Sao Paulo Information

The city of Sao Paulo (officially Município de São Paulo) is the capital city of the state bearing the same name. Not only is Sao Paulo the greatest city in Brazil but also it is the largest in all the Southern Hemisphere and one of the biggest cities in the world. It is the country's main city from a social, cultural and economic point of view. It is well known as "the city that never stops".

Moreover, it is one of the major financial centres in Latin America and the main one in South America. Some countries and the media in general usually refer to the city as San Pablo.

Some areas that are located near Sao Paulo, such as Campinas and Santos are considered Metropolitan Areas of the State also. Other nearby cities such as Jundiaí, Sorocaba and São José dos Campos are going through a process of metropolization. The extended metropolitan area of São Paulo (Complexo Metropolitano Estendido de São Paulo) has a population of more than 29 million, which is more than 70% of all the state.

Tourism in Sao Paulo

An astounding and sparkling nightlife is one of the main features of Sao Paulo: 280 cinemas, 120 theatres, 71 museums, 39 cultural centres, some of them aimed at a public with a high purchasing power and others visited by a wider public. Given the city's rich cultural heritage and varied population, Sao Paulo offers a rich and varied gastronomy, which is one of the city's major attractions as well.

Since 1951 Sao Paulo hosts the event known as the Bienal de São Paulo. Moreover, the city is very well known worldwide for the São Paulo Fashion Week and the Interlagos circuit, where one of the annual Formula One races is held.

Administrative division

Sao Paulo municipality is officially divided into thirty one sub-prefectures, each of them divided into districts. These sub-prefectures are grouped into nine areas, according to their location and their history.

The administrative division of Sao Paulo was made according to the historical and cultural features of each neighborhood and taking into consideration other practical aspects. Nevertheless, some aspects of this division bear little resemblance with reality. One striking example of this is the fact that some neighborhoods which are widely regarded as traditional areas of the city lack the official status and a formal delimitation, while being included in other districts.

Culture

Sao Paulo is a major cultural centre in Brazil, where many artistic movements were created throughout the twentieth century. The country's main cultural institutions are located here and in Rio de Janeiro.

A wide range of theatres, arts centres, bars, educational institutions, museums and art galleries can be found here. It is hardly surprising that many institutions are described by means of superlatives such as "the best public university in the country" to refer to the São Paulo University, or "the greatest private university" to describe the Universidade Paulista (Paulista University) and the country's major show centre (Credicard Hall).

The fact that the major cultural activities and cultural centres are located in the city centre of Sao Paulo mainly has led to widespread criticism, given that people who live in the suburbs are considered to be marginalized and deprived from the many services offered by the city and by its interesting cultural life. Therefore, the city's extremely rich cultural heritage cannot be fully enjoyed by everyone.

Climate

São Paulo has a subtropical climate and the annual average temperature is 19ºC. Winters are mildly cold and temperatures rise sharply during the summer, partly because of the astonishing number of buildings that stand here. The average temperature during January, the hottest month, is 22ºC and during the winter, the coldest month, is 16ºC,

Seasons are quite clearly defined: winter is mild and summer is quite rainy and hot.

History

The history of Sao Paulo runs parallel to that of the country. The city is about 450 years old and, although during the first centuries there wasn't much political and economic activity, it has witnessed many of the country's most significant historical events.

Sao Paulo used to be a Jesuit Mission and both European and native inhabitants were the first settlers. As time went by, this settlement became an important commercial centre, quite distinguished in the area. Sao Paulo has remained an important commercial city with a richly varied population ever since.