Xanxerê

Xanxerê
City's central church
Nickname: 
Portuguese: Capital Estadual do Milho (The state capital of corn)
Location in Santa Catarina
Xanxerê
Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 26°52′37″S 52°24′14″W / 26.87694°S 52.40389°W / -26.87694; -52.40389
CountryBrazil
RegionSouth
State Santa Catarina
MesoregionWest of Santa Catarina
MicroregionXanxerê
Founded27 February 1954
Government
  MayorAdemiri 'Miri' Gasparini
Area
  Total
377.764 km2 (145.855 sq mi)
Elevation
800 m (2,600 ft)
Population
 (2020 )
  Total
51,642
  Density140/km2 (350/sq mi)
DemonymXanxerenses
Time zoneUTC-3 (UTC-3)
  Summer (DST)UTC-2 (UTC-2)
CEP postal code
89820-000
Area code49
HDI (2010) 0,775
WebsiteMunicipality official website

Xanxerê (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʃɐ̃.ʃeˈɾe]) is a city in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Italian and German are the mainstream cultures, having been brought by immigrants in the early 20th century through the migration of the "gauchos".

The city is one of the main production centers of maize in Brazil and serves as an important industrial, commercial and service center for western Santa Catarina. It is located in a key position for trades via Mercosul.

Xanxerê is the headquarters of the Association of Cities of Alto Irani (AMAI), composed of 17 "municípios".

On April 20, 2015, a destructive tornado hit the city. Many homes and businesses were severely damaged or destroyed, two people died, and another 120 were injured. The tornado was rated F3 on the Fujita Scale, according meteorologists. At least 2,600 homes were damaged or destroyed.