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São Paulo
São Paulo skyline
São Paulo skyline
Flag of São Paulo
Flag
Coat of arms of São Paulo
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
Land of Drizzle and Sampa
Motto(s): 
"Non dvcor, dvco"  (Latin)
"I am not led, i lead"
Location in the São Paulo state.
Location in the São Paulo state.
CountryBrazil Brazil
RegionSoutheast
StateSão Paulo
Government
 • MayorGilberto Kassab (DEM)
Area
 • City1,522.989 km2 (588.029 sq mi)
 • Metro
8,051 km2 (3,109 sq mi)
Elevation
760 m (2,493.4 ft)
Population
 (2006)
 • City11,016,703
 • Density7,233/km2 (18,730/sq mi)
 • Metro
19,677,506
 • Metro density2,277/km2 (5,900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-3 (UTC-3)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-2 (UTC-2)
HDI (2000)0.841 – high
WebsiteSão Paulo

São Paulo (pronunciationⓘ pron. IPA: [sãw 'paw.lu]; (see tilda) Portuguese for Saint Paul) is the capital of the state of São Paulo in the South East of Brazil. It is located at 23°32′36″S 46°37′59″W / 23.54333°S 46.63306°W / -23.54333; -46.63306 (Latitude -23.59 Longitude -46.63)

The city has an area of Template:Km2 to sq mi[1] and a population of 11,016,703[2] (2006 IBGE estimate), which makes it the most populous in the southern hemisphere[3] (metro area: about 19 million).

People from the city of São Paulo are known as paulistanos, while paulista 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 smog, the sheer size of its helicopter fleet, unreliable weather, and multitude of skyscrapers, holding the 7th position in the skyline ranking and with the 3rd biggest skyline (first and second are New York and Hong Kong, respectively).[4]

History

Domingos Jorge Velho, one of the bandeirantes.

Jesuit missionaries Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta founded the village of São Paulo 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 Native Brazilians to the Catholic religion. Located just beyond the Serra do Mar cliffs, overlooking the port city of Santos, and close to River Tietê, 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.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, groups of explorers who called themselves the Bandeirantes traversed forests and new territories within the Latin American continent searching for gold, diamonds and other riches. The Bandeirantes are regarded as being responsible for a great deal of the Brazilian territorial expansion beyond the Tordesilhas Line and for the discovery of many mines of precious metals and stones. There are several monuments in honor of their contribution to the city, including the Monumento das Bandeiras, one of the landmarks 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 neighbouring city Santos. After 1881, waves of immigrants from Italy, Japan and many other countries emigrated to São Paulo in order to work at the enormous coffee plantations established in the State making it the only Brazilian state capital which Portuguese descendants are not the majority. 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.

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 over 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.

Another important historical landmark is the University of São Paulo's Law School, also known as Largo São Francisco, claimed to be one of the three first academic institutions in Brazil along with the Law School of Recife and the Universidade Federal do Amazonas. Originally installed into a monastery, it was founded by an Imperial Decree on 1 March 1828, shortly after the beginning of the Brazilian Empire, following the increasing need for lawyers and politicians. As wealthy Brazilians would often go to Europe to take undergraduate law courses, the Brazilian Emperor, Dom Pedro I, decided that it would be fitting to create a national law school. It began to attract students from across the country, who were a strong contributing factor to São Paulo's distinctly bohemian lifestyle.

Law and government

See also: List of Mayors of São Paulo

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

Location of the Metropolitan Region.
The skyscraper-dense surroundings of Avenida Paulista as seen from the mostly low-rise neighborhood of Jardins
A simulated-colour satellite image of the Greater São Paulo metropolitan area (centre), Jundiaí (above), Sao Jose dos Campos (right), and the coastal towns of Santos and São Vicente (below)

Physical setting

São Paulo is located on a plateau that is part of the Serra do Mar (Portuguese for "Sea Range"), part 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 Template:Km to 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 river Tietê was once a source of freshwater 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 river Pinheiros. 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[5]. 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

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. All-time record temperatures are 35.3 °C (96.6 °F) in November 15, 1985 and -2.1 °C (28 °F) in 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) were registered also in August 2, 1955 (unofficially). Snow flurries were reported officially just on one occasion in 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. This is a phenomenon called "veranico" (in portuguese, "little summer").

Metropolitan region

Main article: Greater São Paulo

São Paulo is officially inserted in a larger metropolitan region named "Grande São Paulo" ("Greater São Paulo"). The region holds 39 towns 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 two definitions for its metropolitan area. By its CSA (Combined Statistical Area) type definition of metropolitan area, it is the second largest city in the world with 29 million inhabitants (Complexo Metropolitano Expandido),[6]. The more narrowly defined Greater São Paulo metropolitan area, which doesn't include Campinas, Baixada Santista and many other nearby areas (Região Metropolitana de São Paulo) has around 19.7 million inhabitants (2006), making it the fifth most populous metropolitan area in the world.

Boroughs

Cathedral of São Paulo, built in the mid 20th century, one of the world's most recent major buildings in the Gothic style.
File:00009 copy.jpg
Museu Paulista, in Ipiranga district, was built close to the site where Brazilian independence was proclaimed in 1822
Masp at night

The City of São Paulo is divided into 31 boroughs, called subprefectures (subprefeituras in Portuguese):

  • Aricanduva
  • Butantã
  • Campo Belo
  • Campo Limpo
  • Capela do Socorro
  • Casa Verde
  • Cidade Ademar
  • Cidade Tiradentes
  • Ermelino Matarazzo
  • Freguesia do Ó
  • Guaianases

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 USP, Lapa, Penha and Mooca, all having eleven districts. The district where the headquarters of the subprefecture is located receives the same name of the subprefecture, with exception of M'Boi Mirim. Some important districts which don't own a subprefecture are:

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 color 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.

Economy

File:CENU commercial complex.jpg
Commercial complex in Itaim Bibi, one of the main business districts in the city
File:Bovespa2007.PNG
Trading floor of São Paulo Stock Exchange, located in downtown São Paulo

São Paulo is the most important financial center in Latin America. São Paulo's stock exchange is the Bovespa, while its futures exchange is the BM&F. Its financial districts are located on the surroundings of Avenida Paulista and in the Centro Velho (Old Centre). Other important business districts are located in the boroughs of Pinheiros and Santo Amaro, including the large road Faria Lima.

There are a number of highly specialized regions, such as Bom Retiro and Brás (wholesale garment districts), Consolação (lighting equipment), Rua Santa Ifigênia (electrical and electronic parts), Rua Teodoro Sampaio (furniture and musical equipment), the posh Rua Oscar Freire (designer and label stores), Avenida Europa (luxurious automobiles) and the crowded Rua Vinte Cinco de Março.

In the last few years, São Paulo has become a major host to various international events and fairs, visited by the most varied audiences, ranging from scientists and artists to merchants and entrepreneurs, coming from Brazil and also from abroad. Some of the most important events that usually take place in the city are:

  • Leather Goods Fair - Couromoda
  • International Textile Fair - Fenit
  • International Construction Fair
  • Shoes, Fashion Accessories and Machines Fair - Francal
  • Cosmetics and Beauty International Fair - Cosmetica
  • Lodging-related products, services and equipment Fair - Equipotel
  • International Automobile Fair - Salão do Automóvel
  • Book Fair Biennale - Bienal Internacional do Livro

There has been a gradual change in the city economic profile since a decade ago - from a strongly industrialized base to service and technology-oriented industries. Intensive manpower-consuming firms have been replaced by a great number of high-technology companies and service providers of a vast range, namely law services, investment banking, IT, consultancy firms, advertising and radio and TV broadcasting companies.

Demographics

The Paulista Avenue concentrates a great demographic density.

São Paulo is one of the world's more diverse cosmopolitan areas:

  • 5,500,000 are direct or indirect descendants of Italians. The Edifício Itália (Italy Building), the second highest skyscraper of the city (165 m), was named in honor of the Italians.
  • 3,000,000 people are direct or indirect descendants of Portuguese.
  • 2,000,000 are direct or indirect descendants of Spaniards.
  • 1,500,000 people have direct or indirect African ancestry.
  • 1,000,000 people are direct or indirect descendants of Germans.
  • 850,000 people are direct or indirect descendants of Lebanese immigrants— by far the largest number of Lebanese outside Lebanon.
  • More than 1 million people are direct or indirect descendants of Japanese. São Paulo has the largest number of Japanese outside Japan. The Japanese community's historical centre is the Liberdade neighborhood.
  • São Paulo is home to the largest Jewish community in Brazil with about 130,000 people.
  • There is a considerable number of immigrants from other countries in Latin America, especially Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Chile.
  • Note that many paulistanos have mixed ethnic origins; the numbers above may count individuals belonging to multiple groups.

Other sizable groups are: Chinese, Armenians, Lithuanian, Greeks, Syrians, Koreans, Polish, Hungarians, and Jamaicans.

Languages

As in the rest of Brazil, Portuguese is the official and dominant language of the vast majority of the population. However, many other languages, such as German, Japanese, English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean are still spoken by first and second-generation members of their respective ethnic communities. Italian was once widespread, and though most Italo-Brazilians in the city are no longer fluent in it, typical Paulistano accent usually retains a distinctive Italian cadence.

Education

São Paulo hosts the University of São Paulo (USP). USP is a state university financially supported by the State of São Paulo. It charges no tuition fees for students who qualify in its very competitive entrance exams. USP is an important research centre, as well as the most highly-regarded academic institutions in Brazil. USP's main campus is located in the Cidade Universitária neighbourhood. Several smaller campuses are located throughout the state.

Other respected universities include the Fundação Getúlio Vargas, the Federal University of São Paulo, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) and Mackenzie Presbyterian University, the latter founded by North American missionaries. Also, São Paulo is home to the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Nucleares (IPEN, National Institute of Nuclear ResearchIPEN) and the largest public hospital in the country (Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP).

Culture

Music

Adoniran Barbosa was a famous samba singer and composer that became successful in São Paulo's radio era. Born in 1912 in the town of Valinhos, Barbosa became the composer of the lower classes of São Paulo, particularly the poor Italian immigrants living in the quarters of Bexiga (Bela Vista) and Brás, and the poor who lived in the city's many shanties and cortiços (degraded multifamily row houses). The topics of his songs are drawn from the life of low-wage urban workers, the unemployed and the vagabonds. His first big hit was Saudosa Maloca ("Shanty of Fond Memories", 1951), where three homeless friends recall with nostalgia their improvised shanty, which was torn down by the landowner to make room for a building. In his Trem das Onze ("The 11 PM Train", 1964) record, which has been ranked one of the five best samba songs ever, the protagonist explains to his lover that he cannot stay any longer because he has to catch the last train to the Jaçanã suburb, for his mother will not sleep before he arrives. An old-school samba band called Demônios da Garoa still plays his songs in the traditional Bar Brahma venue in Centro.

São Paulo State Theater

In the late 1960s, a psychedelic rock band called Os Mutantes led the way in the national avant garde music scene. Their success is sometimes related to that of other tropicalia musicians, but they also had a musical style and ideas of their own. They were regarded as very paulistanos in their behaviour and clothing. Os Mutantes released five albums together before lead singer Rita Lee departed in 1972 to start a solo career. Although almost exclusively known in Brazil at that time, Os Mutantes became quite successful abroad after the 1990s (a well-spread legend has it that one Brazilian girl in an exchange programme in California, U.S., forgot one Mutantes' vinyl record in her American host family, leading the way to the popularisation of the band in that U.S. state). In 2000, a record sung in English, Tecnicolor, was released with artwork designed by Sean Lennon.

After the two oil price shocks in the 1970s, the country suffered from an economic recession during the 1980s, a phenomenon that was named the lost decade. A late punk and garage scene became strong in the 1980s, perhaps associated with the gloomy scenario of unemployment and few actual prospectives from the viewpoint of the youth. Underground rock bars and clubs in town were full of thriving musicians and artists waiting for their moment to come. Ira!, which translates as anger or ire in Portuguese, was one of the rock bands that came about at that time. They were strongly influenced by the Mod sound of The Who, the hard rock of Led Zeppelin and the punk rock of The Clash. The band still exists, although with sparse records released. Ira!'s guitarist Edgard Scandurra has a solo career of his own.

In the 1990s, a new musical style has come about: drum & bass. DJ Marky, nowadays considered one of the most exciting DJs/producers in the dance music scene, used to work in a record shop in São Paulo in the early 1990s, which allowed him access to the hardcore sounds that were coming from the UK at the time. Although hardcore wasn't immediately well accepted by the clubing scene in Brazil, Marky started playing these records out, almost giving up at some point because of the small audiences interested in that kind of music. As Marky followed the breakbeat evolution to jungle, a local scene began to develop by itself, and his work began to pay off. In August 1997, Marky made the most important move of his career by travelling to the UK with DJ Patife, intending to meet their drum & bass heroes, by invitation of Bristol-born producer Bryan Gee[7]. In February 2001, DJ Marky was awarded "Best International DJ" at the Knowledge Magazine Awards in London, beating off stiff competition[8]. Other d&b artists include DJ Patife, XRS, Drumagick, and Fernanda Porto.

Literature

To be expanded. Please help contributing and explaining the historical roles of these artists.

Sites of interest

São Paulo is a major cultural centre. The city has an ethnically diverse metropolitan area, with heavy Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Arab and Japanese influences.

The city is known for its varied and sophisticated cuisine, ranging from Chinese to French, from fast food chains to five star restaurants. There are approximately 52 different types of cuisines in São Paulo, and more than 12,000 restaurants[9]. Other venues such as bars, pubs, lounges and discos cater to a variety of music tastes.

São Paulo is home to the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and "Pinacoteca do Estado" art museums, a symphonic orchestra (São Paulo State Symphony (OSESP), and a Formula One Grand Prix racing circuit (Interlagos).

Sights

  • Praça da Sé (Large square next to the São Paulo Cathedral. Official center of the city)
  • Edifício Itália (skyscraper with observation deck)
  • Banespa Building (skyscraper with observation deck and museum)
  • Pátio do Colégio (founding site of the city)
  • Catedral da Sé (the metropolitan cathedral, a symbol of the city)
  • Museu do Ipiranga (a museum built in honor of the proclamation of the independence of Brazil)
  • Solar da Marquesa (a rare example of 18th century architectural style)
  • Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (designed by Ramos de Azevedo in 1897)
  • Avenida Paulista (one of the most important thoroughfares of the city and the site of many cultural centers and museums, such as the MASP and Centro Cultural Itaú)
  • Ibirapuera Park (the second largest park of the city (Parque do Carmo is the biggest), is also home to several museums. It is known for its buildings designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, such as the Oca and the new Ibirapuera Auditorium)
  • Edifício Copan, also designed by Oscar Niemeyer, in the Centro neighbourhood. Built between 1951 and 1966, its wavy shape gives the building an impression of movement, and the integration of small businesses and residential flats are of innovative urbanism. Rumour has it that Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders lived for 6 months in this building while touring with musician Moreno Veloso in 1994.
  • Pinacoteca do Estado, an important art gallery, and Museum of the Portuguese Language, in the train station of Luz.

Events

There are some websites and magazines specialized in the cultural events in the city, including the Agenda Cultural de São Paulo (São Paulo's Cultural Calendar)[10].

Bienal de São Paulo

The São Paulo Art Biennial is a cultural event hosted in town every two years. Almost 1 million people visited the 26th Bienal in 2004. Its theme was chosen to enable a wide range of artistic positions to feel comfortable. The concept of "Free Territory" involved various dimensions: it had a physical-geographical, a socio-political as well as an aesthetic dimension — the latter, of course, being of greatest interest in the context of this exhibition.

In order to emphasise the thematic unity of the overall exhibition, the invited artists and those representing the countries are mixed together on the 25,000 square metres of the spacious Oscar Niemeyer Pavilion. Despite the complexity of individual voices, the final result was intended to be a unity.

In addition to an intensification of the North-South dialogue inside Brazil, the Bienal's aims include the promoting of links between non-European cultures along a South-South orientation. The next edition of the Biennale will take place in 2008.

São Paulo Fashion Week

Brazil first entered the international fashion circuit with the increasing reputation of famous Brazilian top models such as Adriana Lima, Gisele Bündchen, Alessandra Ambrosio, Fernanda Tavares, Ana Beatriz Barros, Izabel Goulart and Ana Hickmann, and the "discovery" of some fresh talents such as Alexandre Herchcovitch by some international fashion magazines. As a consequence of this, SPFW is the place to see and to be seen in Brazilian fashion scene, always attracting a number of international editors and models.

São Paulo Fashion Week[11] is nowadays one of the most relevant fashion events in the country. It takes place twice a year at the building of Bienal de São Paulo.

São Paulo Gay Parade

2004 Gay Pride Parade in São Paulo, Brazil. Photo:Rose Brasil - ABr

The largest tourist event in the city, the São Paulo Gay Parade attracted about 2.5 million people to Paulista Avenue in 2006. It is usually opened by the city's mayor. A large carnival runs along the avenue, with several Trio Elétricos. The last parade was held on June 10, 2007, and its organizers claimed a record-breaking 3.5 million attendees, though no official estimate was given by the Polícia Militar[12][13].

March for Jesus

The March for Jesus is a Protestant parade that takes place every year in Paulista Avenue, now in another downtown avenue. It is organized by the Renascer Church, a Pentecostal denomination created in the 1980s and which has grown significantly in the first decade of the 21st century. In 2007, about three million people took part in the event, according to official estimates.

Electronic Language International Festival

The Electronic Language International Festival[14] is a non-profit cultural organization, whose purpose is to disseminate and to develop arts, technologies and scientific research, by means of exhibitions, debates, lectures, and courses. The festival promotes a yearly meeting in Brazil, in the city of São Paulo. The event is open to the public, and intends to expand its educational reach to local and eventually remote audiences, thus sharing the experiences learned with FILE, through technologies of education, communication, registration and memory. The File Festival show in its events web art, net.art, artificial life, hypertext, computer animation, real time teleconferences, virtual reality, panoramas, interactive movie, e- video, electronic art installations and robotics through interactive and immersive rooms.

Festival for Electronic Art

Every two years, Associação Cultural Videobrasil's International Electronic Art Festival brings groundbreaking work by cream-of-the-crop artists from all over the world to São Paulo. In keeping with the constant transformations in media and support, the curatorship has added installations, performances, VJs, CD-ROM art, and internet art to the programme.

The Festival includes a competitive exhibition of so-called southern circuit and an extensive parallel programme. Art shows, debates and meetings introduce new ideas and art work, setting new guidelines for contemporary art in Brazil.

Exhibitions featuring work by prominent electronic artists are also part of the Festival. Brazilian pioneers such as Rafael França and Olhar Eletrônico, and international guests such as Nam June Paik, Bill Viola and Gary Hill, have featured in the event’s past editions. Each edition has a theme of its own[15].

Other events

  • Anima Mundi (an international competitive video and film festival devoted exclusively to animation)
  • AnimeCon - International Anime Convention
  • AnimeDreams - International Anime Convention
  • Anime Friends - International Anime Convention
  • Comdex
  • Mercado Mundo Mix
  • São Paulo International Film Festival
  • Carnival of São Paulo
  • Skol Beats
  • Tim Festival, indie music festival
  • Nokia Trends
  • Festa de N. S. Achiropita
  • Fenasoft (International Computer and Software Trade Fair)
  • UD Fare (Domestic Utilities Fair)
  • Feira Internacional do Livro (Book International Fair)
  • São Paulo Restaurant Week[16]

Sports

Football

Morumbi Stadium.
Pacaembu Stadium.

As in the rest of Brazil, football is by far the most important sport in the city. The major teams in São Paulo are Corinthians, Palmeiras and São Paulo FC. These teams are all playing in the Brazilian Série A. The fourth most important club of the city is Portuguesa, playing in Brazilian Série B. There are two other small clubs in the city, Juventus and Nacional. Another popular club in São Paulo is Santos FC from the nearby coastal city of the same name, Santos.

Soccer/Football teams

Club League Venue Established
Corinthians Série A(First Division) Parque São Jorge Stadium - however, it plays at the municipal Estádio do Pacaembu 1910
Palmeiras Série A(First Division) Palestra Italia Stadium 1914
São Paulo FC Série A(First Division) Morumbi Stadium 1930
Portuguesa Série B(Second Division) Canindé Stadium 1920
Juventus Série C(Third Division) Rua Javari Stadium 1924
Nacional Série C(Third Division) Nicolau Alayon Stadium 1919

Corrida de Sao Silvestre

The São Silvestre Race takes place every New Year's Eve (31 December). It was first held in 1925, when the competitors ran about 8,000 metres across the streets. Since then, the distance raced has varied, and it is now fixed at 15 km. Registration takes place from 1 October, with the maximum number of entrants limited to 15,000.

Brazilian Grand Prix

The Brazilian Grand Prix (Portuguese: Grande Prêmio do Brasil) is a Formula One championship race which occurs at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos. In 2006 the Grand Prix was the final round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The Spanish driver Fernando Alonso won the 2006 drivers championship at this circuit by coming second in the race. The race was won by the young Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, driving for the Scuderia Ferrari team.

Other sports

Volleyball, basketball and tennis are other major sports. There are several traditional sports clubs in São Paulo that are home for teams in many championships. The most important are Esporte Clube Pinheiros (volleyball, swimming, basketball and handball), Clube Atlético Paulistano (basketball), Esporte Clube Banespa (volleyball, handball and futsal), Associação Atlética Hebraica (basketball) and São Paulo Athletic Club (rugby union).

International sports events

The following international sports events have been held in São Paulo:

Transportation

Imigrantes highway, one of two major roads connecting São Paulo to the Atlantic coastline through a range of hills known as Serra do Mar
Luz railway station in downtown
Metropolitan train of CPTM
Train of São Paulo Metro

Motorways

The city is crossed by many of the most important Brazilian motorways, such as the BR-116, Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Rodovia Anhangüera, Rodovia dos Bandeirantes, Rodovia Anchieta, Rodovia Castelo Branco and Rodovia dos Imigrantes. Automobiles are still the main means to get into the city.

Rodoanel

São Paulo grew quickly from the 1940s to the 1980s and many roads and buildings were built without major planning. As a result, heavy traffic is common on the city's main avenues, and traffic jams are relatively common on its largest highways. The main means of commuting into the city is by car and by bus. An effective way of avoiding heavy vehicles traffic in the city, such as buses and trucks that crossed the city for other destinations, was planned by ex-governor Mário Covas as a road ring that circles the city, called Rodoanel Mario Covas[17], and is being built by DERSA.[18]

Railways

Although poorly served by heavy rail services, there is an infrastructure project to build a high-speed railway service linking Brazil's two largest cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro[19]. The trains would go as fast as 280 km per hour (the trip would last about 1 hour and 30 minutes). This specific project is still waiting an official announcement by the Brazilian government, who is trying to obtain international financing through a public-private partnership.

The other important project is the "Expresso Bandeirantes", which is a medium-speed rail service (about 160 km/h) from São Paulo to Campinas, which would reduce the journey time from the current one hour and a half by car to about 50 minutes by train, linking the towns of São Paulo, Jundiaí, Campinas Airport, and Campinas city center. This service is also going to be connected to the railway service between São Paulo city center and Guarulhos Airport. Major works on this last railway service between São Paulo city center and Guarulhos Airport were announced by the São Paulo state government in 2007[20], a milestone in the revitalisation and improvement of the Brazilian passenger railway services.

Airports

São Paulo has three airports. There are two major airports in the São Paulo metropolitan area: São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU, for domestic and international flights) and Congonhas, (CGH, for domestic flights). There's also a small airport known as Campo de Marte north of the Old Center for small, private aircraft and helicopters. Campo de Marte also hosts the Ventura Goodyear Blimp.

Congonhas Airport operates domestic and regional flights, mainly to Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasília. Campo de Marte airport handles some private and small-sized airplanes. Guarulhos International Airport, also known to São Paulo dwellers as "Cumbica", is located 25 km North East of the city centre, in the neighbouring city of Guarulhos. Guarulhos airport operates both domestic and international flights.

On July 17, 2007, the worst airline accident in Brazil's history occurred at Congonhas airport, blamed on rain and a shortended runway. Nearly 200 people from the plane and on the ground died. Following the accident, pilots refused to land in the rain and the President ordered that ticket sales for flights to the airport be stopped. Aviation throughout the entire country reached a crisis state.

In 2005, about 33 million people went through the city's airports (mainly from Congonhas and Guarulhos International Airport, the only two operating commercial flights). Infraero - Brazil's main aviation authority - estimates that with the remodelling of Guarulhos Airport, São Paulo's airports will be able to handle about 45 million passengers a year within the next five years. There are also plans to expand the Viracopos-Campinas International Airport at Campinas, a city about 90 km North of São Paulo.

São Paulo has allegedly one of the highest per capita helicopter ownership in the world. The owners are an elite wealthy class who take advantage of around one hundred helipads and heliports to conveniently avoid heavy traffic[21].

Underground and light rail system

The city has 61 km of underground railway systems (34.6 km fully underground) (the São Paulo Metro[22], locally known as the Metrô), with 4 lines in operation and 55 stations, complemented by another 253,2 km of Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM, or "Paulista Company of Metropolitan Trains") railways. Both CPTM and the underground railway lines carry some 3.5 million people on an average weekday, and a few new underground lines to be constructed are expected to add another million people to the system within the next five years. The projects expected to expand São Paulo's urban railway system from the current 330 km to more than 500 km on the next 10 years[23].

São Paulo has three rapid transport systems:

  • The underground rail system (called "metrô", short for "metropolitano"), with three complete lines:
  • The suburban rail system, Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM), has six lines that serve many regions not reached by the underground system, and even some other cities in the metropolitan region. The CPTM network is longer than the underground rail system.
  • The fast-lane bus system: there are many such bus lines in the city, called "Passa Rápido", which are street-level, placed on large avenues, and connected with the underground or suburban train stations.

São Paulo has no tram lines, although trams used to be common in the first half of the 20th century[24].

São Paulo's underground train system is modern, safe, clean and efficient, considered one of the best subway systems in the world, as certified by the NBR ISO 9001. It has four lines (the newest one, the Yellow line, is under construction, thus unavailable at the moment) and links to the metropolitan train network, the CPTM.

  • Line 1 - Blue: The first Metrô line built connects the North and the South Side of São Paulo. Connections are available for the Green, Red and Yellow lines and also for CPTM trains. Tietê and Jabaquara bus terminals are also reachable through the use of this line.
  • Line 2 - Green: The Green line transverses the Avenida Paulista ridge, connecting Ipiranga to Vila Madalena, and also integrating the Blue and Yellow lines.
  • Line 3 - Red: One of São Paulo's busiest lines, it connects the East Side to the West Side. Connections to the Blue and Yellow lines are possible, as are with CPTM trains. The Barra Funda bus terminal is located on this line.
  • Line 4 - Yellow (under construction): Scheduled to be open in the near future, the Yellow line will connect the central Luz station to the South side in a route constructed immediately below the Consolação and Rebouças avenues. Connections will be available to the Blue, Green and Red lines and to CPTM trains.
  • Line 5 - Lilac: Built for users who need to reach specific places in São Paulo's South Side. Only a short distance of the line is already available (six complete stations), connecting to CPTM trains at Santo Amaro station.

New underground lines

By 2009, the new Line 4 - Yellow, will be ready for use. The state government has built some underground stations in the Line 5 - Lilac, but although operating fully, this line is yet to be integrated with the main subway system. The lilac line serves only the subprefecture of Santo Amaro, but it is planned to be extended and connected with the lines 1 and 2.

On January 12, 2007, at 3:15 p.m. local time, a huge hole in the ground opened by accident in the future line 4 (yellow) Pinheiros station of São Paulo's underground system. Seven people were killed (four of them in a passing shuttle bus which was swallowed and buried by the cave-in). The accident caused serious structural damage to many houses in the surrounding area, forcing their households to move to hotels and the homes of relatives. Prior to the accident, many reports concerning fissures in the walls of these houses had been noticed. Officials of the company hired by the State of São Paulo Government to build the station blamed excessive rain as a primary cause, although outside pundits say what really happened was insufficient soil analysis, since the future Pinheiros underground station is very close to the river Pinheiros. After the accident, another concern was a large crane that threatened to fall over neighboring homes, until it was later dismantled by engineers working in the project.[25] [26]

Buses

The bulk of the public transport (government and private companies) is composed of approximately 17,000 buses (including about 210 trolley buses), coloured uniformily according to the non-central region served (ex.: light green for the buses that go South West, dark blue for the Northern area). Until the past few years, there was a strong presence of informal transport vans (dab vans), but the vast majority of such vans are already fully registered with the city council, legalized and operating under the same color scheme of the main system.

Current critical problems

Since the beginning of the 20th century, São Paulo has been the major economic center of Brazil. With the arrival of the two World Wars and the Great Depression, coffee exports to the United States and Europe were critically affected, leading wealthy coffee farmers to invest in industrial activities which eventually turned São Paulo into Brazil's largest industrial hub. The new job positions thereof contributed to attracting a significant number of immigrants from other regions of the country, especially northeastern states. From a population of merely 32,000 inhabitants in 1880, São Paulo increased its population to approximately 250,000 in 1900, 1,800,000 in 1940, 4,750,000 in 1960 and 8,500,000 in 1980. The effects of this population boom have been:

  • Although urban planning has been implemented in some areas, São Paulo has developed quickly without major planning
  • Ineffective public transport associated with a high number of cars and other vehicles in circulation lead to consistently congested traffic on many roads of the city.
  • Due to heavy usage and poor maintenance, the quality of the pavement on certain roads (especially in the outskirts of the city) is problematic, and potholes and other asphalt defects are common.
  • Crime rates are high[27], especially in the numerous city slums and peripheral neighbourhoods.
  • Approximately 55.4% of the population in Sao Paulo lived in poor conditions, with HDI below 0.5, according to the IBGE 2000 national census.[28]
  • High air pollution[29], mainly due to the high circulation of automobiles and buses in town.
  • The two major rivers crossing the city, River Tietê and River Pinheiros, are also highly polluted. A major project intended to clean up these rivers is in the pipeline.

Famous Paulistanos

Major holidays

  • January 25 – São Paulo's Anniversary — city holiday
  • Between February and March – Carnival (Brazilian national holiday, it starts on the Friday to Tuesday preceding Lent. The holiday ends at noon on Ash Wednesday)
  • Between May and June – Corpus Christi
  • July 9 – 1932's Constitutional Revolution
  • November 20 – Black People Consciousness Day

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. ^ Template:Por "IBGE Área Territorial Oficial", Orcamento e Gestão, Accessed Sep 16 2006
  2. ^ IBGE 2006 population estimate
  3. ^ Citimayors website - Largest cities
  4. ^ Emporis website
  5. ^ Brazilian Departamento de Águas e Energia Elétrica, "International Competitive Bidding Tender Announcement"
  6. ^ Empresa Paulista de Planejamento Metropolitano S.A.
  7. ^ Movement website
  8. ^ Coda Agency website, DJ Marky profile
  9. ^ São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau, "City Facts", retrieved 05 June 2007
  10. ^ Agenda Cultural
  11. ^ São Paulo Fashion Week's Official Website
  12. ^ BBC News website, "Sao Paulo holds Gay Pride parade", retrieved 14 June 2007.
  13. ^ Folha Online website, "Parada Gay bate recorde, dizem organizadores", retrieved 14 June 2007.
  14. ^ (FILE) official website.
  15. ^ Video Brasil website
  16. ^ SPRW official website.
  17. ^ Dersa website, "Rodoanel Mario Covas"
  18. ^ DERSA official website
  19. ^ Nasdaq website 2007, "Brazil May Take Bids On Rio-To-Sao Paulo High-Speed Rail Link"
  20. ^ Secretaria dos Transportes Metropolitanos do Estado de São Paulo "PPP for construction of Guarulhos Airport Express railway", retrieved 05 Jun 2007
  21. ^ Brazil's Elites Fly Above Their Fears Washington Post article dated June 1, 2002.
  22. ^ Downloadable map (pdf) of the underground network retrieved from the Metro SP website.
  23. ^ All the main projects from the São Paulo railway and underground system for the next 10 years can be found on the Metrô website and CPTM (in Portuguese).
  24. ^ For the history of São Paulo tramways, see Tramz website
  25. ^ News from UOL website
  26. ^ Folha de S.Paulo newspaper website
  27. ^ Economist.com website, "No end of violence", published 12 April 2007, retrieved 19 July 2007.
  28. ^ Aprendiz website
  29. ^ School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo (2003). "Air pollution and children's health in Sao Paulo (1986-1998)". Soc Sci Med. 53 (Dec): 2013–2022. Retrieved 2006-05-06.

Official websites

Other websites

Maps

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News

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