Port of Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo in detail

Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city is on a plateau at an elevation of about 823 m (2,700 ft) and is divided by the Tietaª River. The population of the city has increased more than tenfold since 1920 and it has become the financial centre of Brazil, a major manufacturing area and the commercial centre for products (particularly coffee) brought from the interior and shipped from the nearby port of Santos. Both the Modern Art Museum and the Municipal Library have outstanding collections and are worth visiting.

Sao Paulo was founded by Jesuit priests from Portugal in 1554 and during the 16th and 17th centuries it was a base for expeditions sent from Portugal to obtain slaves and precious minerals. In 1712 Sao Paulo became a city, but its economy remained agrarian until the 19th century. On September 7, 1822, Sao Paulo was the site of the proclamation of the independence of Brazil from Portugal and in 1867 a cable railway was constructed joining Sao Paulo to the seaport of Santos. Large scale coffee growing began in Sao Paulo State around 1885 and as a result, the city gradually became the commercial centre of the region.