São Paulo Maps

São Paulo is a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil and the capital of the state of São Paulo. It is the most populous city in Brazil and in the Southern Hemisphere. The 2022 census recorded about 11.4 million inhabitants, and the Greater São Paulo metropolitan area has more than 20 million people. Residents of the city are called paulistanos.

The city was founded on 25 January 1554 by Jesuit priests, including Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta. They established a mission on a plateau above the Atlantic coast. The settlement was named after Paul the Apostle, because the founding date fell on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. For its first few centuries it was a small settlement, and it served as a base for the bandeirantes, expeditions that explored the interior of the continent. On 7 September 1822, Prince Pedro proclaimed Brazil's independence from Portugal on the banks of the Ipiranga brook, which is now within the city.

Coffee production in the 19th century turned São Paulo into a major economic center. The coffee economy and later industrialization attracted large numbers of immigrants, mainly from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Japan and the Middle East. São Paulo has the largest population of Japanese descent outside Japan.

São Paulo sits at an average elevation of about 760 metres. The Tietê and Pinheiros rivers run through it, and it has a humid subtropical climate.

São Paulo is Brazil's leading financial and business center and has one of the largest economies of any city in Latin America. The Brazilian stock exchange, B3, is based there. Many national and multinational companies have their headquarters along Avenida Paulista and in other business districts. The city is also a major cultural center. Its landmarks include the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), the Municipal Theatre, São Paulo Cathedral and Ibirapuera Park, which opened in 1954. The São Paulo Art Biennial has been held since 1951. The Brazilian Grand Prix in Formula One takes place at the Interlagos circuit.

The city's main airports are São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, the busiest airport in Brazil, and Congonhas Airport, which mainly serves domestic flights. The São Paulo Metro opened in 1974.

Main sights in São Paulo