinense de Futebol de 2020 - Série A.

The team plays at Arena Condá, their home stadium. It can hold over 22,000 people and is located in the eastern part of the city. Chapecoense quickly moved up through the Brazilian football leagues. They reached the second division in 2013 and joined the top league, Serie A Brasileirão, in 2014. They became one of the best teams in South America. They reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 Copa Sudamericana and made it to the final of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana.

On November 29, 2016, the Chapecoense team and staff were on LaMia Flight 2933. They were traveling to play the first game of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana Finals against Atlético Nacional in Medellín, Colombia. The plane crashed in the mountains near the city. Seventy-one of the seventy-seven people on board died. This included almost all of the club's coaches and all but three players.

This tragic event caused a huge wave of sadness and support in the football world. Many tributes were paid to the club. Atlético Nacional asked that CONMEBOL, the football group for South America, give the 2016 title to Chapecoense. This request was granted.

Arena Condá, the stadium where Chapecoense plays.

Climate in Chapecó

Sister Cities: Chapecó's International Friends

Chapecó has special connections with other cities around the world. These are called sister cities or twin towns. They work together to share culture and ideas. Chapecó is twinned with:

• Asunción, Paraguay
• La Unión, Colombia
• Medellín, Colombia
• Ninghai, China
• Pergamino, Argentina

See also

In Spanish: Chapecó para niños