This Southern Brazilian state is bordered by Minas Gerais to the North and Northeast, Rio de Janeiro to the Northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the East and Mato Grosso to the West. It occupies an area of 248.808,8 sq km and its capital is the city of São Paulo.
The state’s most populous cities are: S. Paulo, Campinas, Guarulhos, Santo André, Osasco, S. Bernardo do Campo, São José dos Campos, Ribeirão Preto, Santos, Sorocaba, Diadema and Jundiai.
São Paulo, a very mountainous region, is located between 300 and 900 meters above sea level.
The state’s main rivers are: Tietê, Paranapanema, Grande, Turvo, Pardo, de Peixe, Paraíba do Sul and Piracicaba. The climate is tropical.
Being the most developed state in the country, S. Paulo’s economy is based on agriculture, cattle breeding, trade, services and industry.
The settlement of Vila de São Vicente began with Martim Afonso de Sousa in 1532, by the time of its foundation. In 1554, the Jesuits started building in the centre of the Vila, which was later promoted to the city category. In the 17th century, the Paulistanos (São Paulo inhabitants) formed the bandeiras (flags), in order to find gold and precious stones, and also to capture natives for slavery.
In the 19th century, the jump-start in coffee production was responsible for the state’s economical development. The accumulation of wealth and the arrival of high qualified European immigrants was an important step for its industrialization.
Together with the changes on the socio-economic profile of the province was the phenomenon of urbanization, which attracted a great number of Brazilians from other regions of the country in search of better work conditions.
Neighbour to Minas Gerais, S. Paulo dominated Brazilian political scenario in the beginning of the 20th century, with the policy café com leite (coffee and milk). In 1932, the Paulistanos organized the Constitutional Revolution, with the ideal of reinstalling democracy in the country.
Today its industrial park is characterized by evolution and diversity, and its expansion is reaching other regions throughout the country.
S. Paulo’s population is 37 032 403 individuals (according to a 2000 census).
S. Paulo city has approximately 14 391 282 inhabitants. It is the forth larger city in the world and its metropolitan area has 18 million people.
AZOREAN COMMUNITY IN SÃO PAULO
Azorean’s Professional Activities in São Paulo
The Azorean immigrants living in S. Paulo come mainly from S. Miguel Island.
During their first years of residence in S. Paulo most of them worked in the textile industry, in “Guilherme Jorge” (Cotonifício Guilherme Jorge) factory, located near Casa dos Açores. Today they are retired.
Other Azoreans work as traders on their own butcher shops or bakeries. There are also some businessmen exporting their own products.
Azorean descendants
Normally the Azorean descendants have university degrees: doctors, architects, lawyers, but mostly business managers, which fit perfectly to a state as S. Paulo with the largest industrial centre of Brazil.