Iguape is a municipality located into the Ribeira Valley in the southern portion of the state of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. The population is 30,989 (2020 estimate) in an area of , making it the largest municipality area in São Paulo state. The city was officially founded on December 3, 1538, and its historic constructions are classified as national heritage by the
IPHAN
The National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (, IPHAN) is a heritage register of the federal government of Brazil. It is responsible for the preservation of buildings, monuments, structures, objects and sites, as well as the register and ...
since 2009.
Its name has
tupi origins and its translation means "in the river cove", ''
'y'' (water/river), ''kûá'' (cove) and ''pe'' (in).
History
The extinct unclassified
Jaguanan language was formerly spoken by indigenous peoples in Iguape.
Because of its location, close to the limits established by the
Tordesillas Treaty, the Iguape region was the stage for constant disputes among Portuguese, Spanish, and French pirates who landed there in order to refill their vessels or to trade in their goods. The foundation of Iguape is sometimes attributed to Rui Garcia de Mosquera, a Spanish navigator and colonizer who established a good relationship with the Tupiniquin Indians.
In another unproved account, in 1498 a Spanish group landed in the region giving the name Iguape to a tiny village, in reference to a local Indian name for a common regional plant. Some years later, a French pirate vessel attacked Iguape and set fire to the village, destroying all official documentation. The veracity of those events is unknown, but there is no doubt that the first years of Iguape's history were strongly influenced by the presence of the Spanish.
Searching for gold
With the discovery of gold at the end of the 16th century, Iguape was increasingly visited by adventurers searching for gold along the rivers. In 1635, there already existed the so-called "Casa da Oficina Real", the first money producing institution in Brazil (today Iguape's local museum). The discovery of gold at Serra da Paranapiacaba, in the interior of
Vale do Ribeira
Vale do Ribeira is a region in the south of the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo and the northeast of the state of Paraná (state), Paraná, Brazil.
It contains a large part of the Ribeira de Iguape River valley, from which it takes its name ...
, intensified the navigation of the
Ribeira de Iguape River
The Ribeira de Iguape River (), or simply the Ribeira River (), is a river of Paraná (state), Paraná and São Paulo (state), São Paulo states in southeastern Brazil. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Iguape.
The river is home to several end ...
resulting in the formation of new villages such as Registro, Eldorado Paulista, Iporanga, Jacupiranga and Sete Barras.
Around 1780, the gold cycle had come to an end and many families left the region.
Rice farming
Nevertheless, since the beginning of the 18th century the fertile grounds of the Ribeira valley were converted into large rice plantations. The rice, of an excellent quality, was intensively commercialized in Iguape and from there exported to Europe.
From 1820 to 1900, Iguape experienced a period of great prosperity reaching its economic peak. Five rice factories were working day and night, filling on average 10 large vessels per week. Banks were financing the business, six newspapers were circulated in the city, and France maintained a permanent consulate in the city. The population was accustomed to attending shows from Europe.
At that time, Iguape was as important as Rio de Janeiro or Salvador.
An ecological disaster
Consequently, the city had no difficulties in obtaining the necessary resources for the construction of one of the biggest and most controversial hydraulic installations on the Brazilian coast: the "Valo Grande" channel.
Aside from rice, other products from the Ribeira valley were transported by boat to a river port on the shore of the Ribeira river, close to Iguape, and from there by donkeys or carts to the ocean harbor, where they were loaded into big ships. To facilitate and cheapen transport, Iguape obtained permission from emperor
D. Pedro II to build a 4 km long and 2 m wide channel, connecting the river port with the ocean port. The request was approved by D. Pedro and after hard work (by enslaved workers) the canal was concluded in 1855.
While meant to improve Iguape's economic conditions, the result was disastrous. The voluminous waters of the river, now with a shorter connection to the sea, washed away the sandy banks of the river, destroying both ports. Trade collapsed, resulting in rapid economic deterioration of the region. Most people had to leave Iguape, and those who decided to stay experienced serious difficulties, surviving by fishing and shrimping, much reduced in the coastal waters due to the large influx of fresh water.
Geography
Location
Iguape is situated on the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
coast, at the delta of the
Ribeira de Iguape River
The Ribeira de Iguape River (), or simply the Ribeira River (), is a river of Paraná (state), Paraná and São Paulo (state), São Paulo states in southeastern Brazil. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Iguape.
The river is home to several end ...
.
The municipality contains 86% of the
Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station
The Jureia-Itatins Ecological Station () is an ecological station (ESEC) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It fully protects a well-preserved area of Atlantic Forest and associated ecosystems along the coastal plain and mountains of the south ...
, a strictly protected area of well-preserved
Atlantic Forest created in 1986.
It contains the
Chauás Ecological Station, created in 1987.
It also contains the
Prelado State Park
The Prelado State Park () is a state park in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Location
The Prelado State Park is in the municipality of Iguape, São Paulo.
It has an area of .
It is in the Atlantic Forest biome.
The park is classed as IUCN prot ...
, created in 2006.
The state park is just west of the
Juréia Massif
The Jureia Massif () is an isolated group of mountains on the coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The mountains hold a well-preserved remnant of Atlantic Forest, and are contained in the fully protected Jureia-Itatins Ecological Station.
L ...
, an isolated group of mountains on the coast separated from the Serra dos Itatins by a sandy plain and the
Una do Prelado River
The Una do Prelado River () is a river in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Course
The Una do Prelado River is the largest in the Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station, a strictly protected area of well-preserved Atlantic Forest created in 1986.
It ...
.
Further east it contains 9% of the
Barra do Una Sustainable Development Reserve
The Barra do Una Sustainable Development Reserve () is a sustainable development reserve (RDS) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Location
The Barra do Una Sustainable Development Reserve is divided between the municipalities of Peruíbe (91. ...
, created in 2006.
These conservation units are all part of the
Juréia-Itatins Mosaic
The Jureia-Itatins Mosaic () is a protected area mosaic in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
It was created in 2006, suspended in 2009 and recreated in 2013. It includes strictly protected and sustainable use conservation units in a coastal area of ...
.
The municipality contains 45% of the
Guará Area of Relevant Ecological Interest
The Guará Area of Relevant Ecological Interest () is an area of relevant ecological interest in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Location
The Guará Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (ARIE) is divided between the municipalities of Iguape
...
, created in 2008.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Iguape has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(Cfa) that closely borders the
tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...
(Af). Summers are warm, humid and rainy, whilst winters are noticeably cooler and somewhat drier, although there is no true dry season. The mean temperature is and the mean annual rainfall is .
Media
In telecommunications, the city was served by
Telecomunicações de São Paulo.
In July 1998, this company was acquired by Telefónica, which adopted the
Vivo brand in 2012. The company is currently an operator of cell phones, fixed lines, internet (fiber optics/4G) and television (satellite and cable).
See also
*
List of municipalities in São Paulo
This is a list of the municipalities in the state of São Paulo (SP), located in the Southeast Region of Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countr ...
References
{{Authority control
Populated places established in 1538
Populated coastal places in São Paulo (state)
1538 establishments in the Portuguese Empire
Municipalities in São Paulo (state)