The region of modern-day São Paulo, then known as Piratininga plains around theTietê River, was inhabited by theTupi people, such as theTupiniquim, Guaianás, andGuarani. Other tribes also lived in areas that today form the metropolitan region.[23]
Founding of São Paulo, 1909 painting byOscar Pereira da SilvaCourtyard of the college,Pátio do Colégio, in theHistoric Center of São Paulo. At this location, the city was founded in 1554. The current building is a reconstruction made in the late 20th century, based on theJesuitcollege andchurch that were erected at the site in 1653.
They first had a small structure built oframmed earth, made by Native Indian workers in their traditional style. The priests wanted toevangelize these Indians who lived in the Plateau region of Piratininga and convert them to Christianity. The site was separated from the coast by theSerra do Mar mountain range, called "Serra Paranapiacaba" by the Indians.
The college was named for a Christian saint and its founding on the feast day of the celebration of the conversion of the ApostlePaul of Tarsus. Father José de Anchieta wrote this account in a letter to the Society of Jesus:
The settlement of the region's Courtyard of the College began in 1560. During the visit ofMem de Sá,Governor-General of Brazil, theCaptaincy of São Vicente, he ordered the transfer of the population of the Village ofSão Bernardo do Campo to the vicinity of the college. It was then named "College of St. Paul of the Piratininga". The new location was on a steep hill adjacent to a large wetland, theVárzea do Carmo. It offered better protection from attacks by local Indian groups. It was renamed Vila de São Paulo, belonging to the Captaincy of São Vicente.
For the next two centuries, São Paulo developed as a poor and isolated village that survived largely through the cultivation ofsubsistence crops by the labor of natives. For a long time, São Paulo was the only village in Brazil's interior, as travel was too difficult for many to reach the area. Mem de Sá forbade colonists to use the Caminho do Piraquê(Piraquê Path) and today known asPiaçaguera, because of frequent Indian raids along it.
On 22 March 1681, Luís Álvares de Castro, the Second Marquis de Cascais and donee of the Captaincy ofSão Vicente, moved the capital to the village of São Paulo(seeTimeline of São Paulo), designating it the "Head of the captaincy". The new capital was established on 23 April 1683, with public celebrations.
In the 17th century, São Paulo was one of the poorest regions of thePortuguese colony. It was also the center of interior colonial development. Because they were extremely poor, the Paulistas could not afford to buy African slaves, as did other Portuguese colonists. The discovery of gold in the region ofMinas Gerais, in the 1690s, brought attention and new settlers to São Paulo. The Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas de Ouro (seeCaptaincies of Brazil) was created on 3 November 1709, when the Portuguese crown purchased the Captaincies of São Paulo and Santo Amaro from the former grantees.[26]
Conveniently located in the country, up the steepSerra do Mar escarpment/mountain range when traveling fromSantos, while also not too far from the coastline, São Paulo became a safe place to stay for tired travelers. The town became a center for thebandeirantes, intrepid invaders who marched into unknown lands in search for gold, diamonds, precious stones, and Indians to enslave. Thebandeirantes, which could be translated as "flag-bearers" or "flag-followers", organized excursions into the land with the primary purpose of profit and the expansion of territory for the Portuguese crown. Trade grew from the local markets and from providing food and accommodation for explorers. Thebandeirantes eventually became politically powerful as a group, and forced the expulsion of theJesuits from the city of São Paulo in 1640. The two groups had frequently come into conflict because of the Jesuits' opposition to the domesticslave trade in Indians.
East entrance of the city of São Paulo in 1821, by Arnaud Julien Pallière (1784–1862)
On 11 July 1711, the town of São Paulo was elevated to city status. Around the 1720s, gold was found by the pioneers in the regions near what are nowCuiabá andGoiânia. The Portuguese expanded their Brazilian territory beyond theTordesillas Line to incorporate the gold regions. When the gold ran out in the late 18th century, São Paulo shifted to growingsugar cane. Cultivation of this commodity crop spread through the interior of the Captaincy. The sugar was exported through thePort of Santos. At that time, the first modern highway between São Paulo and the coast was constructed and named the Calçada do Lorena("Lorena'ssettway"). Nowadays, the estate that is home to the Governor of the State of São Paulo, in the city of São Paulo, is called thePalácio dos Bandeirantes (Bandeirantes Palace), in the neighborhood ofMorumbi.
After Brazil becameindependent from Portugal in 1822, as declared byEmperor Pedro I where theMonument to the Independence of Brazil is located, he named São Paulo as an Imperial City. In 1827, a law school was founded at the Convent of São Francisco, today part of theUniversity of São Paulo. The influx of students and teachers gave a new impetus to the city's growth, thanks to which the city became theImperial City and Borough of Students of St. Paul of Piratininga.
From 1869 onward, São Paulo was connected to the port of Santos by theEstrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí (Santos-Jundiaí Railroad), nicknamed The Lady. In the late 19th century, several other railroads connected the interior to the state capital. São Paulo became the point of convergence of all railroads from the interior of the state. Coffee was the economic engine for major economic and population growth in the State of São Paulo.
In 1888, the "Golden Law" (Lei Áurea) was sanctioned byIsabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, abolishing the institution of slavery in Brazil. Slaves were the main source of labor in the coffee plantations until then. As a consequence of this law, and following governmental stimulus towards the increase of immigration, the province began to receive a large number of immigrants, largely Italians, Japanese and Portuguese peasants, many of whom settled in the capital. The region's first industries also began to emerge, providing jobs to the newcomers, especially those who had to learn Portuguese.
By the time Brazil became a republic on 15 November 1889, coffee exports were still an important part of São Paulo's economy. São Paulo grew strong in the national political scene, taking turns with the also rich state of Minas Gerais in electingBrazilian presidents, an alliance that became known as "coffee and milk", given thatMinas Gerais was famous for its dairy production. During this period, São Paulo went from regional center to national metropolis, becoming industrialized and reaching its first million inhabitants in 1928. Its greatest growth in this period was relative in the 1890s when it doubled its population. The height of the coffee period is represented by the construction of the secondLuz Station (the present building) at the end of the 19th century and by thePaulista Avenue in 1900, where they built many mansions.[27]
Industrialization was the economic cycle that followed the coffee plantation model. By the hands of some industrious families, including many immigrants of Italian and Jewish origin, factories began to arise and São Paulo became known for its smoky, foggy air. The cultural scene followedmodernist andnaturalist tendencies in fashion at the beginning of the 20th century. Some examples of notable modernist artists are poetsMário de Andrade andOswald de Andrade, artistsAnita Malfatti,Tarsila do Amaral andLasar Segall, and sculptorVictor Brecheret. TheModern Art Week of 1922 that took place at theTheatro Municipal was an event marked byavant-garde ideas and works of art. In 1929, São Paulo won its first skyscraper, theMartinelli Building.[27]
The modifications made in the city by Antônio da Silva Prado, Baron of Duprat andWashington Luís, who governed from 1899 to 1919, contributed to the climate development of the city; some scholars consider that the entire city was demolished and rebuilt at that time. São Paulo's main economic activities derive from the services industry – factories are since long gone, and in came financial services institutions, law firms, consulting firms. Old factory buildings and warehouses still dot the landscape in neighborhoods such asBarra Funda andBrás. Some cities around São Paulo, such asDiadema,São Bernardo do Campo,Santo André, andCubatão are still heavily industrialized to the present day, with factories producing from cosmetics to chemicals to automobiles.
In 1924 the city was the stage of theSão Paulo Revolt, an armed conflict fought in working-class neighborhoods near the center of São Paulo that lasted 23 days, from 5 to 28 July, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured. The confrontation between the federal troops of presidentArtur Bernardes against rebels of theBrazilian Army and thePublic Force of São Paulo was classified by the federal government as a conspiracy, a mutiny and a "revolt against the Fatherland, without foundation, headed by disorderly members of the Brazilian Army".[28] To face the rebels, the federal government launched anindiscriminate artillery bombardment against the city, which affected mostly civilian targets; as a result of the bombing, a third of São Paulo's 700,000 inhabitants fled the city. The revolt has been described as "the largesturban conflict in the history of Brazil".[29]
In 1932, São Paulo mobilized in its largest civic movement: theConstitutionalist Revolution, when the entire population engaged in the war against the "Provisional Government" ofGetúlio Vargas. In 1934, with the reunion of some faculties created in the 19th century, theUniversity of São Paulo (USP) was founded, today the largest in Brazil.[30][31]
The first major project for industrial installation in the city was the industrial complex ofIndústrias Matarazzo inBarra Funda. In the 1930s, the Jafet brothers, operating in the fabric business, Rodolfo Crespi, the Puglisi Carbone brothers and the Klabin family, who would found the first large cellulose industry in Brazil, theKlabin.[32] Another major industrial boom occurred during theSecond World War, due to the crisis in coffee farming in the 1930s and restrictions on international trade during the war, which resulted in the city having a very high economic growth rate that remained high in the post-war period.[33]
In 1947, São Paulo gained its first paved highway: theVia Anchieta (built on the old route ofJosé de Anchieta), connecting the capital to the coast of São Paulo. In the 1950s, São Paulo was known as "the city that never stop" and as "the fastest growing city in the world".[33] São Paulo held a large celebration, in 1954, of the "Fourth Centenary" of the city's founding, when theIbirapuera Park was inaugurated, many historical books are released and the source of theTietê River inSalesópolis is discovered. With the transfer of part of the city's financial center, which was located in the historic center (in the region called the "Historic Triangle"), toPaulista Avenue, its mansions were, for the most part, replaced by large buildings.[33]
Prestes Maia Avenue in 1974
In the period from the 1930s to the 1960s, the great entrepreneurs of São Paulo's development were mayorFrancisco Prestes Maia and the governorAdemar de Barros, who was also mayor of São Paulo between 1957 and 1961. Prestes Maia designed and implemented, in the 1930s, the "Avenue Plan for the City of São Paulo", which revolutionized São Paulo's traffic.[34] These two rulers are also responsible for the two biggest urban interventions, after the Avenues Plan, which changed São Paulo: therectification of the Tietê river with the construction of its banks and theSão Paulo Metro: on February 13, 1963, governor Ademar de Barros and mayor Prestes Maia created study commissions (state and municipal) to prepare the basic project for the São Paulo Metro, and allocated their first funds to the Metro.[35] At the beginning of the 1960s, São Paulo already had four million inhabitants. Construction of the metro began in 1968, under the administration of MayorJosé Vicente de Faria Lima, and the commercial operation started on September 14, 1974. In 2016 the system had a network 71.5 km long and 64 stations spread across five lines. That year, 1.1 billion passengers were transported by the system.[36]
At the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century, São Paulo became the main financial center inSouth America and one of the most populous cities in the world. As the most influential Brazilian city on the global stage, São Paulo is currently classified as analpha global city.[8] The metropolis hasone of the largest GDP in the world, representing, alone, 11% of allBrazilian GDP,[15] and is also responsible for one third of the Brazilian scientific production.[37]
Jaraguá Peak is the highest point in the city, at 1,135 meters (3,724 ft).[38]
São Paulo is the capital of the most populous state in Brazil,São Paulo, located atlatitude 23°33'01'' south andlongitude 46°38'02'' west. The total area of the municipality is 1,521.11 square kilometres (587.30 sq mi), according to theBrazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), being the ninth largest in the state in terms of territorial extension.[39] Of the entire area of the municipality, 949,611 square kilometres (366,647 sq mi) are urban areas (2015), being the largest urban area in the country.[40]
The city is on aplateau placed beyond theSerra do Mar (Portuguese for "Sea Range" or "Coastal Range"), itself a component of the vast region known as theBrazilian Highlands, with an average elevation of around 799 meters (2,621 ft)above sea level, although being at a distance of only about 70 kilometers (43 mi) fromthe Atlantic Ocean. The distance is covered by two highways, theAnchieta and theImigrantes, (see "Transportation" below) that roll down the range, leading to the port city ofSantos and the beach resort ofGuarujá. Rolling terrain prevails within the urbanized areas of São Paulo except in its northern area, where theSerra da Cantareira Range reaches a higher elevation and a sizable remnant of theAtlantic Rain Forest. The region is seismically stable and no significantactivity has ever been recorded.[41]
TheTietê River and itstributary, thePinheiros River, were once important sources offresh water and leisure for São Paulo. However, heavy industrialeffluents andwastewater discharges in the later 20th century caused the rivers to becomeheavily polluted. A substantial clean-up program for both rivers is underway.[42][43] Neither river is navigable in the stretch that flows through the city, althoughwater transportation becomes increasingly important on the Tietê river further downstream (nearriver Paraná), as the river is part of theRiver Plate basin.[44]
No large natural lakes exist in the region, but theBillings andGuarapiranga reservoirs in the city's southern outskirts are used forpower generation, water storage and leisure activities, such as sailing. The originalflora consisted mainly ofbroadleafevergreens.Non-native species are common, as the mild climate and abundant rainfall permit a multitude of tropical, subtropical and temperate plants to be cultivated, especially the ubiquitouseucalyptus.[45]
The north of the municipality contains part of the 7,917 hectares (19,560 acres)Cantareira State Park, created in 1962, which protects a large part of the metropolitan São Paulo water supply.[46] In 2015, São Paulo experienced amajor drought, which led several cities in the state to start a rationing system.[47]
In 2009, São Paulo had 2,300 hectares (5,700 acres) of green area, less than 1.5% of the city's area[52] and below the 12 square metres (130 sq ft) per inhabitant recommended by theWorld Health Organization (WHO).[53] About 21% of the municipality's area is covered by green areas, including ecological reserves (2010 data).[54][55]
Air pollution in some districts of the city exceeds local standards, mainly due to car traffic.[57] TheWorld Health Organization (WHO) sets a limit of 20 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter of air as a safe annual average. In an assessment carried out by the WHO among over a thousand cities around the world in 2011, the city of São Paulo was ranked 268th among the most polluted, with an average rate of 38 micrograms per cubic meter, a rate well above the limit imposed by the organization, but lower than in other Brazilian cities, such asRio de Janeiro (64 micrograms per cubic meter).[58] A 2013 study found that air pollution in the city causes more deaths thantraffic accidents.[59][60]
The stretch of theTietê River that runs through the city is the most polluted river in Brazil.[61] In 1992, the Tietê Project began, with the aim to clean up the river by 2005. 8.8 billion reais was spent on the failed project.[62] In 2019, the Novo Rio Pinheiros Project began, under the administration ofJoão Doria, with the aim to reduce sewage discharged into the Tietê's tributary, thePinheiros River.[63][64]
The problem of balanced water supply for the city - and for the metropolis, in general - is also a worrying issue: São Paulo has few sources of water in its own perimeter, having to seek it in distant hydrographic basins. The problem of water pollution is also aggravated by the irregular occupation of watershed areas, caused by urban expansion, driven by the difficulty of access to land and housing in central areas by the low-income population[65] and associated with real estate speculation and precariousness in new subdivisions. With this, there is also an overvaluation of individual transport over public transport – leading to the current rate of more than one vehicle for every two inhabitants and aggravating the problem of environmental pollution.[66]
According to theKöppen classification, the city has a temperatehumid subtropical climate (Cfa, bordering onCwa).[68][69] In summer (January through March), the mean low temperature is about 19 °C (66 °F) and the mean high temperatures is near 28 °C (82 °F). In winter, temperatures tend to range between 12 and 22 °C (54 and 72 °F). The record high temperature was 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) on 17 October 2014[70] and the lowest −3.2 °C (26.2 °F) on 25 June 1918.[71][72] TheTropic of Capricorn, at about 23°27' S, passes through north of São Paulo and roughly marks the boundary between the tropical andtemperate areas of South America. Because of its elevation, however, São Paulo experiences a more temperate climate.[73] The summer is warm and rainy. Autumn and spring are transitional seasons. Winter is mild, but still the coldest season, with cloudiness around town and frequent polar air masses.Frosts occur sporadically in regions further away from the center, in some winters throughout the city.[74]
Rainfall is abundant, annually averaging 1,454 millimeters (57.2 in).[75] It is especially common in the warmer months averaging 219 millimeters (8.6 in) and decreases in winter, averaging 47 millimeters (1.9 in). Neither São Paulo nor the nearby coast has ever been hit by atropical cyclone andtornadic activity is uncommon. During late winter, especially August, the city experiences the phenomenon known as"veranico" or"verãozinho" ("little summer"), which consists of hot and dry weather, sometimes reaching temperatures well above 28 °C (82 °F). On the other hand, relatively cool days during summer are fairly common when persistent winds blow from the ocean. On such occasions daily high temperatures may not surpass 20 °C (68 °F), accompanied by lows often below 15 °C (59 °F), however, summer can be extremely hot when a heat wave hits the city followed by temperatures around 34 °C (93 °F), but in places with greater skyscraper density and less tree cover, the temperature can feel like 39 °C (102 °F), as onPaulista Avenue for example. In the summer of 2014, São Paulo was affected by a heat wave that lasted for almost 4 weeks with highs above 30 °C (86 °F), peaking on 36 °C (97 °F). Secondary todeforestation,groundwater pollution, andclimate change, São Paulo is increasingly susceptible todrought andwater shortages.[76]
Climate data for São Paulo (Mirante de Santana), elevation 785 m (2,575 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1943–present)[77][78]
São Paulo's population has grown rapidly. By 1960 it had surpassed that ofRio de Janeiro, making it Brazil's most populous city. By this time, the urbanized area of São Paulo had extended beyond the boundaries of the municipality proper into neighboring municipalities, making it a metropolitan area with a population of 4.6 million. Population growth has continued since 1960, although the rate of growth has slowed.[97]
In 2013, São Paulo was the most populous city in Brazil and in South America.[98] According to the2010 IBGE Census, there were 11,244,369 people residing in the city of São Paulo.[99] Portuguese remains the most widely spoken language and São Paulo is the largest city in thePortuguese speaking world.[100]
In 2010, the city had 2,146,077 opposite-sex couples and 7,532same-sex couples. The population of São Paulo was 52.6% female and 47.4% male.[101] The2022 census found 6,214,422White people (54.3%), 3,820,326Pardo (multiracial) people (33.4%), 1,160,073Black people (10.1%), 238,603Asian people (2.1%) and 17,727Amerindian people (0.2%).[102]
São Paulo is considered the mostmulticultural city in Brazil. From 1870 to 2010, approximately 2.3 millionimmigrants arrived in the state, from all parts of the world. TheItalian community is one of the strongest, with a presence throughout the city. Of the 12 million inhabitants of São Paulo, 50% (6 million people) have full or partial Italian ancestry. São Paulo has moredescendants of Italians than any Italian city (the largest city ofItaly isRome, with 2.8 million inhabitants).[103]
Even today, Italians are grouped in neighborhoods likeBixiga,Brás, andMooca to promote celebrations and festivals. In the early twentieth century, Italian and its dialects were spoken almost as much asPortuguese in the city, which influenced the formation of the São Paulo dialect of today. Six thousand pizzerias are producing about a million pizzas a day. Brazil has the largestItalian population outsideItaly, with São Paulo being the most populous city with Italian ancestry in the world.[111]
"A French observer, travelling to São Paulo at the time, noted that there was a division of the capitalist class, by nationality (...) Germans, French and Italians shared the dry goods sector with Brazilians. Foodstuffs was generally the province of either Portuguese or Brazilians, except for bakery and pastry which was the domain of the French and Germans. Shoes and tinware were mostly controlled by Italians. However, the larger metallurgical plants were in the hands of the English and the Americans. (...) Italians outnumbered Brazilians two to one in São Paulo."
Until 1920, 1,078,437Italians entered in theState of São Paulo. Of the immigrants who arrived there between 1887 and 1902, 63.5% came from Italy. Between 1888 and 1919, 44.7% of the immigrants were Italians, 19.2% wereSpaniards and 15.4% werePortuguese.[114] In 1920, nearly 80% of São Paulo city's population was composed of immigrants and their descendants and Italians made up over half of its male population.[114] At that time, the Governor of São Paulo said that "if the owner of each house in São Paulo display the flag of the country of origin on the roof, from above São Paulo would look like an Italian city". In 1900, a columnist who was absent from São Paulo for 20 years wrote "then São Paulo used to be a genuine Paulista city, today it is an Italian city."[114]
São Paulo also is home of the largestJapanese community outsideJapan.[115] In 1958 the census counted 120,000 Japanese in the city and by 1987, there were 326,000 with another 170,000 in the surrounding areas within São Paulo state.[116] As of 2007, thePaulistano Japanese population outnumbered their fellow diaspora inthe entirety of Peru, and in all individual American cities.[116]
Research conducted by theUniversity of São Paulo (USP) shows the city's high ethnic diversity: when asked if they are "descendants of foreign immigrants", 81% of the students reported "yes". The main reported ancestries were: Italian (30.5%), Portuguese (23%), Spanish (14%), Japanese (8%), German (6%),Brazilian (4%), African (3%), Arab (2%) and Jewish (1%).[117]
The city once attracted numerous immigrants from all over Brazil and even from foreign countries, due to a strong economy and for being the hub of most Brazilian companies.[118] São Paulo is also receiving waves of immigration fromHaiti and from many countries ofAfrica and theCaribbean. Those immigrants are mainly concentrated inPraça da Sé,Glicério andVale do Anhangabaú in theCentral Zone of São Paulo.
Since the 19th century people began migrating fromnortheastern Brazil into São Paulo. This migration grew enormously in the 1930s and remained huge in the next decades. The concentration of land, modernization in rural areas, changes in work relationships and cycles of droughts stimulated migration. The largest concentration of northeastern migrants was found in the area of Sé/Brás (districts ofBrás,Bom Retiro,Cambuci,Pari andSé). In this area they composed 41% of the population.[119]
The nonspecific term "Grande São Paulo" ("Greater São Paulo") covers multiple definitions. The legally definedRegião Metropolitana de São Paulo consists of 39 municipalities in total and a population of 21.1 million[120] inhabitants (as of the 2014 National Census[update]).
Because São Paulo hasurban sprawl, it uses a different definition for its metropolitan area alternately called the Expanded Metropolitan Complex of São Paulo and theSão Paulo Macrometropolis. Analogous to theBosWash definition, it is one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world, with 32 million inhabitants,[121] behindTokyo, which includes four contiguous legally defined metropolitan regions and three micro-regions.
Like the cultural variety verifiable in São Paulo, there are several religious manifestations present in the city. Although it has developed on an eminentlyCatholic social matrix, both due to colonization and immigration – and even today most of the people of São Paulo declare themselves Roman Catholic – it is possible to find in the city dozens of different Protestant denominations, as well as the practice ofIslam,Spiritism, among others.Buddhism and Eastern religions also have relevance among the beliefs most practiced by Paulistanos. It is estimated that there are more than one hundred thousandBuddhist andHindu followers each. Also considerable areJudaism,Mormonism andAfro-Brazilian religions.[122]
According to data from theBrazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 2010 the population of São Paulo was 6,549,775Roman Catholics (58.2%), 2,887,810Protestants (22.1%), 531,822Spiritists (4.7%), 101,493Jehovah's Witnesses (0.9%), 75,075Buddhists (0.7%), 50,794Umbandists (0.5%), 43,610Jews (0.4%), 28,673Catholic Apostolic Brazilians (0.3%), 25,583 eastern religious (0.2%), 18,058Candomblecists (0.2%), 17,321Mormons (0.2%), 14,894 Eastern Orthodox (0.1%), 9,119spiritualists (0.1%), 8,277Muslims (0.1%), 7,139esoteric (0.1%), 1,829 practiced Indian traditions (<0.1%) and 1,008 wereHindu (<0.1%). Others 1,056 008 had no religion (9.4%), 149,628 followed other Christian religiosities (1.3%), 55,978 had an undetermined religion or multiple belonging (0.5%), 14,127 did not know (0.1%) And 1,896 reported following other religiosities (<0.1%).[122]
The Catholic Church divides the territory of the municipality of São Paulo into four ecclesiastical circumscriptions: theArchdiocese of São Paulo, and the adjacent Diocese of Santo Amaro, the Diocese of São Miguel Paulista and the Diocese of Campo Limpo, the last three suffragans of the first. The archive of the archdiocese, called the Metropolitan Archival Dom Duarte Leopoldo e Silva, in theIpiranga neighborhood, holds one of the most important documentary heritage in Brazil. The archiepiscopal is theMetropolitan Cathedral of São Paulo (known as Sé Cathedral), inPraça da Sé, considered one of the five largestGothic temples in the world. The Catholic Church recognizes as patron saints of the citySaint Paul of Tarsus andOur Lady of Penha of France.[123][124]
In 2008, the city of São Paulo ranked 493rd on the list of the most violent cities in Brazil. Among the capitals, it was the fourth least violent, registering, in 2006, homicide rates higher only than those ofBoa Vista,Palmas andNatal.[128][129] In November 2009, the Ministry of Justice and the Brazilian Public Security Forum released a survey that identified São Paulo as the safest Brazilian capital for young people.[130] Between 2000 and 2010, the city of São Paulo reduced its homicide rate by 78%.[131]
According to the 2011 Global Homicide Study, released by theUnited Nations (UN), in the period between 2004 and 2009 the homicide rate fell from 20.8 to 10.8 murders per hundred thousand inhabitants. In 2011, the UN pointed to São Paulo as an example of how large cities can reduce crime.[132] In a survey on the Adolescent Homicide Index (AHI) in 2010, the city of São Paulo was considered the least lethal for adolescents, among 283 municipalities surveyed, with more than 100,000 inhabitants.[133] According to data from the "Map of Violence 2011", published by the Sangari Institute and the Ministry of Justice, the city had the lowest homicide rate per hundred thousand inhabitants that year among all the state capitals in Brazil.[134]
Crime indicators, such as homicide, according to data from April 2017, showed a reduction in the capital of São Paulo, compared to 2016. In the same period, there was a 12.64% reduction in homicides, the number of robbery records fell by eleven to seven (34% reduction), and there was an 8.09% reduction in rape cases.[135] The 9th DP in the Carandiru neighborhood was considered, in March 2007, one of the five best police stations in the world and the best inLatin America.[136]
Based on data from IBGE and the Ministry of Health, it is considered the 2nd safest capital[137] and the least lethal capital in the country, according to the 2023 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook.[138]
Since the beginning of the 20th century, São Paulo has been a major economic center in Latin America. During twoWorld Wars and theGreat Depression, coffee exports (from other regions of the state) were critically affected. This led wealthy coffee farmers to invest in industrial activities that turned São Paulo into Brazil's largest industrial hub.
Crime rates consistently decreased in the 21st century. The citywide homicide rate was 6.56 in 2019, less than a fourth of the 27.38 national rate.[139]
Air quality[57] has steadily increased during the modern era.
The two major rivers crossing the city,Tietê andPinheiros, are highly polluted. A major project to clean up these rivers is underway.[42][43]
TheClean City Law or antibillboard, approved in 2007, focused on two main targets: anti-publicity and anti-commerce. Advertisers estimate that they removed 15,000 billboards and that more than 1,600signs and 1,300 towering metal panels were dismantled by authorities.[140]
São Paulo metropolitan region, adopted vehicle restrictions from 1996 to 1998 to reduce air pollution during wintertime. Since 1997, a similar project was implemented throughout the year in the central area of São Paulo to improve traffic.[141]
There were more than 30,000 homeless people in 2021 according to official data. It increased by 31% in two years, and doubled in 20 years.[142]
The primary language isPortuguese. The general language from São Paulo General, orTupi Austral (Southern Tupi), was the Tupi-based trade language of what is now São Vicente, São Paulo, and the upper Tietê River. In the 17th century it was widely spoken in São Paulo and spread to neighboring regions while in Brazil. From 1750 on, following orders fromMarquess of Pombal, Portuguese language was introduced through immigration and consequently taught to children in schools. The originalTupi Austral language subsequently lost ground toPortuguese, and eventually became extinct. Due to the large influx ofJapanese,German,Spanish,Italian andArab immigrants etc., the Portuguese idiom spoken in the metropolitan area of São Paulo reflects influences from those languages.
The Italian influence in São Paulo accents is evident in the Italian neighborhoods such as Bela Vista,Mooca,Brás and Lapa. Italian mingled with Portuguese and as an old influence, was assimilated or disappeared into spoken language. The local accent with Italian influences became notorious through the songs ofAdoniran Barbosa, a Braziliansamba singer born to Italian parents who used to sing using the local accent.[143]
Other languages spoken in the city are mainly among the Asian community: São Paulo is home to the largest Japanese population outside Japan. Although today most Japanese-Brazilians 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.[144] In some areas it is still possible to find descendants of immigrants who speak German[145] (especially in the area of Brooklin paulista) and Lithuanian or Russian or East European languages (especially in the area of Vila Zelina).[146][147] In the west zone of São Paulo, specially at Vila Anastácio and Lapa region, there is aHungarian colony, with three churches (Calvinist, Baptist and Catholic), so on Sundays it is possible to see Hungarians talking to each other on sidewalks.
Strongly supported by the State and the City of São Paulo government authorities, in 2010, the city hall of São Paulo invested R$1 million reais in the parade and provided a solid security plan, with approximately 2,000 policemen, two mobile police stations for immediate reporting of occurrences, 30 equipped ambulances, 55 nurses, 46 medical physicians, three hospital camps with 80 beds. The parade, considered the city's second largest event after theFormula One, begins at theSão Paulo Museum of Art, crossesPaulista Avenue, and follows Consolação Street toPraça Roosevelt inDowntown São Paulo. According to the LGBT appGrindr, the gay parade of the city was elected the best in the world.[149]
São Paulo has public and private primary and secondary schools and vocational-technical schools. More than nine-tenths of the population are literate and roughly the same proportion of those age 7 to 14 are enrolled in school. There are 578 universities in the state of São Paulo.[150]
The city of São Paulo is also home to research and development facilities and attracts companies due to the presence of regionally renowned universities. Science, technology and innovation is leveraged by the allocation of funds from thestate government, mainly carried out by means of the Foundation to Research Support in the State of São Paulo (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP), one of the main agencies promoting scientific and technological research.[151]
São Paulo is one of the largest health care hubs in Latin America. Among its hospitals are the Albert Einstein Israelites Hospital, ranked the best hospital in all Latin America[154] and theHospital das Clínicas, the largest in the region, with a total area of 600,000 square meters and offers 2,400 beds, distributed among its eight specialized institutes and two assisting hospitals.[155]
The main hospitals in the city of São Paulo concentrate in the upper-income areas, the majority of the population of the city has a private health insurance. This can includes hospitals, private practices and pharmacies. The city of São Paulo has the largest number of foreigners comparing with any other Brazilian city and an intensehealth tourism. In Brazil, the city of São Paulo has the largest number of doctors who can speak more than one language, which in this case isPortuguese, with the secondary languages predominantly areEnglish andSpanish.[156]
The private health care sector is very large and most of Brazil's best hospitals are in the city. As of September 2009, the city of São Paulo had: 32,553ambulatory clinics, centers and professional offices (physicians, dentists and others); 217 hospitals, with 32,554 beds; 137,745 health care professionals, including 28,316 physicians.[157]
The municipal government operates publichealth facilities across the city's territory, with 770 primary health care units (UBS), ambulatory and emergency clinics and 17 hospitals. The Municipal Secretary of Health has 59,000 employees, including 8,000 physicians and 12,000 nurses. 6,000,000 citizens uses the facilities, which provide drugs at no cost and manage an extensive family health program (PSF – Programa de Saúde da Família).[158]
The Sistema Integrado de Gestão de Assistência à Saúde de São Paulo – SIGA Saúde (Integrated Health Care Management System in São Paulo) has been operating in the city of São Paulo since 2004. Today there are more than 22 million registered users, including the people of theGreater São Paulo, with a monthly average of 1.3 million appointments.[158]
As the capital of thestate of São Paulo, the city is home to theBandeirantes Palace (state government) and theLegislative Assembly. The Executive Branch of the municipality of São Paulo is represented by themayor and his cabinet of secretaries, following the model proposed by theFederal Constitution.[159] The organic law of the municipality and the Master Plan of the city, however, determine that the public administration must guarantee to the population effective tools of manifestation of participatory democracy, which causes that the city is divided in regional prefectures, each one led by a Regional Mayor appointed by the Mayor.[160]
The legislative power is represented by the Municipal Chamber, composed of 55 aldermen elected to four-year posts (in compliance with the provisions of Article 29 of the Constitution, which dictates a minimum number of 42 and a maximum of 55 for municipalities with more than five million inhabitants). It is up to the house to draft and vote fundamental laws for the administration and the Executive, especially the municipal budget (known as the Law of Budgetary Guidelines).[161] In addition to the legislative process and the work of the secretariats, there are also a number of municipal councils, each dealing with different topics, composed of representatives of the various sectors of organized civil society. The actual performance and representativeness of such councils, however, are sometimes questioned.
The following municipal councils are active: Municipal Council for Children and Adolescents (CMDCA); of Informatics (WCC); of the Physically Disabled (CMDP); of Education (CME); of Housing (CMH); of Environment (CADES); of Health (CMS); of Tourism (COMTUR); of Human Rights (CMDH); of Culture (CMC); and of Social Assistance (COMAS) and Drugs and Alcohol (COMUDA). The Prefecture also owns (or is the majority partner in their social capital) a series of companies responsible for various aspects of public services and the economy of São Paulo:
Companhia de Engenharia de Tráfego (CET):[162] subordinated to the Municipal Transportation Department, is responsible for traffic supervision, fines (in cooperation with DETRAN) and maintenance of the city's road system.
Companhia Metropolitana de Habitação de São Paulo (COHAB): subordinate to the Department of Housing, is responsible for the implementation of public housing policies, especially the construction of housing developments.
Empresa Municipal de Urbanização de São Paulo (EMURB): subordinate to the Planning Department, is responsible for urban works and for the maintenance of public spaces and urban furniture.
Companhia de Processamento de Dados de São Paulo (PRODAM): responsible for the electronic infrastructure and information technology of the city hall.
São Paulo Transportes Sociedade Anônima (SPTrans): responsible for the operation of the public transport systems managed by the city hall, such as the municipal bus lines.
São Paulo is divided into 32subprefectures, each with an administration ("subprefeitura") divided into several districts ("distritos").[160] The city also has a radial division into nine zones for purpose of traffic control and bus lines, which do not fit into the administrative divisions. These zones are identified by colors in the street signs. The historical core of São Paulo, which includes the inner city and the area ofPaulista Avenue, is in theSubprefecture of Sé. Most other economic and tourist facilities of the city are inside an area officially calledCentro Expandido (Portuguese for "Broad Center", or "Broad Downtown"), which includes Sé and several other subprefectures, and areas immediately around it.
São Paulo isBrazil's highest GDP city and one of thelargest in the world.[165][166] According to data from theIBGE, its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010 was R$450 billion,[167] approximatelyUS$220 billion, 12.26% of Brazilian GDP and 36% of the São Paulo state's GDP.[168] The per capita income for the city was R$32,493 in 2008.[169]
São Paulo's economy is going through a deep transformation. Once a city with a strongindustrial character, São Paulo's economy has followed the global trend of shifting to thetertiary sector of the economy, focusing on services. São Paulo also has a large "informal" economy.[175] According toPricewaterhouseCoopers average annual economic growth of the city is 4.2%.[176] In 2005, the city of São Paulo collected R$90 billion in taxes and the city budget was R$15 billion. The city has 1,500 bankbranches and 70 shopping malls.[177]
The city is unique among Brazilian cities for its large number of foreign corporations.[178] São Paulo ranked second after New York inFDi magazine's bi-annual ranking of Cities of the Future 2013–14 in theAmericas, and was named the Latin American City of the Future 2013–14.[179] According toMercer's 2011city rankings of cost of living for expatriate employees, São Paulo is among the ten most expensive cities in the world.[180][181]
Luxury brands tend to concentrate their business in São Paulo. Because of the lack of department stores and multi-brand boutiques,shopping malls as well as theJardins district attract most of the world's luxurious brands. Most of the international luxury brands can be found in theIguatemi, Cidade Jardim or JK shopping malls or on the streets ofOscar Freire, Lorena or Haddock Lobo in the Jardins district. They are home of brands such asCartier,Chanel,Dior,Giorgio Armani,Gucci,Louis Vuitton,Marc Jacobs,Tiffany & Co. Cidade Jardim was opened in São Paulo in 2008, it is a 45,000-square-meter (484,376-square-foot) mall, landscaped with trees and greenery scenario, with a focus on Brazilian brands but also home to international luxury brands such asHermès,Jimmy Choo,Pucci andCarolina Herrera. Opened in 2012, JK shopping mall has brought to Brazil brands that were not present in the country before such as Goyard, Tory Burch, Llc.,Prada, and Miu Miu.[182]
TheIguatemi Faria Lima, inFaria Lima Avenue, is Brazil's oldest mall, opened in 1966.[183] TheJardins neighborhood is regarded among the most sophisticated places in town, with upscale restaurants and hotels. The New York Times once compared Oscar Freire Street toRodeo Drive.[184] In Jardins there are luxury car dealers. One of the world's best restaurants as elected by The World's 50 Best Restaurants Award, D.O.M.,[185] is there.
Large hotel chains whose target audience is the corporate traveler are in the city. São Paulo is home to 75% of the country's leading business fairs. The city also promotes one of the most important fashion weeks in the world,São Paulo Fashion Week, established in 1996 under the name Morumbi Fashion Brasil, is the largest and most important fashion event in Latin America.[188] Besides, theSão Paulo Gay Pride Parade, held since 1997 onPaulista Avenue is the event that attracts more tourists to the city.[189]
The annual March For Jesus is a large gathering of Christians from Protestant churches throughout Brazil, with São Paulo police reporting participation in the range of 350,000 in 2015.[190] In addition, São Paulo hosts the annual São Paulo Pancake Cook-Off in which chefs from across Brazil and the world participate in competitions based on the cooking ofpancakes.[191]
Cultural tourism also has relevance to the city, especially when considering the international events in the metropolis, such as theSão Paulo Art Biennial, that attracted almost 1 million people in 2004.
The city has a nightlife that is considered one of the best in the country, and is an international hub of highly active and diversenightlife withbars, dance bars andnightclubs staying open well past midnight.[192] There are cinemas, theaters, museums, and cultural centers. TheRua Oscar Freire was named one of the eight most luxurious streets in the world, according to the Mystery Shopping International,[193] and São Paulo the 25th "most expensive city" of the planet.[194]
According to a study byMasterCard in 130 cities around the world, São Paulo was the third most visited destination in Latin America (behindMexico City andBuenos Aires) with 2.4 million foreign travelers, who spent US$2.9 billion in 2013 (the highest among the cities in the region). In 2014,CNN ranked nightlife São Paulo as the fourth best in the world, behindNew York City,Berlin andIbiza, inSpain.[196]
The cuisine of the region is a tourist attraction. The city has 62 cuisines across 12,000 restaurants.[197] During the 10th International Congress of Gastronomy, Hospitality and Tourism (Cihat) conducted in 1997, the city received the title of "World Gastronomy Capital" from a commission formed by 43 nations' representatives.[198]
The city view fromAltino Arantes BuildingChanges in urban fabrics in the region ofJardins: side by side, vertical areas and low houses
Since the beginning of the 20th century, São Paulo has been one of the main economic centers ofLatin America. With theFirst andSecond World Wars and theGreat Depression, coffee exports to theUnited States andEurope were heavily affected, forcing the rich coffee growers to invest in the industrial activities that would make São Paulo the largest industrial center in Brazil. The new job vacancies contributed to attract a significant number of immigrants (mainly from Italy)[199] and migrants, especially from the Northeastern states.[200] From a population of only 32.000 people in 1880, São Paulo now had 8.5 million inhabitants in 1980. The rapid population growth has brought many problems for the city.
São Paulo is practically all served by the water supply network. The city consumes an average of 221 liters of water/inhabitant/day while the UN recommends the consumption of 110 liters/day. The water loss is 30.8%. However, between 11 and 12.8% of households do not have a sewage system, depositing waste in pits and ditches. Sixty percent of the sewage collected is treated. According to data from IBGE and Eletropaulo, the electricity grid serves almost 100% of households. The fixed telephony network is still precarious, with coverage of 67.2%. Household garbage collection covers all regions of the municipality but is still insufficient, reaching around 94% of the demand in districts such asParelheiros and Perus. About 80% of the garbage produced daily by Paulistas is exported to other cities, such asCaieiras andGuarulhos.[201] Recycling accounts for about 1% of the 15,000 metric tons of waste produced daily.[201]
São Paulo has a myriad of urban fabrics. The original nuclei of the city are vertical, characterized by the presence of commercial buildings and services; And the peripheries are generally developed with two to four-story buildings – although such generalization certainly meets with exceptions in the fabric of the metropolis. Compared to other global cities (such as the island cities ofNew York City andHong Kong), however, São Paulo is considered a "low-rise building" city. Its tallest buildings rarely reach forty stories, and the average residential building is twenty. Nevertheless, it is the fourth city in the world in quantity of buildings, according to the page specialized in research of data on buildingsEmporis Buildings,[202] besides possessing what was considered until 2014 the tallest skyscraper of the country, theMirante do Vale, also known asPalácio Zarzur Kogan, with 170 meters of height and 51 floors.[203]
Such tissue heterogeneity, however, is not as predictable as the generic model can make us imagine. Some central regions of the city began to concentrate indigents,drug trafficking, street vending andprostitution, which encouraged the creation of new socio-economic centralities. The characterization of each region of the city also underwent several changes throughout the 20th century. With the relocation of industries to other cities or states, several areas that once housed factory sheds have become commercial or even residential areas.[204]
São Paulo has a history of actions, projects and plans related to urban planning that can be traced to the governments of Antonio da Silva Prado, Baron Duprat, Washington and Luis Francisco Prestes Maia. However, in general, the city was formed during the 20th century, growing from village to metropolis through a series of informal processes and irregular urban sprawl.[205]
Urban growth in São Paulo has followed three patterns since the beginning of the 20th century, according to urban historians: since the late 19th century and until the 1940s, São Paulo was a condensed city in which different social groups lived in a small urban zone separated by type of housing; from the 1940s to the 1980s, São Paulo followed a model of center-periphery social segregation, in which the upper and middle-classes occupied central and modern areas while the poor moved towards precarious, self-built housing in the periphery; and from the 1980s onward, new transformations have brought the social classes closer together in spatial terms, but separated by walls and security technologies that seek to isolate the richer classes in the name of security.[206] Thus, São Paulo differs considerably from other Brazilian cities such asBelo Horizonte andGoiânia, whose initial expansion followed determinations by a plan, or a city likeBrasília, whose master plan had been fully developed prior to construction.[207]
The effectiveness of these plans has been seen by some planners and historians as questionable. Some of these scholars argue that such plans were produced exclusively for the benefit of the wealthier strata of the population while the working classes would be relegated to the traditional informal processes. In São Paulo until the mid-1950s, the plans were based on the idea of "demolish and rebuild", including former MayorFrancisco Prestes Maia's road plan for São Paulo (known as the Avenues Plan) orSaturnino de Brito's plan for the Tietê River. The Plan of the Avenues was implemented during the 1920s and sought to build large avenues connecting the city center with the outskirts. This plan included renewing the commercial city center, leading to real estate speculation and gentrification of several downtown neighborhoods. The plan also led to the expansion of bus services, which would soon replace the trolley as the preliminary transportation system.[208] This contributed to the outwards expansion of São Paulo and the peripherization of poorer residents. Peripheral neighborhoods were usually unregulated and consisted mainly of self-built single-family houses.[206]
In 1968 the Urban Development Plan proposed the Basic Plan for Integrated Development of São Paulo, under the administration of Figueiredo Ferraz. The main result was zoning laws. It lasted until 2004 when the Basic Plan was replaced by the current Master Plan.[209] Thatzoning, adopted in 1972, designated "Z1" areas (residential areas designed for elites) and "Z3" (a "mixed zone" lacking clear definitions about their characteristics). Zoning encouraged the growth of suburbs with minimal control and major speculation.[210] After the 1970s peripheral lot regulation increased and infrastructure in the periphery improved, driving land prices up. The poorest and the newcomers now could not purchase their lot and build their house, and were forced to look for a housing alternative. As a result,favelas and precarious tenements (cortiços) appeared.[211] These housing types were often closer to the city's center: favelas could sprawl in any unused terrain (often dangerous or unsanitary) and decaying or abandoned buildings for tenements were abundant inside the city. Favelas went back into the urban perimeter, occupying the small lots not yet occupied by urbanization – alongside polluted rivers, railways, or between bridges.[212] By 1993, 19.8% of São Paulo's population lived infavelas, compared to 5.2% in 1980.[213] Today, it is estimated that 2.1 million Paulistas live in favelas, which represents about 11% of the metropolitan area's population.[214]
Congonhas Airport operates flights mainly to Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte and Brasília. Built in the 1930s, it was designed to handle the increasing demand for flights, in the fastest growing city in the world. Located in Campo Belo District, Congonhas Airport is close to the three main city's financial districts:Paulista Avenue,Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue andEngenheiro Luís Carlos Berrini Avenue.
The São Paulo–Guarulhos International, also known as "Cumbica", is 25 km (16 mi) north-east of the city center, in the neighboring city ofGuarulhos. Every day nearly 110.000 people pass through the airport, which connects Brazil to 36 countries around the world. 370 companies operate there, generating more than 53.000 jobs. The international airport is connected to the metropolitan rail system, withLine 13 (CPTM).
Campo de Marte is inSantana district, the northernzone of São Paulo. The airport handles private flights and air shuttles, includingair taxi firms. Opened in 1935, Campo de Marte is the base for the largest helicopter fleet in Brazil and the world's, ahead of New York and Tokyo.[215] This airport is the home base of the State Civil Police Air Tactical Unit, the State Military Police Radio Patrol Unit and the São Paulo Flying Club.[216]From this airport, passengers can take advantage of some 350 remote helipads and heliports to bypass heavy road traffic.[217]
Automobiles are the main means to get into the city. In March 2011, more than 7 million vehicles were registered.[218] Heavy traffic is common on the city's main avenues andtraffic jams are relatively common on its highways.
The city is crossed by 10 major motorways:President Dutra Highway/BR-116 (connects São Paulo to the east andnorth-east of the country); Régis Bittencourt Highway/BR-116 (connects São Paulo to the south of the country);Fernão Dias Highway/BR-381 (connects São Paulo to the north of the country);Anchieta Highway/SP-150 (connects São Paulo to the ocean coast);Immigrants Highway/SP-150 (connects São Paulo to the ocean coast);President Castelo Branco Highway/SP-280 (connects São Paulo to the west and north-west of the country);Raposo Tavares Highway/SP-270 (connects São Paulo to the west of the country);Anhanguera Highway/SP-330 (connects São Paulo to the north-west of the country, including its capital city);Bandeirantes Highway/SP-348 (connects São Paulo to the north-west of the country);Ayrton Senna Highway/SP-70 (named after Brazilian legendaryFormula One driverAyrton Senna, the motorway connects São Paulo to east locations of the state, as well as the north coast of the state).
TheRodoanel Mário Covas (official designation SP-021) is thebeltway of theGreater São Paulo. Upon its completion, it will have a length of 177 km (110 mi), with a radius of approximately 23 km (14 mi) from the geographical center of the city. It was named after Mário Covas, who was mayor of the city of São Paulo (1983–1985) and a state governor (1994–1998/1998–2001) until his death from cancer. It is a controlled access highway with a speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph) under normal weather and traffic circumstances. The west, south and east parts are completed, and the north part, which will close the beltway, is due in 2022 and is being built by DERSA.[219]
Bus transport (government and private) is composed of 17,000 buses (including about 290trolley buses).[222] The traditional system of informal transport (dab vans) was later reorganized and legalized. Thetrolleybus systems provide a portion of thepublic transport service inGreater São Paulo with two independent networks.[223][220] TheSPTrans (São Paulo Transportes) system opened in 1949 and serves the city of São Paulo, while theEmpresa Metropolitana de Transportes Urbanos de São Paulo (EMTU) system opened in 1988 and serves suburban areas to the southeast of the city proper. Worldwide, São Paulo is one of only two metropolitan areas possessing two independent trolleybus systems, the other beingNaples, Italy.[220]
São PauloTietê Bus Terminal is the second largestbus terminal in the world, afterPABT inNew York.[221] It serves localities across the nation, with the exception of the states ofAmazonas, Roraima andAmapá. Routes to 1,010 cities in five countries (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay) are available. It connects to all regional airports and aride sharing automobile service toSantos.[221]
TheSão Paulo Metro operates 104 kilometers (65 mi) ofrapid transit system, with six lines in operation, serving 91 stations.[227] In 2015, the metro reached the mark of 11.5 million passengers per mile of line, 15% higher than in 2008, when 10 million users were taken per mile. It is the largest concentration of people in a single transport system in the world, according to the company. In 2014, the São Paulo Metro was elected the best metro system in theAmericas.[228]
TheCompanhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM, or "Paulista Company of Metropolitan Trains") railway add 273.0 km (169.6 mi) ofcommuter rail, with seven lines and 94 stations. The system carries about 2.8 million passengers a day. On 8 June 2018, CPTM set a weekday ridership record with 3,096,035 trips.[231] TheLine 13 (Jade) of the CPTM connects São Paulo to theSão Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, in the municipality ofGuarulhos, the first major international airport in South America to be directly served by train.[232]
CCR Group (through theViaQuatro andViaMobilidade concessionaires) operates subway lines4–Yellow and5–Lilac, in addition to managing (through the ViaMobilidade concessionaire) lines8-Diamond and9-Emerald of the metropolitan train system. Metro and metropolitan train networks transport an average of nearly 7 million people a day, while another 2 million passengers are transported by EMTU buses daily.[233]
The two major São Paulorailway stations are Luz and Júlio Prestes in the Luz/Campos Eliseos region.Julio Prestes Station connected Southwest São Paulo State and NorthernParaná State to São Paulo City. Agricultural products were transferred to Luz Station from which they headed to theAtlantic Ocean and overseas. Júlio Prestes stopped transporting passengers through the Sorocabana or FEPASA lines and now only has metro service. Due to its acoustics and interior beauty, surrounded by Greek revival columns, part of the rebuilt station was transformed into the São Paulo Hall.
Luz Station was built in Britain and assembled in Brazil. It has an underground station and is still active with metro lines that link São Paulo to the Greater São Paulo region to the East and the Campinas Metropolitan region inJundiaí in the western part of the State. Luz Station is surrounded by importantcultural institutions such as thePinacoteca do Estado, The Museu de Arte Sacra on Tiradentes Avenue and Jardim da Luz, among others. It is the seat of theSantos-Jundiaí line which historically transportedinternational immigrants from thePort of Santos to São Paulo and the coffee plantation lands in the Western region ofCampinas. São Paulo has notram lines, although trams were common in the first half of the 20th century.[234]
Adoniran Barbosa was asamba singer and composer who became successful during São Paulo's early radio era. Born in 1912 in the town ofValinhos, Barbosa was known as the "composer to the masses", particularly Italian immigrants living in the quarters of Bela Vista, also known as "Bexiga" and Brás, as well as those who lived in the city's many 'cortiços' or tenements. His songs drew from the life of urban workers, the unemployed and those who lived on the edge. His first big hit was "Saudosa Maloca" ("Shanty of Fond Memories" – 1951), wherein three homeless friends recall with nostalgia their improvised shanty home, which was torn down by the landowner to make room for a building. His 1964Trem das Onze ("The 11 pm Train"), became 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 theJaçanã suburb, for his mother will not sleep before he arrives home. Another important musician with a similar style isPaulo Vanzolini. Vanzolini is a PhD in biology and a part-time professional musician. He composed a song depicting a love murder scene in São Paulo called "Ronda".
In the late 1960s, a psychedelic rock band calledOs Mutantes became popular. Their success is related to that of othertropicalia musicians. The group was known as verypaulistanos in its behavior and clothing. Os Mutantes released five albums before lead singerRita Lee departed in 1972 to join another group calledTutti Frutti. Although initially known only in Brazil, Os Mutantes became successful abroad after the 1990s. In 2000,Tecnicolor, an album recorded in the early 1970s in English by the band, was released with artwork designed bySean Lennon.[235]
In the early 1980s, a band calledUltraje a Rigor (Elegant Outrage) emerged. They played a simple and irreverent style of rock. The lyrics depicted the changes in society and culture that Brazilian society was experiencing. A late punk and garage scene became strong in the 1980s, perhaps associated with the gloomy scenario of unemployment during an extended recession. Bands originating from this movement includeIra!,Titãs,Ratos de Porão andInocentes. In the 1990s,drum and bass arose as another musical movement in São Paulo, with artists such asDJ Marky,DJ Patife,XRS,Drumagick andFernanda Porto.[236] Manyheavy metal bands also originated in São Paulo, such asAngra,Project46,Torture Squad, Korzus andDr. Sin. Famous electro-pop bandCansei de Ser Sexy, or CSS (Portuguese for "tired of being sexy") also has its origins in the city.
Many of the most important classical Brazilian living composers, such asAmaral Vieira,Osvaldo Lacerda andEdson Zampronha, were born and live in São Paulo. LocalbaritonePaulo Szot has won international acclaim performing for six consecutive seasons at The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala and Opera de Paris, among others; and TheTony Award for best actor in a musical for his performance in a 2008 revival ofSouth Pacific. TheSão Paulo State Symphony is one of the world's outstanding orchestras; their artistic director beginning in 2012 is the noted American conductorMarin Alsop. In 1952,Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote his Symphony Number 10 ('Ameríndia') for the 400th anniversary of São Paulo: an allegorical, historical and religious account of the city told through the eyes of its founderJosé de Anchieta.[237]
São Paulo's opera houses are:São Paulo Municipal Theater, Theatro São Pedro and Alfa Theater, for the symphonic concerts there is theSala São Paulo, the latter being the headquarters ofOSESP, an orchestra. The city hosts several music halls. The main ones are: Citibank Hall, HSBC Music Hall, Olympia, Via Funchal, Villa Country, Arena Anhembi and Espaco das Américas. TheAnhembi Sambadrome hosts musical presentations as well, in addition to theCarnival of São Paulo. Other facilities include the newPraça das Artes, with the Municipal Conservatory of Music Chamber Hall and others venues, like, Cultura Artistica, Teatro Sérgio Cardoso with a venue for only dance performances and Herzog & DeMeron's Centro Cultural Luz, for Ballet, Opera, theater and concerts, with three huge halls. The auditorium of the Latin-American Cultural Center, The Mozarteum, holds concerts through the year. Festivals as theVirada Cultural (Cultural Overnight) happen once a year and holds hundreds of attractions spread throughout the city.
São Paulo was home to the firstJesuit missionaries in Brazil, in the early 16th century. They wrote reports to the Portuguese crown about the newly found land, thenative peoples and composed poetry and music for thecatechism, creating the first written works from the area. The literary priests includedManuel da Nóbrega andJosé de Anchieta, living in or near the colony then calledPiratininga. They also helped to register theOld Tupi language, lexicon and its grammar.In 1922, the Brazilian Modernist Movement, launched in São Paulo, began to achieve cultural independence. Brazil had gone through the same stages of development as the rest of Latin America, but its political and culturalindependence came more gradually.[238]
Brazilian elite culture was originally strongly tied toPortugal. Gradually writers developed a multi-ethnic body of work that was distinctively Brazilian. The presence of large numbers of former slaves added a distinctiveAfrican character to theculture. Subsequent infusions of immigrants of non-Portuguese origin broadened the range of influences.[239]
Mário de Andrade andOswald de Andrade were the prototypical modernists. With the urban poems of "Paulicéia Desvairada" and "Carefree Paulistan land" (1922), Mário de Andrade established themovement in Brazil. His rhapsodic novelMacunaíma (1928), with its abundance of Brazilianfolklore, represents the apex ofmodernism's nationalist prose through its creation of an offbeat nativenational hero. Oswald de Andrade's experimental poetry,avant-garde prose, particularly the novel Serafim Ponte Grande (1933) and provocative manifestos exemplify the movement's break with tradition.[239]
Modernist artists and writers chose the Municipal Theatre of São Paulo to launch their Modernist manifesto. The site happened to be a bastion of European culture with opera and classical music presentations from Germany, France, Austria and Italy. They defied the high society that frequented the venue and who insisted on speaking only foreign languages such as French, behaving as if Brazilian culture did not matter.[239]
Many historians believe that the first theatrical performance in Brazil was held in São Paulo. The PortugueseJesuit missionaryJosé de Anchieta (1534–1597) wrote short plays that were performed and watched by the Tupi–Guarani natives. In the second half of the 19th century a cultural, musical and theatrical life emerged.European ethnic groups began holding performances in some of the state's rural cities. The most important period for the art in São Paulo was the 1940s. São Paulo had had a professional company, Teatro Brasileiro de Comédia, (Brazilian Theater of Comedy), along with others.
During the 1960s, major theater productions in São Paulo and Brazil were presented by two groups. Teatro de Arena began with a group of students from Escola de Arte Dramática (DramaArt School), founded by Alfredo Mesquita, in 1948. In 1958, the group excelled with the play "Eles não usam black tie" byGianfrancesco Guarnieri which was the first in the history of the Brazilian drama to featurelaborworkers asprotagonists.[240]
After the military coup of 1964, plays started focusing onBrazilian history (Zumbi, Tiradentes). Teatro de Arena and Teatro Oficina supported the democratic resistance during themilitary dictatorship period, marked by its censorship. The Tropicalist movement began there. A number of plays representedhistoric moments, notably "O Rei da Vela", "Galileu Galilei" (1968), "Na Selva das Cidades" (1969) and "Gracias Señor" (1972).
The district of Bixiga concentrates the greatest number oftheaters, around 40 including the theaters that are closed for refurbishing or for other reasons, and small alternatives companies venues. Some of the most important are Renault, Brigadeiro, Zaccaro,Bibi Ferreira, Maria della Costa, Ruth Escobar, Opera, TBC, Imprensa, Oficina, Àgora, Cacilda Becker, Sérgio Cardoso, do Bixiga, and Bandeirantes.
TheIpiranga Museum is the first monument built to preserve the memory of theIndependence of Brazil, opened on 7 September 1895, with the name of Natural Science Museum]. In 1919, it became ahistory museum. Reflecting the architectural influence of the Versailles Palace in France, the Ipiranga's collection, with approximately 100,000 pieces, comprises works of art, furniture, clothing and appliances that belonged to those who took part inBrazilian history, such as explorers, rulers and freedom fighters. Its facilities house a library with 100,000 books and the "Centro de Documentação Histórica", Historic Documentation Center, with 40,000manuscripts.
Stretching over 78 thousand square meters (0.84 million square feet),Memorial da América Latina (Latin America's Memorial) was conceived to showcaseLatin American countries and their roots and cultures. It is home to the headquarters of Parlamento Latino-Americano – Parlatino (Latin American Parliament). Designed byOscar Niemeyer, Memorial has an exhibition pavilion with permanent exhibition of the continent's craftwork production; a library with books, newspapers, magazines, videos, films and records about the history of Latin America; and a 1,679-seat auditorium.
Hospedaria do Imigrante (Immigrant's Hostel) was built in 1886 and opened in 1887. Immigrant's Hostel was built in Brás to welcome the immigrants who arrived in Brazil through thePort of Santos, quarantining those who were sick and helping new arrivals to find work in coffee plantations in Western, Northern and Southwestern São Paulo State and Northern Paraná State. From 1882 to 1978, 2.5 million immigrants of more than 60 nationalities and ethnicities were guests there,[242] all of them duly registered in the museum's books and lists. The hostel hosted approximately 3,000 people on average, but occasionally reached 8,000. The hostel received the last immigrants in 1978.[243] In 1998 the hostel became a museum, where it preserves the immigrants' documentation, memory and objects. Located in one of the few remaining centenarian buildings, the museum occupies part of the former hostel. The museum also restores wooden train wagons from the formerSão Paulo Railway. Two restored wagons inhabit the museum. One dates from 1914, while a second class passenger car dates from 1931. The museum records the names of all immigrants who were hosted there from 1888 to 1978.[244]
MASP has one of world's most important collections ofEuropean art. The most important collections cover Italian and French painting schools. The museum was founded byAssis Chateaubriand and is directed byPietro Maria Bardi. Its headquarters, opened in 1968, were designed byLina Bo Bardi. MASP organizes temporary exhibitions in special areas. Brazilian and international exhibitions ofcontemporary arts,photography,design andarchitecture take turn during the whole year.[245]
Located next to the Luz metro station, thePinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo was projected by architectRamos de Azevedo in 1895. It was constructed to house an Arts Lyceum. In 1911, it became a museum, where it hosts a number of art exhibitions, such as bronze statues of French sculptorAuguste Rodin took place in 2001. There is also a permanent exhibition on the "Resistance" movement that took place during military dictatorship in the Republican period, including a reconstructed prison cell where political prisoners were kept.
TheCatavento Museum is an interactive museum, inaugurated in 2009. It is dedicated to science and its dissemination, and is located in thePalácio das Indústrias ("Palace of the Industries"). The 12,000 square meter space is divided into 4 sections: "Universo" ("Universe"),"Vida" ("Life"), "Engenho" ("Ingenuity") and "Sociedade" ("Society")[246] and has more than 250 installations. Aimed at young audiences, it was founded by the state secretariats of culture and education, with an investment of 20 million reais after 14 months of construction.[247]
TheOca (oca means thatched house in Native BrazilianTupi-Guarani) is a white, spaceship-like building sitting in the greens ofIbirapuera Park. An exhibition place with more than 10 thousand square meters (0.11 million square feet). Modern art, Native Brazilian art, and photographie are some of the topics of past thematic exhibitions.
Museu da Imagem e do Som (Image and Sound Museum) preserves music, cinema, photography andgraphical arts. MIS has a collection of more than 200,000 images. It has more than 1,600 fiction videotapes, documentaries and music and 12,750 titles recorded inSuper 8 and 16 mm film. MIS organizes concerts, cinema and video festivals and photography and graphical arts exhibitions.
TheMuseum of Art of the Parliament of São Paulo is a contemporary art museum housed in the Palácio 9 de Julho, the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo house. The museum is run by the Department of Artistic Heritage of the Legislative Assembly and has paintings, sculpture, prints, ceramics and photographs, exploring the Brazilian contemporary art.
TheMuseu do Futebol (Football Museum) is at the famous soccer stadium Paulo Machado de Carvalho, which was built in 1940 during Getúlio Vargas presidency. The museum shows the history of soccer with a special attention to the memories, emotions and cultural values promoted by the sport during the 20th and 21st centuries in Brazil. The visit also includes fun and interactive activities, 16 rooms from the permanent collection, plus a temporary exposition.
São Paulo is home to the two most important daily newspapers in Brazil,Folha de S.Paulo andO Estado de S. Paulo. Also, the top three weekly news magazines of the country are based in the city,Veja,Época andISTOÉ.
Two of the five major television networks are based in the city,Band andRecordTV, whileSBT andRedeTV! are based inOsasco, a city in theSão Paulo metropolitan area, whileGlobo, the country's most watched TV channel, has a major news bureau and entertainment production center in the city. In addition,Gazeta is atPaulista Avenue and the city is used for its station idents since 2014.
Many of the major AM and FM radio networks of Brazil are headquartered in São Paulo, such asJovem Pan, Rádio Mix,Transamérica,BandNews FM,CBN, 89 A Radio Rock, Kiss FM andBand FM. The telephone area code for the city of São Paulo is 11.[248]
Volleyball, basketball, skateboard and tennis are other major sports. There are several traditionalsports clubs in São Paulo that are home for teams in many championships. The most important areEsporte Clube Pinheiros (waterpolo,women's volleyball, swimming,men's basketball andhandball),Clube Athletico Paulistano (basketball), Esporte Clube Banespa (volleyball, handball andfutsal),Esporte Clube Sírio (basketball), Associação Atlética Hebraica (basketball), Clube Atlético Monte Líbano (basketball), Clube de Campo Associação Atlética Guapira (amateur football) and Clube Atlético Ipiranga (multi-sports and former professional football).
TheSão Silvestre Race takes place every New Year's Eve. It was first held in 1925, when the competitors ran about 8,000 meters (26,000 feet). Since then, the distance raced varied, but is now set at 15 km (9.3 mi). TheSão Paulo Indy 300 was anIndyCar Series race inSantana that ran annually from 2010 to 2013. The event was removed from the2014 season calendar. São Paulo hosted the official1984 Tournament of the Americas (basketball) where theBrazilian national team won its first out of four gold medals.
In Bom Retiro district, there is a public baseball stadium,Estádio Mie Nishi, while Santo Amaro district is the seat of the Núcleo de Alto Rendimento (NAR) is a high performance sports center focused on Olympic athletes. São Paulo is alsorugby union's stronghold in Brazil, with the main rugby field in the city being at theSão Paulo Athletic Club, São Paulo's oldest club, founded by the British community. The Cobras Brasil Rugby, Brazilian professional franchise that plays theSuper Rugby Americas, is based in São Paulo.
^S.A, Empresa Paulista de Planejamento Metropolitano."Macrometrópole Paulista".EMPLASA (in Brazilian Portuguese).Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved12 October 2019.
^Zioni, Silvana; Silva, Gerardo; Passarelli, Silvia Helena (2011),Structuring dynamics of São Paulo macrometropolis: perspectives and strategies for rail infrastructure re-functioning.
^Ennis, Dawn (24 May 2017)."ABC will broadcast New York's pride parade live for the first time". LGBTQ Nation.Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved26 September 2018.Never before has any TV station in the entertainment news media capital of the world carried what organizer boast is the world's largest Pride parade live on TV
^Goodman, Edward Julius (1992).The Explorers of South America. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.
^Steward, Julian Haynes (1946).Handbook of South American Indians. Washington D.C: U.S. Government Printing Office.ISBN9780806124209.
^Tourism Secretariat (4 March 2010)."História de São Paulo" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived fromthe original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved3 January 2011.
^"3.º Seminário de Áreas Verdes"(PDF) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Prefeitura de São Paulo. 2010. p. 98.Archived(PDF) from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved28 April 2018.
^Whately, Marussia; Blauth, Fernanda; Weiss, Bruno; "Haverá água para todos?" inLe Monde Diplomatique Brasil, edição de janeiro de 2008; São Paulo: Instituto Pólis
^Centro de Pesquisas Meteorológicas e Climáticas Aplicadas à Agricultura (CEPAGRI)."Clima dos municípios paulistas" [Climate in municipalities of São Paulo State]. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). Archived fromthe original on 2 February 2018.
^Tempo Agora – Somar Meteorologia."Climate of São Paulo". Tempoagora.uol.com.br. Archived fromthe original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved17 April 2010.
^"Insolação Total Mensal e Anual".Normais Climatológicas do Brasil 1981–2010 (in Portuguese). Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia.Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved24 March 2022.
^"Temperatura Máxima (°C)" (in Portuguese). Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. 1961–1990. Archived fromthe original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved7 August 2014.
^"Temperatura Mínima (°C)" (in Portuguese). Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology. 1961–1990. Archived fromthe original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved7 August 2014.
^WAISELFISZ, Julio Jacobo (2011)."Mapa da Violência 2011"(PDF) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Sangari Institute. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 27 February 2017. Retrieved5 March 2011.
^"Billboard law in SP".Worldculturepictorial.com. 24 November 2008.Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved17 April 2010.
^Martins, Lourdes Conceição; Latorre, Maria do Rosário Dias de Oliveira; Saldiva, Paulo Paulo Hilário Nascimento; Braga, Alfésio Luís Ferreira (5 January 1996)."Vehicular Restriction in SP".Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia.4 (3):220–229.doi:10.1590/S1415-790X2001000300008.Archived from the original on 19 September 2011. Retrieved17 April 2010.
^ab[Caldeira, Teresa P.R. "City of Walls: Crime, Segregation, and Citizenship in São Paulo," University of California Press, 2000. Berkeley. (p. 215)]
^"São Paulo".Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved23 May 2015.
^[Moreira dos Santos, Laerte. "Expansao Urbana da Cidade de São Paulo e a Segregacao Socio-Espacial Durante o Periodo de 1850–1992" Instituto Federal de São Paulo, 1992]
^abcDo G1, em São Paulo, com informações do SPTV (21 November 2007)."Tietê Bus Terminal, the second largest in the world" (in Brazilian Portuguese). G1.globo.com.Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved17 April 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^There are 8 subway lines in construction or expansion, which will connect the two main airport and several business districts, along with others metropolitan cities. All the main projects from the São Paulo railway and underground system can be found on theMetrô websiteArchived 17 May 2008 at theWayback Machine andCPTM (in Portuguese)Archived 6 June 2014 at theWayback Machine.
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