Sao Paulo - The Capital of Brazil

Sao Paulo - The biggest City in the southern hemisphere 

About 20 million people live in the Greater São Paulo metropolitan area, the second-largest City in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The city and state of São Paulo are so economically relevant for the patterns of South America that they are considered a separate region of Brazil when international competitiveness rankings are formulated. Concerts, plays, film festivals, fashion shows, and international sports events, São Paulo disputes, with Rio de Janeiro the title of Brazil's capital of culture and sports.   

   

The city has a multicultural metropolitan area, with distinct Portuguese, Italian, Arabian and Japanese influences. It is the city with the largest number of Japanese people outside Japan.

São Paulo is famous for its varied and sophisticated gastronomy, ranging from Chinese to French, from fast food chains to five star restaurants. Its night life is animated by thousands of bars, pubs, lounges, and discos which cater for a variety of music tastes and many are open all night.  

      

It was Jose de Anchieta and Manuel da Nobrega, as Jesuit missionaries, who founded Sao Paulo. The Jesuit Priests established a mission; The Colegio de Sao Paulo de Piratininga – initially this was to convert the Tupi-Guarani, Indians to Catholicism. 

The famous Bandeirantes were from Sao Paulo, who are credited with a great Brazilian territorial expansion, in addition to uncovering a great wealth of natural resources. Indeed the Bandeirantes are iconic symbols of Sao Paulo.  

      

Sao Paulo Information 

Sao Paulo has an almost unique ethnic diversity, not found anywhere else in the World.

Sao Paulo has an excellent subway system, in addition to a good overland railway system. Taxis are reliable, but do avoid rush hour – as traffic moves very, very slowly at this time.

Shopping facilities in Sao Paulo are superb, but please visit the authentic markets and fairs, particularly at the weekend.