Sao Paulo is the capital of one of Brazil’s 26 states and one of the country’s main industrial centers. It is the largest city in South America with a population of over 15 million.

São Paulo is situated on the Serra do Mar hills, 48 ​​km from Santos, a busy port in southeastern Brazil. It is connected to Santos by an electric train line and a highway. Emerging from these hills, Tietê River passes just east of the city. São Paulo adorns a series of small towns and vast farmland and pastures. Rio de Janeiro is located 355 km northeast of São Paulo.

São Paulo was founded in 1554 by Portuguese pastors as an Indigenous settlement. The settlement was on a 800-meter-high hill where three paths intersected. São Paulo began to flourish in the 19th century, when coffee plantations became the region’s main source of wealth. It soon turned into an industrial, commercial and banking center. Many immigrants came from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany and Japan in and around the city. In Portuguese-speaking São Paulo, the majority of the people are Catholic.

One-third of Brazilian industrial products from weaving products, mechanical and electrical equipment, furniture, foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals are produced in São Paulo. In Cubatão, near the city, Brazil’s largest oil refinery is located. In the São Paulo region, besides coffee, sugarcane, cotton, corn, rice, beans and fruit are grown. Cattle breeding is also spreading. There are many schools and libraries in the city. The Bhutanta Institute, famous for its research on snakes and snake bites, is also located in São Paulo.

São Paulo’s steady growth since the 19th century has brought slums with it. Millions of people started living around the city, in unhealthy shelters. Environmental pollution has reached serious levels. Urban transportation was an important question. São Paulo, where new roads are constantly built and skyscrapers rise, is described as the “Chicago of South America”.