Genealogy of Foz do Iguaçu and other Paraná State Cities

Foz do Iguaçu, the Brazilian city in the tri-junction, is the westernmost city in the Southerner state of Paraná. Local people get very nervous when people refer to the city as the end of the line; the place where Brazil ends; Brazil ends here and so on. But it is true. The Iguassu River ends here. The Brazilian Highway (BR) 277 that connects the Atlantic Ocean River Port of Paranaguá ends here. The State of Paraná began in the Port City of Paranaguá. In what today is known to us as the ‘Far East’ of the State. 

The state’s growth and conquest of the hinterland depended on a Westward March starting from the sea, up the Atlantic Mountain Range through the Araucaria-populated Vast Fields and plateau where Curitiba was founded. From Curitiba the march went on to Ponta Grossa and to Castro and finally to Guarapuava. All these cities sprang from horse and cattle-tending facilities that grew into military outposts and ended as villages. The late 1880s saw a military expedition depart Guarapuava and head West in search of the Foz or Mouth of the Iguassu River. The city of Foz do Iguaçu was born from that expedition. 

Genealogically speaking Foz do Iguaçu is the daughter of Guarapuava, that was born from Castro, that was born from Ponta Grossa, that was born from Curitiba that came from Paranaguá. Paranaguá, the first Paranaense city got its independence from the Province of São Paulo. In another words: Paranagua fathered Curitiba, Cutitiba fathered Ponta Grossa, who fathered Castro, who fathered Guarapuava who fathered Foz do Iguaçu. All of the 399 cities of the State of Paraná came from these original five.