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São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and South America, and is the 3rd out of the largest metropolitan regions of the world. It is also the richest city of Brazil. The name means Saint Paul in Portuguese. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in commerce and finance as well as arts and entertainment.
The city has many renowned landmarks. The Immigrant's Hostel greeted millions of immigrants as they came to Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Paulista Avenue, in Downtown, is the most important financial center of the country and South America. The city is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange (BOVESPA). São Paulo has been home to several of the tallest buildings in Brazil, including the Mirante do Vale Building.
With an estimated population of 11,105,249 residents within an area of 1,523 square kilometres (588 sq mi), São Paulo is the most populous city in the Southern hemisphere.
 Panoramic picture of the lake in the Ibirapuera Park
The city also lies at the center of the heavily urbanized São Paulo metropolitan area, which, with an estimated 21,616,060 people in 2008 over 7,944 square kilometres (3,067.2 sq mi), is the largest metropolitan area in the nation. Depending on which definition is used, the São Paulo metropolitan area is ranked as either the first or second most populous in the Americas, just comparable to Mexico City.
The city's Latin motto is Non ducor, duco, which translates as "I am not led, I lead". A famous nickname for the city is "Sampa". São Paulo is also known for its unreliable weather, architecture and multitude of skyscrapers. The São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport operates many domestic and international flights.
History
Jesuit missionaries Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta founded the village of São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga on January 25, 1554. Along with their entourage, they established a mission aimed at converting the Tupi-Guarani indigenous Brazilians to the Catholic religion. Located just beyond the Serra do Mar cliffs, overlooking the port city of Santos, and close to the Tietê River, the new settlement became the natural entrance from the South East coast to the vast and fertile plateau to the West that would eventually become the State of São Paulo.
 View of downtown
The local entrepreneurs then started investing in the industrial development of São Paulo, attracting new contingents of overseas immigrants to the city. In addition to Europeans, Japanese, Syrian and Lebanese immigrants arrived in large numbers in the first half of the 20th century. The booming economy of the city also attracted huge waves of migrants from the poorest regions in Brazil, such as the Northeast.
However, due to competition with many other Brazilian cities, which sometimes offer tax advantages for companies to locate manufacturing plants there, São Paulo's main economic activities have gradually left its industrial profile in favour of the services industry in the late 20th century. The city is home to a large number of local and international banking offices, law firms, multinational companies and consumer services.
Despite its many woes, São Paulo remains the business hub of Latin America. Having prospered first with the coffee industry, and later with industrialisation, in the early 21st century it expanded into the services sector. Its huge market is a magnet for multinational corporations. Thanks to events such as the Feira Bienal Internacional de Arte, and its reputation for hosting cutting-edge music concerts, it has become something of a cultural centre as well. Economic growth and exportation of goods has lifted employment and wages. The murder rate has dropped by almost a quarter since its peak.
 São Paulo Museum of Art
Geography
São Paulo is located on a plateau that is part of the Serra do Mar (Portuguese for "Sea Range"), itself a component of the vast region known as the Brazilian Highlands, with an average elevation of around 799 metres (2,620 ft) above sea level - though at a distance of only about 70 kilometers (43 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean. This distance is covered by two highways, the Anchieta and the Imigrantes, that roll down the range, leading to the port city of Santos and the beach resort of Guarujá.
The Tietê River, and its tributary, the Pinheiros River were once important sources of fresh water and leisure for São Paulo, only to become grossly polluted by raw sewage and industrial effluents in the latter half of the 20th century. However, a substantial clean-up program for both rivers is underway, financed through a partnership between local government and international development banks.
Economy
 Brooklin, the financial center
São Paulo is the business center of the Mercosul economy. Acclaimed as a city of business tourism, attracting todays biggest and most important international events, be they in the economic, cultural, scientific or sporting area. It holds more than 200 events per day, offering more than 250 thousand square meters of space in pavilions and areas for congresses and fairs. With more than 12,000 restaurants of more than 40 different world cuisines, besides the 70 museums, more than 200 cinemas, around 50 theaters, art galleries and cultural centers, São Paulo has one of the liveliest night-lives in the world.
If the city of São Paulo were a country, its economy would be the 47th in the world, bigger than Egypt and Kuwait. In 2005, the city of São Paulo collected R$ 90 billion in taxes, and the budget of the city spent R$ 15 billion; these figures show that São Paulo contributes to redistribution wealth. Of all the international companies with business in Brazil, 63% have their head offices in São Paulo.
The São Paulo Stock Exchange (BM&F Bovespa) is Brazil's official stock and bonds exchange. The BM&F Bovespa is the largest stock exchange in Latin America and third largest in the world. In the Stocks Exchange, R$ 6 billion (US$ 3.5 billion) change hands every day.
The per capita income for the city was R$ 24,083 (approx. $10,331 USD in 2005).
Transportation
Air
São Paulo has three airports. Two are major: São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (IATA: GRU), for domestic and international flights, and Congonhas/São Paulo Airport (IATA: CGH), for domestic and regional flights. The third, Campo de Marte Airport, serves light aircraft and helicopters.
Guarulhos International, also known to São Paulo dwellers as "Cumbica", is 25 km (16 mi) north-east of the city center, in the neighbouring city of Guarulhos. Congonhas Airport operates flights mainly to Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasília.
Campo de Marte lies north of the Old Center of São Paulo, a city with possibly the world's highest helicopter ownership rate. Largely using this airport, an elite wealthy class takes advantage of some one hundred remote helipads and heliports to conveniently bypass heavy road traffic.
Ocean
The Port of Santos is located in the city of Santos, Brazil. As of 2006, it is the busiest container port in Latin America and holds the 39th position in container traffic in the world. It traded over 72 million tons in 2006.
 Port of Santos
The port possesses a wide variety of cargo handling terminals - solid and liquid bulk, containers and general loads. It is Brazil's leading port in container traffic. The terrestrial access system to the port is made up by the Anchieta and Imigrantes highways and by the railroads operated by Ferroban and MRS.
São Paulo's industrial complex and Cubatão's heavy industries and refineries owe their existence to the port of Santos.
You can learn more about Sao Paulo, Brazil by visiting www.wikipedia.com
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