São Paulo

São Paulo, city in south-east Brazil, the largest city in Brazil and South America. The capital of São Paulo State, São Paulo is on a plateau of the Serra do Mar, at an elevation of about 823 m (2,700 ft), and is divided by the Tietê River. The city is one of the fastest-growing in the world; its population has increased more than tenfold since 1920. São Paulo is also the financial centre of Brazil and the headquarters for foreign banking operations, as well as the commercial centre for products (particularly coffee) brought from the interior and shipped from the nearby port of Santos. Among the many goods manufactured in São Paulo are motor vehicles, machinery, textiles, metal products, chemicals, processed food, pottery and china, household utensils, furniture, shoes, and hosiery.

The city has many skyscrapers in its business district, called the Triângulo, and is surrounded by residential suburbs on its outskirts, among them Jardim Europa, Jardim América, Cantareira, and Brooklyn. São Paulo is also an important educational and cultural centre. Among the more important institutions are the University of São Paulo (1934), the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (1946), and Mackenzie University (1952). Both the Modern Art Museum and the Municipal Library have outstanding collections. The Butantan Institute (1901) is internationally famous for its research on snakes and snakebite, and for the production of vaccines and serums.

São Paulo was founded by Jesuit priests from Portugal in 1554 on the site of a Native American settlement. During the 16th and 17th centuries it was a base for expeditions sent from Portugal to obtain slaves and precious minerals. In 1712 São Paulo became a city, but its economy remained agrarian until the 19th century. On September 7, 1822, São Paulo was the site of the proclamation of the independence of Brazil from Portugal. A cable railway was constructed in 1867, joining São Paulo to the seaport of Santos. Large scale coffee growing began in São Paulo State around 1885. As a result of improved transport in the 20th century and an extensive development of the coffee trade, the city gradually became the commercial centre of the region. Population 10,886,518 (2007 estimate).