Florianópolis
(also known by its nickname Floripa) is the capital city of Santa Catarina
State in southern Brazil. Situated in the island of Santa Catarina, the
city has a population of 406,564 inhabitants (2006/IBGE), and it is connected
to the mainland by two bridges (Colombo Sales and Pedro Ivo Campos). Florianópolis
has a landscape sprinkled with lagoons, sand dunes, small islands, and
breathtaking beaches all along the coast. Situated in a rich farming region,
the city is a commercial and cultural center. The Federal University of
Santa Catarina (1960) and the University for the Development of Santa
Catarina State (1966) are here. Tilapias; carps; the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus
mykiss; the white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei; the Pacific
oyster, Crassostrea gigas; and the brown mussel, Perna perna
are the main species produced through aquaculture in Santa Catarina. [To
learn more about Florianópolis, click here]
