The main rivers that cross the municipality are Rio Pari, Lagoinha, das Almas, and Padre Souza. The climate is classified as tropical, hot and semi-moist. The average temperature in the coldest months is 18 °C and 23 °C to 30 °C in the hottest months. Most of the rain falls between December and March.
History
The site of the town was first inhabited by Europeans in 1740 by gold diggers looking for gold in the rivers. In 1911 the town was part of Jaraguá becoming a separate municipality in 1953.
Demographics
Population density: 16.83 inhabitants/km2 (2007)
Total population in 2007: 5,713
Total population in 1980: 9,427
Population growth rate: -0.31% for 1996/2007
Urban population: 4,189
Rural population: 1,524
Economy
The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, cattle raising, services, public administration, and small transformation industries.
Number of industrial establishments: 29
Number of retail establishments: 44
Banking establishments: Banco Itaú S.A.
Automobiles: 385
The cattle herd had 39,000 head in 2006 while the main crops cultivated were pineapple, rice (90 ha.), bananas, beans, manioc (200 ha.), corn (350 ha.), tomatoes, and soybeans (150 ha.)
The region attracts visitors to the river like Rio Padre Souza, which is eight kilometers from the city and is sought after by fishermen. Rio das Almas crosses Jaraguá and is used for swimming and fishing. Rio das Pedras is about 15 kilometers from the city and many people camp on its banks. The most beautiful site in the region is Cachoeira da Usina, which is 4 kilometers from the city on a ranch called Fazenda Gilberto de Castro. The waterfall is five meters high and there is a beach nearby.
Health and Education
The educational sector was small with 4 schools in 2006 and 1,709 students. The adult literacy rate was 82.3% (2000) (national average was 86.4%)
In the health sector there was 1 small hospital with 28 beds in 2007. The infant mortality rate was 20.94 (2000) (national average was 33.0)
São Francisco scores 0.782 on the Municipal Human Development Index, giving it a state ranking of 157 (out of 242 municipalities)
and a national ranking of 2.504 (out of 5,507 municipalities). For the complete list see frigoletto.com.br.