Joinville

Joinville
Municipality
Municipality of Joinville
From the top, clockwise: skyline of downtown Joinville, Memory Station, the National Museum of Immigration and Colonization, Rua das Palmeiras, and Holz Hotel
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  City of Princes, City of Flowers, Brazilian Manchester
Motto:  Mea Autem Brasiliæ Magnitudo
Location of Joinville
Country	Brazil
Region	South
State	Santa Catarina
Mesoregion	Norte Catarinense
Microregion	Joinville
Founded	9 March 1851
Named for	François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville
Government
• Mayor	Adriano Silva (2021–2024) (NOVO)
Area
• Total	1,131 km2 (437 sq mi)
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	616,317
• Density	540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-3 (UTC-3)
Postal Code	89200-000
Area code	+55 47
HDI (2010)	0.809 – very high[2]
Website	joinville.sc.gov.br

Joinville (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒoĩˈvil⁽ʲ⁾i] ^ⓘ) is the largest city in Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of 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, occupying the 21st national position. One study pointed to Joinville as the second best city to live in Brazil.^[3] Joinville holds the titles of "Brazilian Manchester", "City of Flowers", "City of the Princes", "City of Bicycles" and "City of Dance". It is known for hosting the Joinville Dance Festival (considered the largest dance festival in the world), as well as for having the only branch of the Bolshoi Ballet School outside Russia in the world.

In 2020, the population of Joinville was estimated at 597,658 people, many of whom are of Portuguese, German, Swiss, Norwegian and Italian descent. The metropolitan area is home to 1,340,997 residents according to the 2010 census by IBGE, thus, the most populous metropolitan region of the state of Santa Catarina.^[4]

Owing to urban development and relatively good infrastructure, Joinville has become a major center for events and business conferences. The city has one of the highest standards of living in Latin America.^[5]