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Balneário Camboriú is a city and a major beach resort in the Brazilian southern state of Santa Catarina. The town, with its steep hills dropping down to the sea, is popular amongst South Americans. The main ocean boulevard is called Avenida Atlântica (Atlantic Avenue). Balneário Camboriú is famous for the cable car which (uniquely in the world) links the two beaches of Balneário Camboriú and Laranjeiras. The town is located 10 km (6.2 mi) south of the city of Itajaí and 80 km (50 mi) north of the state capital, Florianópolis, and has a population of 94,344 (2007 census office estimate), which swells to 700,000 in the summer.
Balneário Camboriú means "Golfo do Mar (Sea Gulf)", in an Amerindian language. Ilha das Cabras (Goats' Island) is directly opposite the city and is too small for inhabitation but is lit at night. Sailings from nearby Laranjeiras Beach take place aboard 17th century-style pirate ships and sail around the island before returning to Laranjeiras. The city also has a statue similar to the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) in Rio de Janeiro, called Cristo Luz, but the one in Balneário Camboriú portrays Jesus with a broad-brimmed hat on his shoulder, which houses a spotlight that shines out to sea. The Cristo Luz is lit at night as well, but with lights that change colours periodically. Another common sight in the city are paragliders that fly along the beach, alongside the tall buildings, from the gliderport in nearby Praia dos Amores, located 1 km (0.6 mi) to the north of the city. To the west the city is bordered by the Camboriú River, which meets the ocean at the southernmost limit of the central portion of the city, where the cable car (teleférico) mentioned above is located.
Human Development Index: 0,874 - VERY HIGH (2002)
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