Women's Superliga Cities
Men's Superliga Cities
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ABOUT BRAZIL
Federative Republic of Brazil
República Federativa do Brasil
Official Language: Portuguese
Ethnic groups (2008 )
| Government | Federal presidential constitutional republic | |
|---|---|---|
| - | President | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
| - | Vice President | José Alencar |
| - | President-elect | Dilma Rousseff |
| - | Vice President- elect | Michel Temer |
| Area | ||
|---|---|---|
| - | Total | 8,514,877 km (5th) 3,287,597 sq mi |
| - | Water (%) | 0.65 |
População: 190,732,694
| GDP (PPP) | 2009 estimate | |
| - | Total | $2.013 trillion |
| - | Per capita | $10,513 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2009 estimate | |
| - | Total | $1.574 trillion |
| - | Per capita | $8,220 |
| Gini (2009) | 55 (high) | |
| HDI (2010) | 0.699 (high) (73th) | |
| Currency | Real (R$) (BRL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Religion | Percent | |||
| Roman Catholicism | 73.8% | |||
| Protestantism | 15.4% | |||
| No religion | 7.4% | |||
| Spiritism | 1.3% | |||
| Others | 2.1% | |||
Photos
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The Macaw is a typical animal of Brazil. The country has one of the world's most diverse populations of birds and amphibians. In the right the Amazon Rainforest, the largest tropical forest in the world.. | ||
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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ABOUT THE CITIES:
São Paulo, SP
Teams: MS (Pinheiros Sky and SESI), WS (Pinheiros Mackenzie)
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere, and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong national influence in commerce and finance as well as arts and entertainment. São Paulo is considered an Alpha - World City.
Sao Paulo (also called Sampa City), the land of drizzle and gastronomy, is the tenth most expensive city in the World and the richest of the Southern Hemisphere. It has the best hotel infrastructure in the country, as many events and many of the lowest rates of violence per capita in the country.
The city has many landmarks, such as the Paulista Museum, the neo-gothic Metropolitan Sé Cathedral, the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), the Monumento às Bandeiras (Portuguese for Monument to the Flag) and Niemeyer's Ibirapuera Bienal Complex; and more recently the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge (Estaiada Bridge) in the South Side. Paulista Avenue, in Midtown, is the city´s most important financial center.
The city is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange, or BOVESPA, the Future Markets, and the Cereal Market Stock Exchanges, the second largest stock exchange in the Americas. São Paulo has been home to several of the tallest buildings in Brazil, including the Mirante do Vale Building[3] and Itália Building.
With an estimated population of 11,037,593 residents within an area of 1,523 square kilometers (588.0 sq mi), São Paulo is the most populous city proper in the Americas.
The city also lies at the center of the heavily urbanized São Paulo metropolitan area, with an estimated 19,889,559 people in 2009 over 7,944 square kilometers (3,067.2 sq mi), is the largest metropolitan area in the nation. São Paulo metropolitan area is ranked as the second most populous in the Americas. People from the city of São Paulo are known as paulistanos, while paulistas designates anyone from the whole of São Paulo state, including the paulistanos. The city's Latin motto, which it has shared with the battleship and the aircraft carrier named after it, is Non dvcor, dvco, which translates as "I am not led, I lead."
A famous nickname for the city is "Sampa City" or only "Sampa". São Paulo is also known for its unreliable weather, the size of its helicopter fleet, architecture, gastronomy, and multitude of skyscrapers.
São Paulo has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cfa), according to the Köppen classification.[16] In summer, temperatures are between 17 °C (63 °F) and 28 °C (82 °F), and 32 °C (90 °F) on the hottest days. In winter, are between 11 °C (52 °F) and 23 °C (73 °F), and 6 °C (43 °F). on the coldest days. The highest temperature recorded was 35.3 °C (95.5 °F) November 15, 1985.[17] and the lowest recorded was −2 °C (28.4 °F) in August 2, 1955, and in the same day was recorded −3.8 °C (25 °F) unofficially. The average temperatures throughout the year are similar to those of Sydney and Los Angeles. The Tropic of Capricorn, at about 23°27' S, passes through north of São Paulo and roughly marks the boundary between the tropical and temperate areas of South America. Because of its elevation, however, São Paulo enjoys a distinctly temperate climate.
São Paulo is the most ethnically diverse city in Brazil. The main reported ancestries: Italian (30.5%), Portuguese (23%), Spanish (14%), Japanese (8%), German (5.6%), Brazilian (4.3%), African (2.8%), Arab (2.4%) and Jewish (1.2%), with an estimated 120,000 people of Chinese descent, 60,000 Bolivian immigrants, 50,000 people of Greek descent, 50,000 people of French descent and 50,000 people of Korean descent. Minority communities of immigrants also made São Paulo (city and/or state) their home, such as the Lithuanian, Eastern Europeans, Turkish, Armenians and North Americans communities.
Racially, São Paulo (city, not the metropolitan area) is made up of 70.0% White, 23.0% Mixed-race (Brown), 3.8% Black, 3.0% Asian and 0.2% Amerindian.
São Paulo is the 10th richest city in the world, and is expected to be the 6th richest in 2025. According to data of IBGE, its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2006 was R$ 282,852,338,000, equivalent to approximately 12.26% of the Brazilian GDP and 36% of all production of goods and services of the State of São Paulo.
Landmarks
- Paulista Avenue (one of the most important thoroughfares of the city and the site of many cultural centers and museums, such as the MASP and Centro Cultural Itaú).
- Brooklin (a financial and residential district).
- Banespa Building (skyscraper with observation deck and museum designed after the Empire State building).
- Catedral da Sé (the metropolitan cathedral, a symbol of the city).
- Edifício Copan, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, in the Centro neighbourhood. Built between 1951 and 1966, its wavy shape gives the building an impression of movement, and the integration of small businesses and residential flats are of innovative urbanism.
- Edifício Itália (skyscraper with observation deck).
- Estação da Luz (historical railway station built 1895-1901).
- Ibirapuera Park (the second largest park of the city (Parque do Carmo is the biggest), is also home to several museums. It is known for its buildings designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, such as the Oca and the new Ibirapuera Auditorium).
- Mooca (Italian district of São Paulo).
- Liberdade (Asian district of São Paulo).
- Mercado Municipal (historical market place in São Paulo).
- Municipal Theatre of São Paulo (magnificent opera house built in the early 20th century.)
- Museu de Arte Sacra (museum of religious art located in a colonial convent).
- Museu do Ipiranga (museum built where the Independence of Brazil was proclaimed in 1822).
- Museum of the Portuguese Language (located inside Estação da Luz).
- Pátio do Colégio (founding site of the city, former Jesuit mission-school to convert the natives to Catholicism).
- Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (important museum of Brazilian art).
- Praça da Sé (large square next to the São Paulo Cathedral. Official centre of the city).
- Shopping Malls Jardim Sul, Iguatemi, Ibirapuera, Morumbi, Eldorado, Pátio Higienópolis, Anália Franco, Bourbon, Cidade Jardim, and many others.
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| Paulista Avenue |
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| E-Tower |
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| Copan Building |
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| São Paulo Jockey Club |
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| Anhangabau Valley |
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| Estaiada Bridge |
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| New football-specific stadium under construction, owned by Corinthians (football association club) for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Opening. Source: aovivobr.com |
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Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Rio de Janeiro ("River of January"), commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, 6th largest in the Americas and 26th in the world.
The city was the capital of Brazil for nearly two centuries, from 1763 to 1815 during the Portuguese colonial era, 1815 to 1821 as the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves, and from 1822 to 1960 as an independent nation. Rio is nicknamed the Cidade Maravilhosa or "Marvelous City."
Rio de Janeiro represents the second largest GDP in the country (and 30th largest in the world), estimated at about 201 billion reais (IBGE/2010), and is the headquarters of two major Brazilian companies – Petrobras and Vale, and major oil companies and telephony in Brazil, besides the largest conglomerate of media and communications companies in Latin America, the Globo Organizations. The home of many universities and institutes, it is the second largest center of research and development in Brazil, accounting for 17% of national scientific production – according to 2005 data.
Rio de Janeiro is the most visited city in the southern hemisphere and is known for its natural settings, carnival celebrations, samba, Bossa Nova, balneario beaches such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. Some of the most famous landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer ('Cristo Redentor') atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a permanent grandstand-lined parade avenue which is used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, the first South American city to host the event, and will host the final match for 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Rio has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) according to the Köppen climate classification and is often characterized by long periods of rain from December to March. The temperature rarely reaches over 40 °C (104 °F) in inland areas of the city, and maximum temperatures above 28 °C (82 °F) occur on a monthly basis.
According to the IBGE of 2008, there were 11,513,000 people residing in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. The population density was 6180 people/km² (in the urban area). The last PNAD (National Household Sample Survey) census revealed the following percentage: 6,152,000 White people (53.43%), 4,039,000 Brown (Multiracial) people (35.08%), 1,274,000 Black people (11.6%), 20,000 Asian people (0.18%), 16,000 Amerindian people (0.14%).
Rio de Janeiro is a main cultural hub in Brazil. Its architecture embraces churches and buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, blending with the world renowned designs of the 20th. Rio was home to the Portuguese Imperial family and capital of the country for many years, and was influenced by Portuguese, English and French architecture.
Photos
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Sambodrome and Carnival
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Belo Horizonte, MG
Teams: (MS) VIVO Minas and Sada Cruzeiro* (WS) BMG Mackenzie and Usiminas Minas
*share their team with the city of Itabira.
Belo Horizonte ("Beautiful Horizon") is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Belo Horizonte (or "Beagá" or "Belô", as it is also familiarly known from the sound of its initials "BH" in Portuguese) has a population of over 2.4 million, or almost 5.4 million in the official Metropolitan Area.
The region was first settled in the early 18th century, but the city as it is known today was planned and constructed in the 1890s, in order to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas Gerais. The city features a mixture of contemporary and classical buildings, and hosts several modern Brazilian architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Complex. In planning the city, Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban planning of Washington, D.C. The city has employed notable programs in urban revitalization and food security, for which it has been awarded international accolades.
The city is built on several hills and is completely surrounded by mountains. There are several large parks in the immediate surroundings of Belo Horizonte. The "Parque das Mangabeiras", located six kilometres south-east from the city centre in the hills of the Serra do Curral, affords a view over the city. It has an area of 2.35 km2 (580 acres), of which 0.9 km2 (220 acres) is native forest. The "Mata do Jambeiro" nature reserve extends over 912 hectares (2,250 acres), with vegetation typical of the Atlantic forest. More than one hundred species of bird inhabit the reserve, as well as ten different species of mammals.
According to the IBGE of 2008, there were 5,054,000 people residing in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte. The population density was 7,290.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (18,883 /sq mi) (in the urban area).
The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 2,344,000 Brown (Multiracial) people (46.38%), 2,098,000 White people (41.51%), 581,000 Black people (11.50%), 14,000 Asian people (0.27%), 14,000 Amerindian people (0.27%).
The Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte is the third most populous of Brazil, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The city is the sixth most populous of the country.
During the 18th century, Minas Gerais received many Portuguese immigrants, mainly from Northern Portugal as well as a huge number of enslaved Africans.
Belo Horizonte has a notable Italian influence, around 30% of the city's population have some Italian origin. The Italian culture is present in the cuisine, dance, and language. People of German, Spanish, and Syrian-Lebanese ancestries also make up sizeable groups.
Belo Horizonte receives large numbers of visitors, as it is in the Brazilian main economic axis, exerting influence even on other states. Both multinational and Brazilian companies, like Google and Oi, maintain offices in the city. Belo Horizonte has a developed industrial sector, being traditionally a hub of the Brazilian siderurgical and metallurgical industries, as the state of Minas Gerais has always been very rich in minerals, specifically iron ore.
Belo Horizonte's climate can be classified as Tropical of altitude, with yearly average temperature between 9 and 35 °C (48 and 95 °F)
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| From the top, left to right: view of the city with the Curral Mountains in the background, seen from the downtown at night, September 7 Square, Rui Barbosa Square, Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, and Administrative City of Minas Gerais |
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Porto Alegre, RS
Team: (MS) Fátima/Medquímica Sogipa
Porto Alegre ("happy port") is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area (3,979,561 inhabitants). It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian state. Porto Alegre is one of the most important cultural, political and economic centers of Brazil. Two Mercosul countries, Argentina and Uruguay, border on the State of Rio Grande do Sul.
Porto Alegre was founded in 1742 by immigrants from the Azores, Portugal. In the late 19th century the city received many immigrants from other parts of the world, particularly Germany, Italy, and Poland. The vast majority of the population is of European descent.
The city lies on the eastern bank of the Rio Guaiba (Guaiba Lake), where five rivers converge to form the Lagoa dos Patos (Lagoon of the Ducks), a giant freshwater lagoon navigable by even the largest of ships. This five-river junction has become an important alluvial port as well as a chief industrial and commercial center of Brazil.
The port of Porto Alegre is important for transporting local produce. The "Gaucho capital" has a broad-based economy that lays particular emphasis on agriculture and industry. Agricultural production includes produce such as plums, peaches, rice and cassava grown on rural smallholdings. The shoe and leather industries are also important, especially in Novo Hamburgo, in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre.
Porto Alegre has a long coastline on the Guaíba Lake, and its topography is punctuated by 40 hills. In the lake, a vast body of water, a maze of islands facing the city creates an archipelago where a unique ecosystem gives shelter to abundant wildlife. The city area concentrates 28% of the native flora of Rio Grande do Sul, with 9,288 species. Among these, there are many trees which are the vestiges of the Atlantic Forest. Fauna are also diversified, specially in the islands and hills. The Portoalegrense environs include many parks, squares and wooded streets.
In recent years, Porto Alegre hosted the World Social Forum, an initiative of several non-government organizations. The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches was held in Porto Alegre in 2006.
Porto Alegre is located in the subtropical zone and thus features a humid subtropical climate with an temperate climate-looking. Average precipitation is high and regular throughout the year. Summer temperatures often rise above 32 °C (90 °F) and high levels of humidity make the season very muggy. Subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and chilly to mild winters. Significant amounts of precipitation occur in all seasons in most areas. Most summer rainfall occurs during thunderstorms and an occasional tropical storm, hurricane or cyclone.
The winter is mild, windy, and quite changeable, which is also a feature of this time of the year. Usual winter temperatures range from 8 °C (46 °F) to 20 °C (68 °F). Snow is dificult, sometimes confused with sleet. The main snowfall events in Porto Alegre were in 1879, 1910, 1962, 1984, 2000 and 2006. Fall tends to be as changeable as winter, but are typically warmer. Spring, stabler akin to summer, is slightly drier than all the other seasons. Occurrence of radiation fog is common, causing several delays in early flights.
Porto Alegre lies in a transitional area between the subtropical forest and the Southern Brazilian grasslands (pampa). A number of conservation programmes have been established here to protect native trees. Many of the city's avenues have been planted with different tree species.
The urban area has many parks and plazas, making Porto Alegre one of the greenest provincial capitals in Brazil.
According to the IBGE of 2008, there were 4,026,000 people residing in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre. The population density was 2,905.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (7,525 /sq mi) (in the urban area). The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following percentage: 3,218,000 White people (79.94%), 477,000 Brown (Multiracial) people (11.84%), 300,000 Black people (7.45%), 19,000 Amerindian people (0.48%), 8,000 Asian people (0.20%).
Porto Alegre was composed mainly of Azoreans (Portuguese) and their African slaves until the first half of the 19th century.
The first non-Portuguese people to settle Rio Grande do Sul were German immigrants. The large rural exodus in Brazil in the early 20th century brought many German-descendants to Porto Alegre and, nowadays, they compose a large percentage of the population.
The second largest group of immigrants who arrived in Porto Alegre were the Italians. They started immigrating to Brazil in 1875, mainly from the Northern Italian Veneto region.
Minority communities of immigrants, such as Eastern Europeans from Poland and Ukraine; Arabs from Lebanon and Syria; Asians from Japan and Jews also made Porto Alegre their home.
Located at the junction of five rivers, Porto Alegre has become an important alluvial port as well as one of the chief industrial and commercial centers in Brazil. With the advent of the Mercosul accord it should grow and prosper. Products of the rich agricultural and pastoral hinterland, such as soybeans, leather, canned beef, and rice, are exported from Porto Alegre to destinations as far away as Africa and Japan.
Photos
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| GRENAL: Derby between the soccer (football association) clubs Grêmio and Inter. |
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Londrina, PR
Team: (MS) Sercomtel
Londrina is a city located in the northern region of the state of Paraná, Brazil, and is 369 km away from the capital, Curitiba. Londrina was originally founded by British settlers. The city exerts great influence on Paraná and Brazil's south region. Londrina has approximately 500 thousand inhabitants, being the second largest city in Paraná and the third largest city in the Southern Region of Brazil.
The city has a population of 510,707 (estimation IBGE, 2009), 810,453 (metropolitan area, estimation IBGE, 2009). It is a regional centre and is made up of commerce, services, agro-industries, and universities, including the State University of Londrina, or UEL, which is famous for the quality of teaching and attracts students from all over the country.
Named after the British entrepreneurs who launched railroad stations in the region to ease the transportation of coffee grains from Northern Parana' and SO São Paulo states to the port of Santos, Londrino (masculine) means "Londoner" in Portuguese. Because city -- "cidade" in Portuguese is feminine, the city was named "Londrina." The city's population consists of descendants of those settlers, Brazilians from other cities or states, Portuguese, English, Japanese, Italian, German, Polish, African, Spanish, Native, Arabian and Bulgarian Brazilians.
| Color/Race | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White | 74.2% |
| Pardo (Brown/Mixed race) | 18.3% |
| Yellow (Asian) | 3.6% |
| Black | 3.4% |
| Indian (Native American) | 0.3% |
Average temperatures in summer range from 20-35c and in winter from -5-16c. eder
Agriculture continues to be Londrina's major economic activity, although its importance has diminished in recent years. Agricultural activity was diversified beyond coffee, and today corn, wheat, cotton, horticulture, beans, peanuts, rice, sugar cane, soy bean, and fruit plantations thrive due to the rich Northern Paraná/South Western São Paulo State "terra roxa" crimson soil. Although the city has increased its industrial park by adding weaving, textiles and agricultural factories, Londrina's main wealth continues to be agricultural production. Today, Londrina is also known for its commerce and service sectors. Moreover, real estate is another growing sector that has generated jobs and boosted even more the size of this city in Paraná.
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| Skyline of Londrina |
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| City Center, Londrina. Source: tripadvisor.com |
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Florianópolis, SC
Team: (MS) Cimed
Florianópolis (nicknamed Floripa) is the capital city of Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil. It is composed of one main island, the Island of Santa Catarina (Ilha de Santa Catarina), a continental part and the surrounding small islands. It has a population of 408,161, according to a 2009 Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics estimate. The metropolitan area has an estimated population of 980,396. The city is known for having a high life quality, being the Brazilian capital city with the highest HDI (0.875) according to the UN.
The economy of Florianópolis is heavily based on information technology, tourism and services. The city has 42 beaches and is a center of surfing activity. The New York Times reported that "Florianopolis is the Party Destination of the Year in 2009." on January 11, 2009. Newsweek placed Florianópolis in the "Ten most dynamic cities of the world" list in 2006. Veja magazine, a Brazilian publication, named the city as "the best place to live in Brazil." As a result of this publicity, Florianópolis is growing as a second home destination for many Paulistas, Argentines, U.S. citizens and Europeans.
Most of the population lives on the island's central and northern half. The southern half is less inhabited. Many small commercial fishermen populate the island. The fishing boats, the lacemakers, the folklore, the cuisine and the colonial architecture contribute to the growing tourism and attract resources that compensate for the lack of any large industry. Villages immersed in tradition and history, such as Santo Antônio de Lisboa and Ribeirão da Ilha still resist the advances of modernity.
The Hercílio Luz International Airport serves the city. Florianópolis is home to the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Federal University of Santa Catarina).
Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and "winter", and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the "winter". Due to the proximity of the sea, the relative humidity of the atmosphere is 80% on average.
The maximum temperatures of the hottest month varies from 25 °C (77 °F) to 40 °C (104 °F) and theminimum temperatures are from 6 °C (43 °F) to 11 °C (52 °F).
According to the IBGE of 2007, there were 406,564 people residing in the city (in 2010 IBGE reports a population of 421,203). The population density was 928 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,400 /sq mi). The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 366,000 White people (90.0%), 37,000 Brown (Multiracial) people (9.0%), 4,000 Black people (1.0%), 400 Asian or Amerindian people (0.1%).
According to 2002 Sefaz statistics, agricultural activities represented 0.05%, manufacturing represented 3.41% and the sector of the commerce and service 96.54%.
Tourism is one of the staples of Florianópolis' economy. Many inhabitants and tourists consider Floripa to have a singular beauty endowed with strong lines of Azorean culture, observed in the buildings, workmanship, folklore, culinary and religious traditions. Its environmental restrictions on building and commercial development have been more or less strictly enforced, helping it to keep its original character.
ASP World Tour, Association of Surfing Professionals (WCT) Florianópolis is the main location of the WCT, which classifies 50 competitors, among professionals and amateurs. The state of Santa Caterina is the only location in South America for this event.
The Holy Spirit Feast (Festa do Divino) is a festival that takes place 40 days after Easter. The celebration dates to the colonial era and includes a parade, music, and street food.
One of the most famous beaches is Praia Mole, noted for its rolling green hills and rock formations on either side.
Barra da Lagoa This is the world famous "Bunny Slope" of Surfing.
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Osasco, SP
Team: (WS) Sollys
Osasco is a municipality and city in São Paulo State, Brazil, is located in the Greater São Paulo and ranking 5th in population among São Paulo municipalities. The current mayor is Emidio Pereira de Souza (PT).
Osasco was founded by the Italian Antonio Agú (currently the name of one of the main streets in Osasco). He came from the commune Osasco in the province of Turin.
The population in 2008 is 713,066, the density is 10,970/km² and the total area is 65 km². It is among the world more dense cities, similar in density to Tokyo, Japan and New York City, New York. It's considered the major urban centre of the Western portion of the Greater São Paulo. It used to be a district of São Paulo City until February 19, 1962, when Osasco became a municipality of its own. In 1989 the city became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osasco.
Photos
View of downtown Osasco
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Santo André, SP
Team: (WS) Santo André Spread
Santo André is a Brazilian municipality located in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, including a group of municipalities known as Greater ABC Region. Its population in 2009 was 673,396 habitants.
The settlement, which became a town in 1553, with the name of Santo André da Borda do Campo, experienced rapid growth beginning in the 1930s. It was originally named São Bernardo because the municipality district headquarters were in São Bernardo do Campo, now a city nearby. In 1938, the name was changed to Santo André, as the district government was transferred to Santo André. Industries include chemical engineering, textiles, oil, metal products, metallurgy and printed matter.It is an industrial city, but more than 60% of Santo André's total area are protected by environmental water laws.
The city is, basically, formed by italian, spanish, portuguese, japanese and german descent.
Demography
| Whites | 65,8% |
| Blacks | 15,4% |
| Browns/Multiracials | 16,9% |
| Asians | 1,2% |
| Amerindians | 0,1% |
Photos
View of Santo André
UFABC - University of the ABC region
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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São Bernardo do Campo, SP
Teams: (MS) BMG São Bernardo, (WS) BMG São Bernardo
Sao Bernardo do Campo is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, in southern Metropolitan Sao Paulo and Sao Paulo microregion. The municipality's total area is 408.45 km ² and a population estimated at 1 July 2009, according to the IBGE, was 810,979 inhabitants, which results in a population density of 1,962.5 inhabitants / km ². The city owns that name in honor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, patron saint of the city.
According the Köppen climate classification São Bernardo do Campo has a humid subtropical climate. On average of the maximum temperatures is of 24.7 Celsius, on average of the minimums is of 15.08 and on average is of 19.09 Celsius.
As of the census of 2006, the population was 803,906, making it the second most populous suburb of São Paulo, and fourth most populous city in the state. The population density was 1,937.02/km². The city is a municipality located in the Greater São Paulo.
| Color/Race | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Whites | 50,4% |
| Brown | 40,8% |
| Blacks | 6,7% |
| Asian or Amerindian | 2% |
St. Bernard, from the 50's had its economy based on the auto industry - Be the first automakers to Brazil, such as Volkswagen, Ford, Scania, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Karmann Ghia - and paint industries as BASF , which produces paints Suvinil, and auto parts industries that support them and the largest industrial plant in the world of Colgate-Palmolive toothpaste.
In the 1990s, the economy of the region had a wide variation, which increased the importance of the service sector in the city. The trade is diverse and found in every neighborhood, especially the traditional trade Marshal Deodoro Street and environs, and the nationally known Center Furniture Jurubatuba, which gives the Sao Bernardo do Campo in the name of Mobile Capital. The construction and urban reform was boosted in 2008 with the construction of the southern section of the beltway, a ring road in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Avenida Pery Ronchetti with duplication and channeling Saracantan stream, plus the construction of many buildings, mostly residential, with reforms of the Metropolis Mall, the Golden Shopping Mall Heart of the inauguration of the new City Hall and City Hall.
Photos
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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São Caetano do Sul, SP
Team: (WS) São Caetano
São Caetano do Sul (or São Caetano) is a city in São Paulo state in Brazil, located in the Greater São Paulo Metropolitan Area. It is the city with the highest per capita income in Brazil (US$ 16,500.00 in 2003) and it also has the highest Human Development Index (0.921 - between Hong Kong and Germany).
São Caetano do Sul is located on a plateau that is part of the Serra do Mar (Portuguese for "Sea Range"), part of the vast region known as the Brazilian Highlands, with an average elevation of around 800 metres (2,625 ft) above sea level - though at a distance of only about 70 kilometers (43 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean.
According the Köppen climate classification São Caetano do Sul has a humid subtropical climate.
São Caetano do Sul boasts the highest social indicators anywhere in the country (even if using indexes such as those that compute the HDI formula). Illiteracy rates are very low and most people enjoy a safe city with well-maintained infrastructure.
Immigrants from many nationalities have settled in São Caetano but the most significant groups are Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Germans and Japanese.
Neighborhoods: Santo André (East and South), São Bernardo do Campo (West), São Paulo (North).
Photos
Barcelona Village
Chico Mendes Park
Water Fountain.
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Araçatuba, SP
Teams: (MS)(WS) Vôlei Futuro
Araçatuba is a city located in the north-west of São Paulo state, Brazil. It has 181.143 inhabitants. The main activities are agro-industrial related, especially cattle. The area is 1170.5 km². The elevation is 390 m.
The city is the capital of the Araçatuba Micro-Region which has a population of 232,341 (2000), an area of 5.380,6 km² and a population density of 43/km². The region also includes the small towns of Bento de Abreu, Guararapes, Lavinia, Rubiácea, Birigui, Coroados and Valparaíso. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Araçatuba.
The city is served by Dario Guarita Airport.
Photos
Torii
![Panorama da Av. Joaquim Pompeu de Toledo em cruzamento com a Av. Brasília em Araçatuba. Porta de entrada do município, onde nas proximidades estão diversos restaurantes, bares, hotéis, redes de fastfood, o Araçatuba Shopping Center, casas noturnas e a Rodoviária. O trecho da Av. Pompeu de Toledo é utilizada para a prática de esportes e a noite, a Av. Brasília é ocupada tradicionalmente por jovens. Esta região é também um ponto de encontro dos araçatubenses em dias de jogos de futebol importantes.[57]](http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Cidade_panaoramicas_PompeudeToledoAra%C3%A7atuba.JPG)
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Brusque, SC
Teams: (WS) Brusque
Brusque is a city of 102,280 inhabitants in Santa Catarina, Brazil. It was founded in 1860, by 55 German immigrants. The majority of the population are German immigrants but also include Italians and Poles.
Curiosities
- First Latin American city to have public computers (1995)
- Headquarters of the first spinning industry of Santa Catarina (1892 - Textile Factory Renaux).
- Headquarters of the only English colony of Santa Catarina (1867).
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Blumenau, SC
Team: Soya Blumenau Mart Plus
Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants. A few years later Fritz Müller migrated to Blumenau as well.
As of 2006, Blumenau had an estimated population of 302,000 people, with an area of 519 km². The main ethnic origin of the city inhabitants are German and Italian ancestries. The city displays many historical and cultural reminders of their heritage, such as houses and other buildings built in a traditional German style, statues, and memorials.
| Race/Skin color | Percentage | Number |
| Whites | 94.55% | 247,527 |
| Pardos (brown) | 3.50% | 9,171 |
| Blacks | 1.16% | 3,042 |
| Amerindians | 0.13% | 340 |
| Yellow (Asian) | 0.10% | 252 |
The city is located in a valley bisected by the Itajaí-Açu River, surrounded by hills with forests.
The climate of Blumenau is considered to be subtropical, a climate of transition between the predominantly tropical climate of Brazil and the predominantly temperate climate of Argentina. Under the Koppen climate classification, the city has a warm, humid subtropical climate.
Blumenau, like the whole state of Santa Catarina is located below the Tropic of Capricorn; therefore it is mild in the winter with temperatures averaging 16.6°C (61°F) and warm and humid in the summer with temperatures averaging around 30°C (87°F).
Another area of focus is that of information technology, and the city the headquarters of the so-called Valley of the software, and many software leaders in its segment, some of whom were born in Blusoft and Instituto Gene, incubators of companies in the sector.
Its main economic activity is still the textile industry, responsible for large manufacturers such as Cia Hering, the Karsten and Teka.
Blumenau is also emphasized in other industrial sectors such as metallurgical, mechanical and electrical equipment, and is the largest producer of pole transformers in Brazil.
Has a strong economy, boosted by strong trade, service and tourism events, with exhibitions of international projection, which are generally held in German Village.
In 2005, the city has an export of products equivalent to U.S. $ 395,959,436.00, representing 6.1% of exports of the state.
Even though Blumenau has its own airport, normally passengers use scheduled flights operated from Ministro Victor Konder International Airport, located in the nearby municipality of Navegantes.
The Secretariat of Tourism of Blumenau maintain 4 tour routes covering different aspects of the city. And besides these, another attraction is the festival of the municipality. Also, the Oktoberfest held every October attracts over a million tourists every year.
Photos
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| Blumenau and the Itajaí-Açu river |
Carlos Gomes' Theater.
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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São José, SC
Team: (WS) Pauta São José
São José is a city in Santa Catarina, Brazil. It is a suburb located approximately five kilometers from Florianópolis, the state capital. It encircles the continental section of Florianópolis.
The main district of São José are Campinas, Barreiros and Historic Centre.
São José is the 20th HDI Ranked city in Brazil.
It also has a relatively rich district called Bosque das Mansões, where lives the rich portion of the local population.
The major BR-101 highway passes through São José, making the city a gateway to Florianópolis.
Photos
View of the city.
 |
| Aerial View |
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Campinas, SP
Team: (MS) Medley
The county area is 795.667 km². Population is 1,080,999 (2010 IBGE Census), with over 98,3% in the urban region. Its metropolitan area, defined in 2000, has some 19 cities and a population of 2.8 million people. Campinas is also the administrative center of the meso-region of the same name, with 3,783,597 inhabitants (2010 Census) and 49 cities. It is the third largest city in the state, after São Paulo (11,244,369 inhab. – 2010 Census) and Guarulhos (1,222,357 inhab. – 2010 Census).
The Viracopos International Airport connects Campinas with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights.
The city is home to the State University of Campinas.
Campinas is located in the plateau (planalto, in Portuguese) of São Paulo, in the transition area to the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range, and in the orogeographical basin of the Tiete river. It is 83 km north of the state capital São Paulo.
Campinas has a highland tropical climate, characterized by mostly sunny and hot days (more than 200 days in the year), a mild temperature range (average yearly temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius, ranging from an average minimum of 7.2 degrees to a maximum of 35.9 degrees) and a constant regime of cool winds.
As of 2010, Campinas became an official metropolitan region (RMC — Região Metropolitana de Campinas), with 19 municipalities, with a total of 2.8 million inhabitants and a total land area of 3,348 km² (data of 2010), adjacent to the São Paulo metropolitan region (RMSP). The Campinas Metropolitan area also comprehends a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of R$ 70.7 billion (around U$ 42 billion).
Campinas is the richest city in the metropolitan region of Campinas and the 10th richest city in Brazil, showing a gross domestic product (GDP) of 27.1 billion reais (2007), which represents 0.96% of all Brazilian GDP. Currently, the city concentrates around one third of industrial production of São Paulo state [citation needed]. The paper highlights the high-tech industries and metallurgical park, considered the capital of Silicon Valley Sterling.
The region hosts more than 10,000 medium and large companies, many of which are among the 1,000 largest and best in Brazil, according to Exame magazine, such as Honda, Toyota, Unilever, Mann, 3M, Sherwilliams, Bosch, Pirelli, Dell, IBM, BASF, Dow Chemical, Villares, SEMESA, Ericsson, Singer, Goodyear, CPFL, Elektro, DPaschoal, Sotreq, Valeo, Rigesa, International Paper, Nortel, Lucent, Samsung, Motorola, Medley Pharma, Romi, Tenneco, General Electric, Texas Instruments, Mabe, EMS Farma, MDS Pharma, Altana, Solectron, Magnetti Marelli, Amsted Maxion, Eaton, Galvani, Selmi, Nutron, AmBev, Caterpillar, Bombardier, Atento Brazil, ACS, Dedic, CAF and many others.
The petrochemical complex is centered in Southeastern, a few miles of Campinas, near the refinery of Petrobras Planalto Paulista (Replan), the largest in Brazil one of the largest in Latin America, and has companies like Dupont, Chevron, Shell, Exxon, Group Ipiranga, Eucatex, Rhodia, and others. It has the largest cargo airport of import / export, and is the hub of companies and Blue Trip. The largest companies have a global turnover of more than $ 80 billion, larger than many Latin American countries.
The city is also an important and diverse shopping, owning two of the largest shopping mall in the country: The Iguatemi Campinas and Shopping Parque Dom Pedro. Has, in its metropolitan area, the Viracopos International Airport, which stands in the international transport of cargo.
Campinas' main economic activities are agriculture (mainly coffee, sugarcane, and cotton), industry (textiles, motorcycles, cars, machinery, agricultural equipment, food and beverages, chemical and petrochemical, pharmaceuticals, paper and cellulose, telecommunications, computers and electronics, etc.), commerce and services.
The Campinas Metropolitan Region is home to many national and international high-tech industries, including IBM, Dell, Motorola, Freescale, Lucent, Nortel, Compaq, Celestica, Samsung, Alcatel, Bosch, 3M, Texas Instruments.
The automotive industry is also heavily represented: General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Magneti Marelli, Eaton Corporation, Tenneco, Toyota and many others are present. It also has a sizable pharmaceutical industry sector, with companies like Medley Farma, EMS Farma, Altana, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Cristália, Valeo, etc.
In addition the region is home to many research centers and universities, such as LNLS, CPqD, CenPRA, Embrapa, Unicamp, Facamp and Puccamp.
| Color / Race | % |
|---|---|
| White | 74.0% |
| Black | 5.6% |
| Pardo | 18.4% |
| Asian | 0.9% |
| Indigenous | 0.2% |
Population (IBGE): 1,080,999
| Population | % / inhabitants |
|---|---|
| Urban area | 98,28% / 1,062,453 |
| Rural area | 1,72% / 18,546 |
| Sex | % / inhabitants |
|---|---|
| Male | 48,22% / 521,209 |
| Female | 51,78% / 559,790 |
Photos
Skyline of Campinas
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Montes Claros, MG
Team: (MS) BMG Montes Claros
Montes Claros is a city located in northern Minas Gerais state, in Brazil. The estimated population in 2007 was 352,284 inhabitants and the total area of the municipality was 3,470 km² ( 97 km² urban). It was made a seat of a municipality in 1831 and attained city status in 1857.
The climate is tropical with an annual average temperature of 24.2°C. The vegetation of the municipality is mainly Cerrado with areas of transition between cerrado and Caatinga.
Montes Claros has innumerous caves and 164 cataloged archaeological sites, among which the most important are the caves of Lapa Grande, where there is an underground river with a length of more than one kilometers. Lapa Grande is located in the Serra da Vieira, 12 kilometers from Montes Claros.
In the city itself there are several large parks, among which the most important are Parque Municipal Milton Prates, with a lake and zoo. In the rural area there is Parque Sapucaia, a forest reserve and Parque Guimarães Rosa along the banks of the Córrego Carrapato.
Photos
View of the city
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Macaé, RJ
Team: (WS) Macaé Sports
Macaé is a city located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, 180 km northeast of the state capital. Its population was recorded as 194,413 in 2009 and the municipal covers an area of 1,216 km².
Macaé is generally considered to be the centre of the Brazilian offshore petroleum industry. As a consequence it is often referred to as "Cidade do Petróleo" ("City of Petroleum"). The Brazilian state-controlled oil company - Petrobras - has many facilities within the town. Macaé is one of the fastest-growing cities in Brazil, with a growth of 600% within the last 10 years . Macaé Airport is served by scheduled flights and concentrates operations to off-shore platforms.
Other economic activities in the city include tourism and fishing. These two sectors were very important for the city's revenues before the 1980s. The city has a growing reputation for high-quality technical education and training.
Although the city has some touristic potential, the lack of investiments on this area makes its growth to be very small.Its most famous beaches are Cavaleiros and Pecado. The interior of the municipality has small rural towns such as Sana and Frade.
In 2009 the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) estimates the population of Macaé as 194.413 inhabitants.
Since the 1970s, when Petrobras chose Macaé to site its headquarters in the Campos Basin, the city has had a population boom. More than four thousand companies have set up offices the city and the population has tripled. High-quality hotels have been constructed and a wide variety of service industries have recently sprouted up.
The city has the biggest tax generation of new ranks of work of the interior of the state, according to research conducted for the Federation of Industries of Rio De Janeiro (Firjan): 13.2% to the year. The economy of the city has grown 600% since 1997. Surveys conducted in past years for IBGE demonstrated that the Internal Gross Product (in Portuguese, Produto Interno Bruto - PIB) per capita of the city in 2007 is R$37.667,00 per year, 200% greater than the national average- and the average salary is 8.2 times the minimum salary, making Macaé the city with the highest wages in the Rio de Janeiro State.
Photos
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| Macaé skyline |
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Volta Redonda, RJ
Team: (MS) Volta Redonda
Volta Redonda is the name of a city in the Rio de Janeiro state of Brazil with 182.81 km² of area, located from 350m to 707m from the sea level (22º31'23" S, 44º06'15" W) and with a population of 259,811 inhabitants (estimated in 2009). The area around the city has nearly 700,000. Its name (which is Portuguese for Round Turn) is due to the round shape of a curve in the Paraíba do Sul river around which the city was built.
Situated in Volta Redonda is Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN), Latin America's largest steel producer. Today its economy, despite still being based on industry, is quite diverse, and largely focused on the areas of services and trade. Due to this, Volta Redonda is worldly known as Cidade do Aço (which is Portuguese for Steel City).
The city motto is with the municipalities Barra Mansa (north, northwest, west and southwest), Barra do Piraí (northeast), and Pinheiral, Piraí (south and east), and Rio Claro (south) and is a 130 km of city of Rio de Janeiro.
Along with the municipalities Barra Mansa and Pinheiral, is a conurbation that over 500,000 inhabitants, according to the IBGE estimates for 2008, and in this state the largest urban spot outside the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro.
Economical center of South Fluminense region, Volta Redonda is a strategic area, close to major cities-pole of other regional states, such as Juiz de Fora (190 kilometers) and Sao Jose dos Campos (220 kilometers).
Photos
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Itabira, MG
Team: (MS) Sada Cruzeiro*
*Shares with Belo Horizonte.
Itabira is a Brazilian municipal district and one of the main cities of the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte and to the microregion of Itabira.
The first settlements date to the early eighteenth century, when the village of Itabira do Mato Dentro was founded by explorers seeking gold. The city obtained its political emancipation on 9 October 1848, through the Provincial Law no. 374.
It is currently the twenty-fourth largest city of the state in population, with 107,721 inhabitants (IBGE, 2006). It is known as the "Capital of Poetry", birthplace of Carlos Drummond de Andrade, city of the Circuit of the Gold and of the Estrada Real (King's Road or Royal Road).
The area which Itabira is located is one of the most important culturally and economically of Minas Gerais and of Brazil, possessing an important historical collection for the construction of the history of the Brazilian people.
It is located in the Southeast area, in the heart of Minas Gerais, at 104 kilometers of Belo Horizonte, 697 kilometers of the city of São Paulo, 545 kilometers of the Rio de Janeiro, 845 kilometers of the federal capital Brasília and 510 kilometers of Vitória. The highest point of the city is to 1.672 meters above sea level (see Alto da Mutuca).
Photo
 |
| Panoramic view of the city. |
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
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Uberlândia, MG
Team: (WS) Banana Boat Praia Clube
Uberlândia is located in the western part of the state of Minas Gerais, in the region called Triângulo Mineiro, one of the richest agricultural regions of Brazil, between Paranaíba and Grande Rivers. It is connected to major cities by the following federal highways: BR-050, BR-365, BR-455, BR-452, and BR-497. Uberlândia is about 580 km away from São Paulo, connected by a modern and safe double trace highway (BR-050). The capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, is 560 km away and Brasília, the capital of the country, lies just 440 km to the north. There are railways connecting Uberlândia via the north-south Centro-Atlântica line.
With its strategic location in the central region of Brazil, the city has some of the best logistics infrastructure in the country: there are eight highways, with one being transformed into a four lane highway, the FEPASA railway, more than 1.6 million tons capacity of cereal storage, and more than five thousand trucks to deliver products to companies.
Self-sufficient in electric power, Uberlândia relies on 12 large power plants in operation and two more under construction in a radius of 250 km.
Uberlândia has the second largest airport in Minas Gerais and the 27th largest in Brazil in number of passengers transported, with direct flights operating to São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Goiânia, Brasília, Ribeirão Preto, Uberaba and charter flights to the state capitals of Northeast Brazil in the high season.
The city has several colleges and many universities, among these is the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, which has a university population of approximately thirty thousand students and is one of the most important universities in the country.
Uberlândia's GDP was BRL 12.483.820 mil(about USD 6.911 billions) which results in a GDP per capita of USD 11.360,239.
Photos
Aerial view of Uberlândia
Cesário Alvim Avenue
Sabiá Sports' Complex
Source: Wikipedia (modified)
