Franca is amunicipality in thestate of São Paulo, Brazil. The city is located in the northeastern portion of the state, distant 401 km (249 mi) from the state capitalSão Paulo, and 676 km (420 mi) fromBrasilia. It covers a total area of 605.679 km2 of which 86.92 km2 comprises the urban area.[2] As of the 2022 Census, the city's population was 352,537.
It is recognized as the "National Capital of Footwear" and "National Basketball Capital" in Brazil, serving as the industrial and economic hub for a region of 19 municipalities, with a combined population of 672,053, between the states of São Paulo andMinas Gerais.
In 2018, the city was ranked as the fifth best place to live in Brazil, and in 2023, as the sixth safest medium sized city in the country.[3] It has also maintained its position as one of the Brazilian cities with the best urban sanitation ratios.[4][5]
Franca was founded as a parish in 1805, initially part ofMogi Mirim until 1824. Its city status was granted in 1856.[6]
During the opening of the route known as "Caminho de Goiás" (route to Goiás), new settlements were established along the route to serve as resting / stopping points for the entourages travelling along the way from São Paulo toGoiás, in search of gold.[7]
The settlement where the city is now located was formerly known asPouso dos Bagres (stop of the catfishes).
In 1819, Franca was visited by French naturalistAuguste de Saint-Hilaire who dedicated the following message:
"The village of Franca, where I landed, is pleasantly in the midst of vast pastures, in an uncovered region, sown by bushes and cut by deep valleys. This charming village occupies the center of a path of land, wide and rounded, on each side. bathed by a small stream. At the time of my voyage, there were only about fifty houses there, but the sites for the construction of a large number of them were already marked, and it was easy to see that Franca would not take long to acquire greatness.[8]
The parish of Franca was founded on December 03, 1805, being part of the territory ofVila de Mogi Mirim until 1824, when it was emancipated byJoão VI and namedVila Franca do Imperador in honor of theEmperor Pedro I of Brazil. It received the status of city on April 24, 1856.[9]
Around 1890, Franca was served by theEstrada de Ferro Mogiana, however, the railroad branch was deactivated after the construction of a new branch connectingRibeirão Preto toUberaba. Due to the expansion of coffee production between the XIX and XX centuries, many italian immigrants settled in Franca, and the first shoe factory emerged in the late 1920s.[10]
Franca is one of the largest footwear producers in Brazil and Latin America, home to thousands of medium and large industries, including those focused on footwear component production and design centers that train new professionals for domestic and international careers. It hosts a diverse industrial sector, including production in metal, furniture, food, and beverages.[12] Franca is also located in the Alta Mogiana region, known for its coffee production due to the abundance of fertile soil and a favorable climate for cultivation.[13] The city has also had a long-standing jewelry and diamond industry, making it one of Brazil's prominent diamond-cutting centers.[14]
In 2021, the estimatedGross domestic product (GDP) of Franca reached R$11.28 billion.[15] The GDP per capita was R$31,450.10, while external revenue, including federal and state transfers, accounted for 58.65% of total revenue in 2023. The average monthly earnings of formal workers in 2022 were 2.1 times the value of the national minimum wage in Brazil.[16]
Franca is located in the northeastern region of the state of São Paulo, standing as the fifth highest municipality in the state at an altitude of 1,040 m above the sea level. The territory of Franca is covered by sandy soils dominated by the sandstones ofBauru, andBotucatu.[18] Vegetation is dominated by grasses, and the forests are restricted to mountainous slopes. The municipality shares borders with its neighborsBatatais,Cristais Paulista,Patrocínio Paulista,Ibiraci andClaraval.
The basin of Rio Canoas provide water for the city and the surrounding area. The municipality is traversed by various waterways, including the Rio das Canoas, Rio Pouso Alegre, Rio São João, and Ribeirão Salgado.
Franca has atropical savanna climate (Aw), with milder temperatures due to its elevation. The city experiences dry winters, rainy summers, and moderate temperatures year-round. Prior to the current climate classification (1961-1990), it was classified as having ahumid subtropical climate (Cwa). The lowest recorded temperature was 0 °C on July 5, 1953, and the highest temperature was 37.8 °C on October 15, 2014.[19]
Occurrence of rain is high and it is one of the rainiest cities in the State of São Paulo. The highest recorded rainfall reached 146 millimeters on March 28, 1931, and recently, 133.7 millimeters was recorded on November 21, 2018.[20]
Climate data for Franca (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1931–2010)
In 2010, theHuman Development Index (HDI) for Franca was 0.780, placing it in the high human development category. Among its components, the HDI-M for income was 0.755,longevity was 0.800, andeducation was 0.906.
By 2011, the majority of residents lived in urban areas, totaling 315,355, while 5,657 lived in rural zones. The school enrollment rate for children between 6 and 14 years old was 98.2%. Thelife expectancy was 73.03 years with a literacy rate of 96.37%. The fertility rate was 2.26 children per woman. Theinfant mortality rate was 12.66 per 1,000 live births, equivalent to 1.26%. As of the census of 2022, the infant mortality rate stood at 7.09 per 1,000 live births, while hospitalizations fordiarrhea reached 6.2 per 1,000 residents.[31]
In 2011, the racial and ethnic composition consisted of 69.15%White, 23.84%Mixed-race (Pardo), 6.30%Black, 0.58%Asian, and 0.12%Indigenous.[31] As of 2022, the population was 63.98% White, 28.26% Mixed-race (Pardo), and 7.48% Black. Asian individuals made up 0.22%, while Indigenous individuals accounted for 0.07%.[32]
^"Insolação Total (horas)".Normais Climatológicas do Brasil 1991-2020 (in Portuguese). Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia. Archived fromthe original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved20 May 2024.