s . ▁Being ▁a ▁region ▁mostly ▁abandoned ▁by ▁the ▁Portuguese , ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁expl ored ▁by ▁other ▁European ▁countries , ▁who ▁searched ▁primarily ▁for ▁P au ▁bras il . ▁The ▁most ▁not ew orth y ▁presence ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish , ▁which ▁brought ▁with ▁them ▁j es uits . ▁So on , ▁Jes uit ▁redu ctions ▁were ▁opened ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁and ▁south - western ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁state , ▁whose ▁territory ▁largely ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁crown . ▁In ▁ 1 5 5 4 , ▁Dom ingo ▁Martínez ▁de ▁I ral a ▁founded ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Ont iver os , ▁one ▁league ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Gu a í ra ▁F alls . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁settled ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁São ▁Paulo ▁coffee ▁industry . ▁The ▁south - e astern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁settled ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁migration ▁from ▁Rio ▁Grande ▁do ▁Sul . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁Par an á ▁is ▁bounded ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁by ▁São ▁Paulo ▁state , ▁on ▁the ▁east ▁by ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean , ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁by ▁Santa ▁Cat arina ▁state ▁and ▁the ▁M ision es ▁Province ▁of ▁Argentina , ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁by ▁M ato ▁Gros so ▁do ▁Sul ▁and ▁the ▁republic ▁of ▁Par agu ay , ▁with ▁the ▁Par an á ▁River ▁as ▁its ▁western ▁boundary ▁line . ▁ ▁The ▁state ▁can ▁be ▁separated ▁into ▁five ▁main ▁top ographic ▁areas ,