The ephemerality of the Federal Territory of Iguaçu and the heterogeneous occupation of the southern colonial valleys

Abstract

With the 80 years since the ephemeral existence of the Federal Territory of Iguaçu (1943-1946) developed by the Marcha para Oeste program (1937-1945) as an indication of the beginning of the colonization process of part of the southern Brazilian region, it is worth reflecting on the heterogeneity of these regions, borders of multiple scales. To analyze the evolution of national security policies, in national and international circumstances for the formation of this territory, the inductive-deductive method is used in territorial multiscalarity, regarding flexibility, durability and overlapping of territorialities, in the face of spatial discontinuity. The research is based on literature review and analysis of documentary sources to discuss and confirm the differentiated territorial implementation of the network of cities in the National Border Strip between the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and part of Rio Grande do Sul, especially regarding its territorial consolidation in the Southern Colonial Valleys section at the end of the 20^th century.

Keywords: national defense; march to the west; territorial planning.