São Paulo

Sao Paulo is the economic engine of Brazil and the most populous state in the country, home to the city of Sao Paulo, the largest metropolis in the Southern Hemisphere. A global center of finance, industry and culture, it drives much of the nation's wealth. From skyscrapers to coffee plantations, it concentrates Brazil's modern power.

Sao Paulo state spans a coastal strip and the Serra do Mar mountains, rising to a vast interior plateau of farmland and cities. The huge metropolis of Sao Paulo sits inland on the plateau. The climate is subtropical, milder on the highlands.

The state is intensely cosmopolitan, with the largest Japanese, Italian and Lebanese communities outside their home countries shaping its food and culture. The city of Sao Paulo is a powerhouse of gastronomy, art, nightlife and business.

Springing from a colonial mission and the bandeirante pioneers, Sao Paulo boomed on coffee in the 19th century and then industrialised to become Brazil's economic heart. Mass immigration built one of the most diverse societies in the Americas.