Greater Curitiba facts for kids
The Greater Curitiba is a large urban area in Brazil. It includes the big city of Curitiba and many smaller towns around it. Think of it like a big family of cities and towns working together! This area is one of the largest in Southern Brazil, with over 3 million people living there. It covers a huge area of about 15,418 square kilometers, which is roughly the size of a small country.
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How Greater Curitiba Was Formed
Greater Curitiba was officially created in 1973. This was done to help all the cities and towns in the area work together better. Today, it includes 26 different municipalities, which are like local government areas or towns.
Cities in the Metropolitan Area
The main city is Curitiba, which is the capital. Other important towns and cities in the area include:
- Adrianópolis
- Agudos do Sul
- Almirante Tamandaré
- Araucária
- Balsa Nova
- Bocaiúva do Sul
- Campina Grande do Sul
- Campo Largo
- Campo Magro
- Cerro Azul
- Colombo
- Contenda
- Doutor Ulysses
- Fazenda Rio Grande
- Itaperuçu
- Lapa
- Mandirituba
- Pinhais
- Piraquara
- Quatro Barras
- Quitandinha
- Rio Branco do Sul
- São José dos Pinhais
- Tijucas do Sul
- Tunas do Paraná
Working Together: COMEC
In 1974, a special group called COMEC was created. COMEC stands for "Curitiba Metropolitan Area Coordination." Its job is to help plan and manage things that affect more than one city in the Greater Curitiba area.
What COMEC Does
COMEC helps with many important things, such as:
- Planning for how the area will grow and develop.
- Deciding how land can be used for homes, businesses, or parks.
- Making sure there are enough homes for everyone.
- Managing water supply for all the towns.
- Handling waste and recycling.
- Organizing public transportation between cities.
This way, all the towns can work together on big projects. It helps make sure everyone has what they need and that the area grows in a smart way.
Business and Industry
The Greater Curitiba area is a very important place for businesses and factories. It has a huge industrial park, which is a special area with many factories and companies. This park covers about 43 million square meters!
Major Companies in the Area
Many big companies from around the world have chosen to build their factories and offices here. Some of these well-known companies include:
- Audi (car manufacturer)
- VW (car manufacturer)
- Nissan (car manufacturer)
- Renault (car manufacturer)
- New Holland (farm machinery)
- Volvo (trucks and buses)
- Fiat (car manufacturer)
- ExxonMobil (oil and gas)
- Sadia (food products)
- Kraft Foods (food products)
- Esso (oil and gas)
- HSBC (bank)
- Siemens (technology and electronics)
These companies provide many jobs and help the economy of the region grow.
Transportation and Sports
Greater Curitiba is also home to important transportation hubs and sports facilities.
Afonso Pena International Airport
The main airport for the region is the Afonso Pena International Airport. It is located in the city of São José dos Pinhais, which is part of the metropolitan area. This airport connects Greater Curitiba to other parts of Brazil and the world.
Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba
For sports fans, the area has the Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba. This is a famous motorsports circuit where car and motorcycle races are held. It is located in the city of Pinhais.
