"Land of all peoples" is how Paraná has been known since becoming a territory comprising more than 30 races.

Situated in the extreme south of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul remained well away from the ambitions of the European conquerors for more than a century following the discovery of Brazil in 1500.

With an area the size of Portugal and a population similar to that of Norway, the state of Santa Catarina is a land of contrasts.