São Paulo
2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central and South America; Cities
| City of São Paulo | |||
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| Nickname(s): Terra da Garoa (Land of Drizzle) and Sampa | |||
| Motto: "Non ducor, duco" (Latin) "I am not led, I lead" |
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Brazil |
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| Region | Southeast | ||
| State |  São Paulo |
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| Founded | January 1554 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Gilberto Kassab ( Democrats) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 1,522.989 km² (588 sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 8,051 km² (3,108.5 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 760 m (2,493.4 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 10,886,518 | ||
| - Density | 7,233/km² (18,733.4/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 19,977,506 | ||
| - Metro Density | 2,277/km² (5,897.4/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-3 ( UTC-3) | ||
| - Summer ( DST) | UTC-2 ( UTC-2) | ||
| HDI (2000) | 0.841 – high | ||
| Website: São Paulo City | |||
São Paulo ( [sɐ̃ʊ̯̃ ˈpaʊ̯lʊ] ) is the capital of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The city is the largest in Brazil and first in South America by population. It is located in the South East of the country. It is also the richest city of Brazil. The name means Saint Paul in Portuguese.
The city has an area of 1,523 square kilometres (588 sq mi) and a population of 10,886,518, which makes it the most populous in Brazil, in South America and in the southern hemisphere. Greater São Paulo, which includes adjacent municipalities, has a population close to 20 million, making it the second largest in the Americas, and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.
People from the city of São Paulo are known as paulistanos, while paulistas designates anyone from the whole of São Paulo state, including the paulistanos. The city's Latin motto is Non ducor, duco, which translates as "I am not led, I lead". A famous nickname for the city is "Sampa". São Paulo is also known for its unreliable weather, the sheer size of its helicopter fleet, architecture and multitude of skyscrapers. The São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport connects São Paulo with many Brazilian cities and also operates international flights.
History
Jesuit missionaries Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta founded the village of São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga on January 25, 1554. Along with their entourage, they established a mission named Colégio de São Paulo de Piratininga aimed at converting the Tupi-Guarani indigenous Brazilians to the Catholic religion. Located just beyond the Serra do Mar cliffs, overlooking the port city of Santos, and close to the Tietê River, the new settlement became the natural entrance from the South East coast to the vast and fertile plateau to the West that would eventually become the State of São Paulo.
São Paulo officially became a city in 1711. In the 19th century, it experienced a flourishing economic prosperity, brought about chiefly through coffee exports, which were shipped abroad from the port of the neighbouring city of Santos. After the abolition of slavery in 1888, and in an effort to "bleach the race," as the Brazilian authorities worried Brazil would turn into a "black country," waves of immigrants from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany and many other European countries emigrated to São Paulo in order to, among other reasons, work at the enormous coffee plantations established in the State. At the beginning of the 20th century, the coffee cycle had already plummeted due to, among other factors, a sharp decline in international coffee prices. The local entrepreneurs then started investing in the industrial development of São Paulo, attracting new contingents of overseas immigrants to the city, mainly Italians. In addition to Europeans, Japanese and Syrian and Lebanese immigrants arrived in large numbers in the first half of the 20th century. Along the 20th century, the booming economy of the city also attracted huge waves of migrants from the poorest regions in Brazil, such as the Northeast.
However, due to competition with many other Brazilian cities, which sometimes offer tax advantages for companies to build manufacturing plants in situ, São Paulo's main economic activities have gradually left its industrial profile in favour of the services industry in the late 20th century. The city is home to a large number of local and international banking offices, law firms, multinational companies and consumer services.
Despite its many woes, São Paulo remains the business hub of Latin America. Having prospered first with the coffee industry, and later with industrialisation, in the early 21st century it expanded into the tertiary, or services sector. Its huge market (nearly 20 million people in greater São Paulo) is a magnet for multinationals. Thanks to events such as the Feira Bienal Internacional de Arte, and its reputation for hosting cutting-edge music concerts, it has become something of a cultural centre as well. Economic growth and exportation of goods has lifted employment and wages. The murder rate has dropped by almost a quarter since its peak. The historic centre profited with the return of the city’s government and the arrival of private universities, although businesses continue to move out to new boom districts such as Itaim and Berrini. São Paulo also claims to attract more visitors (mostly, but no longer exclusively, on business) than Rio de Janeiro, testimony of the intense rivalry between the two Brazilian metropolises.
Law and government
In light of its economic and demographic weight, São Paulo has always played a pivotal role in Brazilian politics. With a constituency larger than that of many Brazilian states, the mayor's office is viewed by politicians as a springboard for state and national-level offices.
São Paulo's most recent mayors were:
| Mayor | Entry in | Left Office in | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilberto Kassab | 2006 | - | Democratas |
| José Serra | 2005 | 2006 | PSDB |
| Marta Suplicy | 2001 | 2004 | PT |
| Celso Pitta | 1997 | 2000 | PPB, later PTN |
| Paulo Maluf | 1993 | 1996 | PPB (PP) |
| Luiza Erundina | 1989 | 1992 | PT |
| Jânio Quadros | 1986 | 1988 | PTB |
| Mário Covas | 1983 | 1985 | PMDB |
Geography
Physical setting
São Paulo is located on a plateau that is part of the Serra do Mar (Portuguese for "Sea Range"), itself a component of the vast region known as the Brazilian Highlands, with an average elevation of around 800 metres (2,625 ft) above sea level - though at a distance of only about 70 kilometers (43 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean. This distance is covered by two highways, the Anchieta and the Imigrantes, (see "Transportation" section below) that roll down the range, leading to the portuary city of Santos and the beach resort of Guarujá. Rolling terrain prevails within the urbanized areas of São Paulo but in the North of the city - where the Serra da Cantareira Range boasts higher elevations and a sizable remnant of the Atlantic Rain Forest. The entire region is very stable tectonically, and no significant seismic activity has ever been recorded.
The Tietê River was once a source of fresh water and leisure for São Paulo. However, in the latter half of the 20th century, it became grossly polluted by raw sewage and industrial effluents, much like its tributary the Pinheiros River. However, a substantial clean-up program for both rivers are in the pipeline, financed by international development banks such as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Neither river is navigable in the stretch that flows through the city, however water transport becomes increasingly important on the river Tietê further downstream (towards South, near river Paraná), as the river is part of the River Plate basin.
There are no large natural lakes in the region, but the Guarapiranga and Billings reservoirs in the outskirts of São Paulo are used for power generation, water storage, and leisure activities such as sailing.
The original flora consisted mainly of a great variety of broadleaf evergreens. Today, non-native species are common, as the mild climate and abundant rainfall permit a multitude of tropical, subtropical and temperate plants to be cultivated, with eucalyptus being especially ubiquitous.
Climate
| Climate chart for São Paulo | |||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
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239
27
18
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218
28
18
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160
27
18
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76
25
16
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74
23
13
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56
22
12
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43
22
12
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38
23
13
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81
24
14
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124
24
15
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145
26
16
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201
26
17
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| temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: Canal do Tempo |
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Imperial conversion
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According the Köppen climate classification São Paulo has a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures seldom reach 30 °C (86 °F) during summer, while frost is rare during winter due to urban heat island. All-time record temperatures are 35.3 °C (96.6 °F) on November 15, 1985 and -2.1 °C (28 °F) on August 2, 1955 (both at the Mirante de Santana National Weather Station, in the north region). In the mountains around the city (Horto Florestal), -3.9 °C (25 °F) was recorded also in August 2, 1955 (unofficially). Snow flurries were reported officially just on one occasion on June 25, 1918. Rainfall is abundant, especially in the warmer months, but rare between June and August. Neither São Paulo nor the nearby coast has ever been hit by a tropical cyclone, and tornadic activity is uncommon. August is a month which, in the last years, despite of belonging to the winter, is mostly dry and hot, sometimes reaching temperatures of 28 °C (82.4 °F). This is a phenomenon called "veranico" (in Portuguese, "little summer"). On the other hand, January may have some relatively low temperatures in some years.
Metropolitan region
The nonspecific term "Grande São Paulo" ("Greater São Paulo") denotes any of São Paulo's metropolitan area definitions. The legally defined Região Metropolitana São Paulo consists of 39 municipalities in total, and a population of more than 19 million inhabitants (as of 2005, according to IBGE).
Because São Paulo is sprawling like Los Angeles, it has another definition for its metropolitan area. Analogous to the US's CSA ( Combined Statistical Area) type definition of metropolitan area, it is the second largest city in the world with 27 million inhabitants (Complexo Metropolitano Expandido)., which includes 2 contiguous legally defined metropolitan regions, and 3 microregions.
Boroughs
The city of São Paulo is divided into 31 boroughs, called subprefectures (subprefeituras in Portuguese). Each subprefecture is divided into several districts (in most cases, two or three). The subprefectures with the largest number of districts are the boroughs of Sé, in the historical downtown, Butantã, the location of the University of São Paulo, Lapa, Penha and Mooca, all having eleven districts.Together with the administrative division, there is also a geographic radial division established in 2007 by the mayor Gilberto Kassab. The city is divided in ten regions (historical downtown, extended downtown, north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest), each one identified with a distinct colour in the buses and in the street plaques. These divisions have no relationship with the subprefectures and districts, and, in some cases, the same district may be in two or more geographic regions. The district where the headquarters of the subprefecture is located receives the same name of the subprefecture, with exception of M'Boi Mirim.
Demography
- Changing demographics of the city of São Paulo
Demographics
São Paulo is the most ethnically diverse city in Brazil. After the end of the African slave traffic in the country (1850), São Paulo started to replace the African manpower with immigrants in the coffee plantations. The pioneer in this new project was the senator Nicolau Vergueiro, who brought German, Swiss and Portuguese people to work in his own properties.
After the abolition of slavery (1888), São Paulo received large numbers of immigrants, most of them coming from Italy. In 1897, Italians were over half of the city's population. Portuguese, Spaniards, Germans, Jews and Christian Lebanese and Syrians also came in significant numbers. From 1908 to 1950, many Japanese immigrants arrived.In the 1960s, Chinese and Koreans started arriving. In the mid-20th century, many people from the poor Northeast Brazil started to migrate to São Paulo. Nowadays, there is a growing Bolivian community in the city.
As in all of Brazil, people of different ethnicities mix with each other, producing a multi-ethnic society. Today, people of 100 different ethnicities make São Paulo their home. The main communities are:
- 6 million Italians (including descendants).
- 3 million Portuguese (including descendants).
- 3 million Africans (including descendants).
- 1 million Arabs (including descendants).
- 400,000 Germans (including descendants).
- 326,000 Japanese (including descendants).
- 120,000 Chinese (including descendants).
- 70,000 Jews (including descendants)..
- 60,000 Bolivians.
- 50,000 Greeks (including descendants).
- 50,000 Koreans (including descendants).
Ethnically, São Paulo is made up of 8 million Whites, 2,6 million mixed-race ( Pardos), 527 thousand Blacks, 456 thousand Asians and 18 thousand Amerindians.
Religion
| Religion | Percentage | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 68.11% | 7,107,261 |
| Protestant | 15.94% | 1,663,131 |
| No religion | 8.97% | 936,474 |
| Kardecist | 2.75% | 286,600 |
| Buddhist | 0.65% | 67,591 |
| Jewish | 0.36% | 37,500 |
Source: IBGE 2000.
Languages
As in all Brazil, the language spoken by the vast majority of the population is Portuguese. Due to the large influx of Italian immigrants, the Portuguese spoken in the city reflects a significant influence from the dialects of the Italian language. The Italian dialects mixed with the countryside Caipira accent of São Paulo; some linguists maintain that the São Paulo dialect of Portuguese was born in Mooca, a district settled in the early 20th century mainly by people from Naples, southern Italy.
Other languages spoken in the city are mainly among the Asian community: Liberdade district is home to the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. Although today most Japanese Brazilians can speak only Portuguese, some of them are still fluent in Japanese. Some people of Chinese and Korean descent are still able to speak their ancestral languages. However, most of the Brazilian-born generations only speak Portuguese.