THE URBAN ON THE BORDERLAND: THE REALITY OF THE CITIES OF BARRACÃO/PR, DIONÍSIO CERQUEIRA/SC AND BERNARDO DE IRIGOYEN/MISIONES/ARG

Abstract

This study aims to highlight the particularities of the confluences of urban areas in border region. In the accomplishment of this work, one of the main points to emphasize was the promotion to the theoretical knowledge acquired during the discipline of Urban Geography ministered by Prof. Dr. César Miranda Mendes. The cities analyzed were Barracão, located in the extreme southwest of the state of Paraná; Dionísio Cerqueira, located in the northwestern portion of the state of Santa Catarina and Bernardo de Irigoyen, located northeast of the province of Misiones, Argentina. The three cities are conurbated, that is, they have the unified urban spot, but in relation to the historical factors were defined by the territorial disputes between Brazil and Argentina and between the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina. The field research was relevant for the understanding of characteristics that are particular to the visited localities. The organization of this article was based on theoretical reflection on the term frontier and its use in geography research, followed by a small history about the three cities and their current characteristics. Finally, other important points about the area will be presented and that have been seized in the field research, such as the CIF (Intermunicipal Border Consortium).