Considered the capital of the extreme west of Santa Catarina, it is the largest city in the state of Santa Catarina close to the border with Argentina, polarizing important health, security and education bodies and institutions. It is widely used as a stopping point for Argentine, Paraguayan and CHilean tourists visiting the beaches of Santa Catarina or by Brazilians on their way to the Iguazu Falls.
The city was founded on 15 February 1954 by immigrants from the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, descendants of Italian and German. The name of the city is a blend of its patron saint, São Miguel Arcanjo, and the name of the district that led the city, West Village (Vila Oeste).