São Paulo (state)

São Paulo (state), state in southeastern Brazil, bordered on the east by the state of Rio de Janeiro and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the state of Paraná, on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul, and on the north by Minas Gerais. São Paulo features a narrow coastal plain fronted by a steep escarpment leading up to a fertile interior plateau. The highest elevations are in the Serra do Mar mountain range near the coast. The state's most important river is the Tietê, which flows from the coastal highlands into the Paraná River along the western border.

São Paulo is Brazil's leading industrial state. Manufactures produced in the city of São Paulo and the surrounding area include steel, automobiles, aircraft, farm equipment, textiles, energy products, electronics, clothing, and food products. The state's heavy concentration of industries—the greatest in Latin America—has caused environmental problems, and controlling pollution is now a major governmental priority. São Paulo is also Brazil's most important agricultural state; its chief products include coffee, oranges, cotton, beans, and sugarcane (much of which is used to produce alcohol for motor vehicle fuel). Many raw and derived products, such as frozen orange juice concentrate, are exported to the United States. Communication and transportation systems are well-developed throughout the state, though the great reliance on highway transportation and relative decline of the rail system have led to serious traffic congestion and safety problems.

The city of São Paulo is the state capital. The center of an urbanized area containing 17.9 million people (2003 estimate), it is also South America's largest city. In addition to being an industrial center, the city is the business and financial capital of the country. Other important cities include the port of Santos, Bauru, Campinas, Ribeirão Prêto, Piracicaba, São José do Rio Prêto, São José dos Campos, and Sorocaba. Among the many important universities in the state are the University of São Paulo (1934), the State University of São Paulo (1976), the University of Campinas (1962), and the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (1946).

In the 17th century São Paulo was a base for Portuguese bandeiras (expeditions) into the interior of the continent in search of gold and Native American slaves; in the process, these explorers extended the area of Portuguese control of South America. São Paulo was designated as a state at the time of Brazil's independence in 1889. Coffee cultivation contributed to an economic boom in the state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This boom produced rapid economic development and population growth. Most Paulistas (a local name for the inhabitants of São Paulo) trace their ancestry to Europeans who emigrated to Brazil during this period. Area, 248,808 sq km (96,065 sq mi), population 40,442,795 (2005 estimate).