Florianópolis (Portuguese pronunciation: [floɾiaˈnɔpolis]) is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina, in the South region of Brazil.

[14] The name Florianópolis is a tribute to Marshal Floriano Peixoto, the second President (1891–1894) of the Republic of the United States of Brazil and from Greek term polis, meaning "city".

Until 1893, the city was called Nossa Senhora do Desterro (Portuguese: [ˈnɔsɐ siˈɲɔɾɐ du desˈteʁu] or [dʒisˈteʁu]; lit.

The main ecoregion is the coastal Atlantic forest, the narrow strip of about 50–100 kilometers (31–62 miles) along the coast which covers about 20 percent of the region.

The municipality contains part of the 17,104 hectares (42,260 acres) offshore Marinha do Arvoredo Biological Reserve, a fully protected conservation unit established in 1990.

The park protects the sources of the Vargem do Braço, Cubatão and Una rivers, which supply most of the drinking water for greater Florianópolis and the south coast region.

The official settlement of the island began in 1673 with the arrival of bandeirante Francisco Dias Velho's agricultural company and it continued in 1678 with the construction of a chapel consecrated to Nossa Senhora do Desterro.

From this date on Vila do Desterro and mainly the port began to have a strategic function because it was situated halfway between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, possibly two of the largest seaside cities of South America at that time.

In 1823, during the monarchy which ended in 1889, Desterro became the Capital of Santa Catarina Province opening a period of prosperity with many urban works and also intense political organization.

The movement that started in Rio Grande do Sul spread to Santa Catarina and turned Desterro into the Federalist Capital of the Republic.

Possibly to show loyalty to the marshal, 1893 saw the change of the state capital's name: from Desterro to Florianópolis, that is to say, city of Floriano.

The small village of Santo António de Lisboa (Saint Anthony of Lisbon) is an example of colonial period architecture and in Ribeirão da Ilha, the oldest part of the capital, the inhabitants speak in an accent closer to the Azorean dialect of the first settlers.

Lagoa da Conceição, with its many sand dunes, restaurants and seaside night life and where women make lace to sell in the street, has also managed to retain many traces of its colonial architecture.

[40] In addition to its white sand beaches, Florianópolis offers many historical attractions, including the sites of the original Azorean colonists, the Lagoa da Conceição lagoon, and Santo Antônio de Lisboa.

Tourism in Florianópolis has grown significantly over the past 10 years, with increasing numbers of visitors coming from other large cities in Brazil (particularly Porto Alegre, Curitiba, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) as well as other South American countries (particularly Argentina, with direct flights offered daily from Buenos Aires).

The history of the region around the lagoon is a plus with all the folklore, netting tradition, old Portuguese architecture, graffiti, and an 18th-century church on the top of the hill (see panoramic view below).

Penguins swim into the canal and near the beach of Barra da Lagoa during the colder winter months of June, July and August.

It is not uncommon to see fishermen during the night tossing their nets in the lagoon to catch shrimp they sell to the fresh fish restaurants in this community.

With financial aid from the Brazilian federal government, tons of large rocks were dumped on the beach to prevent houses from destruction.

40 kilometres (25 mi) away from the centre of Florianópolis, another attraction of this beach are the primitive inscriptions made by hunters, fishermen and collectors inhabiting the Island five thousand years ago.

[48] Outdoor sports, including diving, hang gliding, rowing, paragliding, and mountain biking, as well as surfing, are common on the island.

Among these are the Palacio Cruz e Sousa, formerly the Governor's residence, now restored to house the Santa Catarina Museum, renamed in honour of João da Cruz e Sousa, homegrown poet, journalist and founder of Brazil's Symbolist movement; the Mercado Público de Florianópolis (Public Market since 1898), a colourful nexus of food vendors and local handicrafts in the shade of hundred-year-old fig trees.

Lifelong residents of Florianópolis, especially the older generation, retain the heritage left by immigrants from Portuguese islands from Azores, in the way they speak, in their artistry and craftwork and in a busy calendar of festivals.

[50] The Carijós Ecological Station was established by Decree Number 94656, of 20 July 1987, covering an area of 7.5933 square kilometres (2.9318 sq mi) in the municipality.

[53] It is one of the leading airports in Brazil for charter flights, especially during the summer months and from destinations such as Santiago, Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Córdoba, besides domestic routes.

The architectural design of the expansion was chosen by a public competition held by Infraero in partnership with the Brazilian Architects Institute (IAB).

Normally the projects for expansion and modernization of the 66 airports administered by Infraero are done by public tender based on the needs, criteria and conditions presented by the company's engineering area.

As an international bus terminal, residents and tourists alike use Rita Maria also to reach Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile.

Its stadium is the Aderbal Ramos da Silva, popularly known as Ressacada, located in the Carianos neighborhood, in the southern part of the island.

Since the beginning of 2008 the sport is watching a rapid growing in the number of rowers, even with people flocking from other cities to experience Floripa's rowing.