▁by ▁the ▁Trop ic ▁of ▁Cap ric orn , ▁Par an á ▁has ▁what ▁is ▁left ▁of ▁the ▁ara uc aria ▁forest , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁subt rop ical ▁for ests ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁At ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁Argentina ▁is ▁the ▁National ▁Park ▁of ▁I gu a çu , ▁considered ▁by ▁UN ES CO ▁as ▁a ▁World ▁Heritage ▁site . ▁At ▁only ▁ ▁from ▁there , ▁at ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁Par agu ay , ▁the ▁largest ▁dam ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁was ▁built , ▁the ▁H id ro el étr ica ▁de ▁It a ip u ▁( I ta ip u ▁H ydro elect ric ▁Dam ). ▁The ▁crime ▁rate ▁is ▁considered ▁low ▁by ▁Brazil ian ▁standards ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁developed ▁ones ▁in ▁the ▁nation , ▁ranking ▁ 4 th ▁in ▁gross ▁domestic ▁product , ▁only ▁behind ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁Rio ▁de ▁Janeiro , ▁São ▁Paulo ▁and ▁Min as ▁G era is . ▁ ▁History ▁Before ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁by ▁European ▁expl or ers , ▁ind igen ous ▁populations ▁inhab ited ▁the ▁region ▁for ▁thousands ▁of ▁years . ▁This ▁included ▁the ▁Car ij ó ▁in ▁the ▁lands ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁sea , ▁from ▁the ▁T up i ▁group , ▁and ▁the ▁Ca ing ang ues ▁in ▁the ▁interior , ▁who ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁J ê ▁group . ▁ ▁Col on isation ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁by ▁sett lers ▁started ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁but ▁was ▁mainly ▁conf ined ▁to ▁the ▁coast