São Pedro de Alcântara, Santa Catarina

São Pedro de Alcântara, Santa Catarina is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.

The municipality contains part of the Rio das Lontras Private Natural Heritage Reserve, a fully protected area of montane rainforest in the Atlantic Forest biome.

German influence
On the first day of March 1829 the first German speaking colony of the state of Santa Catarina was founded, receiving the Portuguese name of Colônia São Pedro de Alcântara, located not too far from the state's capital, Desterro, having its name changed in modern times to Florianópolis. Initially the colony did not experience great success when compared to other similar federal, state, or private enterprises, but with time it got incorporated into Florianópolis, a modern and thriving Brazilian metropolitan area. The state of Santa Catarina has a highest percentage of German descent people compared to all other Brazilian states; however, the state of Rio Grande do Sul, just south of it, has by far the highest number of German-Brazilians in total numbers, with around one quarter of its inhabitants speaking German, more often than not a dialect, at home or amongst locals.