São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest and richest city in the southern hemisphere. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in commerce and finance as well as arts and entertainment. People from the city of São Paulo are known as paulistanos.

São Paulo was founded in 1554. Officially became a city in 1711. São Paulo’s economy developed in the 19th century, when coffee started to replace sugar-cane as the country’s main export product, and it was shipped abroad from the port of neighbouring city Santos. After 1881,  started to arrive a waves of immigrants from Italy and other European countries, Japan and Middle Eastern countries.

São Paulo has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate. In summer, temperatures are between 17 °C and 28 °C , and 32 °C on the hottest days. In winter, are between 11 °C  and 23 °C, and 6 °C on the coldest days.

São Paulo is a major cultural centre. The city has an ethnically diverse metropolitan area, with heavy Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, among other influences. The city is known for its varied and sophisticated cuisine, ranging from Chinese to French, from fast food chains to five star restaurants. Other venues such as bars, pubs, lounges and discos cater to a variety of music tastes. São Paulo´s museums are among the finest in South America, its surrounding coastline is graced with many lovely beaches, and its entertainment and nightlife have for years attracted some of the best performers in the world.

The city has many renowned landmarks, such as the Museu Paulista do Ipiranga, the gothic Metropolitan Sé Cathedral, the São Paulo Museum of Art, the Monumento à Bandeira Portuguese, Niemeyer's Ibirapuera complex Bienal, planetarium, and other museums; and more recently the Estaiada bridge in the South Side. Paulista Avenue, in Midtown is the most important financial center in the country and South America. The city is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange “BOVESPA”, third largest in the world and a Formula One Grand Prix racing circuit (Interlagos).