Chapecó () is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of Brazil. Being a major industrial, financial and educational center, it is a major producer of industrialized food products. Considered a medium city, with a population estimated at 224,013 inhabitants, it is among the four most important cities in the state. It belongs to the Meso-region of Western Santa Catarina and to the Microregion of Chapecó. Distant 550 km from the state capital, Florianópolis, it is Headquarters of the Metropolitan Region of Chapecó, and exerts significant influence not only in the Catarinense West but also in the Northwest Rio Grande do Sul and Southwest of Paraná, from an economic, cultural, or political point of view. Chapecó became known worldwide through its association football club Chapecoense and the aftermath of LaMia Flight 2933 which killed 71, including most of the team's roster and staff. With the titles of "Brazil's agribusiness capital" and "Brazil's business tourism capital", the planned town constructed in the form of a chess grid also has universities attracting students from all over Brazil. The main educational institutions are UFFS, UCEFF, UNOCHAPECÓ, UNOESC and UDESC. History Until the 19th century, the area around Chapecó land was under indigenous (mainly Kaingang) and Spanish control, mostly unoccupied by European people and subject to border issues and armed conflicts. Brazilian control was in fact established as a military colony in 1882. Its official status as a municipality was established by state government decree after the Contestado War on August 25, 1917. Its area was then given to a private colonization company which began selling land to people coming mainly from the neighboring state of Rio Grande do Sul. Most of its inhabitants are descended from Italian, German and Polish immigrants. Demography The region has always been the subject of disputes because of its strategic importance as a border region. During the Contestado War, airplanes were used for the first time in the history of America for the purpose of recognition and support for war operations. Colonized by Italian and German immigrants, mainly from Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo and the coast of Santa Catarina, the city today attracts several inhabitants thanks to its development. It is one of the cities with the highest number (in percentage) of buildings in Santa Catarina. According to the IBGE, Chapecó has almost 16% of its population living in apartments,