Itajaí

City, eastern Santa Catarina estado (“state”), southern Brazil. It lies at the mouth of the Itajaí River, at 20 feet (6 m) above sea level. Founded in the mid-19th century by German and Italian colonists, Itajaí is now the commercial centre and Atlantic port for an agricultural region drained by the Itajaí River and its tributaries. Wrapping paper and cotton textiles are the principal