Joinville

Joinville (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˌʒoĩˈvili] ) is the largest city in Santa Catarina, in southern 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 center. The city has a very high human development index (0.809) among Brazilian municipalities, being 21st nationally, and has one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. One study pointed to Joinville as the second best city to live in Brazil. In 2020, the population of Joinville was estimated at 597,658 people, many of whom are of Portuguese, Polish, Austrian, German, Swiss, Czech, and Italian descent. The metropolitan area is home to 1,340,997 residents according to the 2010 census by IBGE, making it the most populous metropolitan region of the state of Santa Catarina. Owing to urban development and relatively good infrastructure, Joinville has become a major center for events and business conferences. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Joinville.