Foz do Iguaçu is the city with the largest frontier population in Brazil, with some 256,088 inhabitants, according to a 2010 IBGE census. It’s GDP is BRL 6.7 billion and the per capita GDP, BRL 20,613.46. It Gini coefficient, which gauges inequality in income distribution, is 0.45, better than the national average (0.56) and that of the state of Paraná (0.49).
It is ideally located on the tri-point border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, in the geographical center of Mercosur. Thanks to its strategic location, it is at the head of a new metropolitan region. Approximately 2 million people live within a 170 km radius of Foz do Iguaçu, considering the three countries. Of these, 1.2 million live in the western region of Paraná. Thus, it is an important destination for both national and international tourists.
Our City Iguassu
Attractions
The city is one of Brazil's most-frequented tourist destinations. Most tourists are Brazilians and Argentines.The city has about 100 hotels and inns. Its main attractions are:
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Iguaçu Falls, which has a flow capacity equal to three times that of Niagara Falls. Part of the falls are on the Brazilian side. Others are on the Argentine side. "Devil's Throat" ( "Garganta do Diabo" in Portuguese) is the tallest of the falls, which is 97 m (318 ft) high;
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Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (Iguaçu National Park), in both Brazil and Argentina, where the falls are. It is protected by theIBAMA;
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Itaipu Dam, the first-largest generator of hydro-electric power in the world, in the Parana river, between Brazil andParaguay;
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The Tríplice Fronteira (Triple Frontier) location where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. Each side has its own Marco(landmark);
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The Omar Ibn Al-Khattab mosque, the largest in Latin America;
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The Bird Park (Parque das Aves), which features a collection of wild birds, and the "Bosque Guaraní" the city's zoo.
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The Itaipu Dam produces about 20% of Brazil's electricity needs, and employs (directly and indirectly) about 5,000Iguaçuenses.
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Many Iguacuenses work in the neighboring city of Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, which is a duty-free market. All trade between Brazil and Paraguay uses the Friendship Bridge (called Ponte da Amizade in Brazil). Another bridge, the Fraternity Bridge (Ponte da Fraternidade, or Ponte Tancredo Neves, in Brazil), connects Foz do Iguaçu with its Argentine neighbor, Puerto Iguazú. The Fraternity Bridge, however, is far less important than the Friendship Bridge.