Santa Catarina - Brazil

 Santa Catarina is a Brazilian state in the south of the country. It's capital, Florianópolis, was one of the cities where WPD was celebrated with great joy by the Brazilian postcrossers. Luzia was one of them and she sent me this card with a few symbols of this state.

 

@terrabrasilispostcards

Santa Catarina culture was strongly influenced by European immigration to the region. The coast was populated by Azorean and Madeiran immigrants; the interior, by immigrants from continental Europe. The German and Italian languages are widely spoken in the interior of the state, and are even the official language of several municipalities in Santa Catarina.

Laelia purpurata is one of the official symbols of the State of Santa Catarina, in this case its Symbol Flower and the araponga was chosen as the state's symbol bird due to its metallic song that represents the working people. Deforestation and illegal capture threaten this species with extinction.