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São Paulo

City in BrazilSão Paulo sits on a plateau in south-eastern Brazil, beyond the Serra do Mar coastal mountains. The city is around 800 m above sea level, yet only about 70 km from the Atlantic Ocean.

What it's known for

São Paulo is the capital of São Paulo state, the most populous state in Brazil. It is one of the world's major financial centres and the headquarters of B3, Brazil's stock exchange.

Fun facts

  1. Jesuit priests, including Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta, founded a college here on 25 January 1554, and the city is named after Paul the Apostle.
  2. Its old nickname 'Terra da Garoa' means 'Drizzle Land', and locals also call the city 'Sampa'.
  3. Paulista Avenue, built in 1900 during the coffee boom, is where the São Paulo Art Museum, known as MASP, stands.

Finding it on the globe

São Paulo is a little inland from Brazil's south-east coast, about 360 km west-south-west of Rio de Janeiro.

Easy to mix up

São Paulo is Brazil's biggest city, but the capital is Brasília, about 870 km to the north. São Paulo is also the name of the state around the city.

Sources: Wikipedia: São Paulo, Wikipedia: List of national capitals