The City

Foz do Iguaçu is a city in the state of Paraná, Brazil. With a population of approximately 264,000 inhabitants, as estimated by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) as of August 2017. The distance to state's capital is 643 kilometers. Its area is 617,701km², of which 61,200km² are in the urban perimeter.

According to an article published by Exame magazine in March 2014, it is the third most attractive to foreign tourists in this country, and the first of the southern region.
Known internationally by the magnificent Iguaçu Falls, one of the winners of the 7 Wonders of Nature, and for the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant, the second largest in the world in size and first in power generation, which in 1996 was considered one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The city has a delightful average annual temperature of 20.4ºW. The vegetation is the Atlantic forest. Our Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.751.

Overall, it comprises an urban area with more than 700 thousand inhabitants, To the west of the municipality runs the Paraná river, to the south the Iguaçu River, to the north is the Itaipu dam, and to the southeast the Iguaçu National Park, one of the last reserves of intact native forest that still exist in Paraná. In the southwest of Foz, the Iguaçu and Paraná Rivers unite forming the triple border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

Foz do Iguaçu's main sources of income are tourism, which also leverages trade and service provision in the region and generation of electricity. It is the third destination of foreign tourists in the country and the first of the southern region.

Foz do Iguaçu is known internationally for its attractions, which bring visitors from Brazil and the world. The most famous of these is the set of falls called Iguaçu Falls, in the Iguacu National Park (World Natural Heritage of Humanity overturned by UNESCO), the Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Plant (the largest hydroelectric dam in the world in annual energy production), the Three Borders , the mouth of the Rio Iguaçu at the Parana River (an area where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet), the International Bridge of Friendship (currency between Brazil and Paraguay) and Bridge of Fraternity (currency between Brazil and Argentina), the Bird Park (with approximately 900 birds of 150 species), among others.

Besides the traditional attractions of the city, another factor of attraction of tourists is the possibility of buying products with reduced prices in the neighbor City of the East. Throughout the year the flow of "sacoleiras" (as they are known, people who buy in bulk for resale in Brazil) crossing the Friendship Bridge just to buy, since usually overnight in Foz.

Another attraction offered by the neighboring cities is the possibility of getting to know the Argentine side of the Falls. In the vicinity, it is also possible to visit and play in casinos, an activity which is not allowed in Brazil.

Foz do Iguaçu has one of the largest hotel parks in Brazil, as well as the Cataratas International Airport, served by the leading national airlines and some international ones.

Besides the well-known tourist attractions, it has a great variety of restaurants, steakhouses, bars and nightclubs and two shopping malls.

Source: Foz do Iguaçu. In: The Free Encyclopedia Wikimedia, 2017.

Available in: < https: //https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foz_do_Iguaçu >.

Accessed on: 18.12. 2017.