São Paulo (state)

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São Paulo (Portuguese: Saint Paul) is a state in the Southeast Region of Brazil. Its capital city is called São Paulo too.

State of São Paulo
State
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Pro Brasília Fiant Eximia (Latin) "Let great things be done for Brazil"
Anthem: Bandeirantes Anthem
Location of State of São Paulo in Brazil
Coordinates: 23°32′S 46°38′W
Country	Brazil
Capital and Largest City	São Paulo
Government
• Governor	Pablo Marçal (PRTB)
Area
• Total	248,209.4 km2 (95,834.2 sq mi)
• Rank	12th
Population  (2010 census)
• Total	41,252,160
• Rank	1st
• Density	170/km2 (430/sq mi)
• Rank	3rd
Demonym	Paulista
GDP
• Year	2008 (IBGE)
• Total	R$ 1,003,016,000,000 (1st)
• Per capita	R$ 24,456 (2nd)
HDI
• Year	2005
• Category	0.833 – high (3rd)
Time zone	UTC-3 (BRT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-2 (BRST)
Postal Code	01000-000 to 19990-000
ISO 3166 code	BR-SP
Website	http://www.saopaulo.sp.gov.br/

Geography and economy

São Paulo is located in the South Region of Brazil, with an area of 248,209.4 square kilometres (95,834.2 sq mi). (For comparison, the state of Oregon in the United States of America has an area of 248,249 square kilometres (95,849 sq mi), but has a much smaller population).

It borders the state of Minas Gerais to the north, the state of Rio de Janeiro and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the state of Paraná to the south and state of Mato Grosso do Sul to the west.

The capital of São Paulo is the city of São Paulo.

São Paulo is the state in Brazil with the highest economical output.

It has the second highest per capita income of Brazil, second only to the Brazilian Federal District, where the federal capital Brasília is located.

With the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul it shares the highest standard of living in Brazil, despite of pockets of extreme poverty in the favelas (slums) in its largest cities.

The robust economy of São Paulo is based in industrial production, to include automobile and aviation, agriculture, services and tourism.

Demographics

São Paulo is the Brazilian state with the largest population and also is the most ethnically diverse.

Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Arab, Japanese and other people chose São Paulo as their home, due to its thriving economy.

Also migrants from other poorer Brazilian states (especially from the Northeast Region) come to São Paulo in search of a better life. Because there are not enough jobs, these people usually have to go back to their states, where there are even less jobs.

Transportation

São Paulo is the state in Brazil with the largest and most efficient transportation system.

The city of São Paulo relies on underground train and also suburban at-grade rail systems. City buses complement the public transportation system.

Air traffic is the busiest of all Brazil.

Harbors along the state's ocean front receive and ship a great share of Brazil's export and import goods.

Sports

São Paulo is a vibrant place when it comes to sports. Football (soccer) is king but the state has human resources and facilities to produce some of the best athletes in the world in many other fields.

The state has many professional soccer clubs but also volleyball has found a niche here.

Auto racing is a staple of the paulista's way of life. The state has produced several racing drivers that have attained international fame.

Main cities

São Paulo, Campinas, Guarulhos, Osasco, Ribeirão Preto, Santo André, Santos, São Bernardo do Campo, São Carlos, São José dos Campos and Sorocaba.

Other websites

• Media related to São Paulo State at Wikimedia Commons
• Official site (Portuguese)