The entire colony (municipio) of Dona Francisca contains more than 30,000 inhabitants; the "Stadtplatz" about 6,000. In both, the inhabitants of Germanic origin form the great majority.
The colony of Brusque[30] was founded in 1860. Its early colonists were composed largely of former inhabitants of the Rheinland, Westphalia, Oldenburg and Baden. Next to Blumenau and Dona Francisca, Brusque is to-day the most important German colony in Santa Catharina.
In the territory not included in the "municipios" mentioned above, the larger part of the inhabitants of the following centers are of German descent: Angelina and Santa Thereza, both founded in 1853; Therezopolis, founded in 1860; Palhoça, Braço do Norte and Pedras Grandes.
Important numbers of Germans are located along the following rivers of Santa Catharina: Rio Itajahy do Sul; Rio das Tijucas; Rio Braço do Norte; and Rio Capivary.[31]
In point of numbers, Santa Catharina is next to the most important state in Brazil so far as German colonization is concerned.
RIO GRANDE DO SUL.
São Leopoldo, a state colony, was founded in 1824. The first settlers came from the Hunsrück section. To-day its population is estimated at more than 50,000, mostly of German descent.[32] We may designate São Leopoldo as the center of the "Deutschbrasilianerthum" of Rio Grande do Sul.
The state colonies of Tres Forquilhas and São Pedro de Alcantara das Torres were founded in 1826. The former was settled by German Protestants, the latter by German Catholics.
Santa Cruz, a state colony, was founded in 1849. Its first settlers were mainly from Pomerania and the Rheinland.