Piracicaba

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (January 2007)

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007)

Coordinates: 22°43′31″S 47°38′57″W / 22.72528°S 47.64917°W / -22.72528; -47.64917

Piracicaba
Flag Seal
Location of Piracicaba
Coordinates: 22°43′30″S 47°38′56″W / 22.725°S 47.64889°W / -22.725; -47.64889
Country	Brazil
Region	Southeast
State	São Paulo
Government
- Mayor	Barjas Negri (PSDB)
Area
- Total	1,369 km2 (528.6 sq mi)
Elevation	547 m (1,795 ft)
Time zone	UTC-3 (UTC-3)
Postal Code	13400-000
Website	http://www.piracicaba.sp.gov.br

Piracicaba is a city located in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The population in 2008 was 365.440 in an area of 1,371.8 km², at an elevation of 547 m above sea level.

The place name comes from a word in the Tupi language that means "place where the fish stops". The name is due to the waterfalls of the Piracicaba river that bisect the city, where the "piracema" (fish swimming upstream to reproduce) or larger fish species such as the dourados can still be observed.

History

In 1766, Antonio Correa Barbosa, charged with the task of establishing a settlement on the estuary of Piracicaba river, opted for a location about 90 km from it. Piracicaba was officially founded in August 1, 1767.

In 1944, the city was made the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Piracicaba.

It is famous for sugarcane plantations, traditional cane spirit production and traditional music. The city houses the oldest agricultural faculty in Brazil, the Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz of the University of São Paulo. This faculty is more than 100 years old and is located on a farm with a large collection of trees and plants.It is also recognized as a leader in the field of Precision Agriculture. Piracicaba is known by the nickname "Noiva da Colina" (bride of the hills). Every year Piracicaba is host to the "Festa das Nações" (Nations' Fair), where people may find foods from all over the world, and the "Salão Internacional do Humor" (International Fair of Humor), where cartoonists from around the world display comic drawings.

Its economy is fueled in part by the rapid expansion of the cane sugar. The harvest of cane sugar produces many products, such as sugar, oil and alcohol / ethanol. Copersucar, a large company that has a center of research on genetic improvement of sugarcane, helps fuel this growing industry. Another economic characteristic feature is the presence of large industries, the main ones are Caterpillar and ArcelorMittal.

Characteristics of the municipality

Total Area: 1,312.30 km². It is the 19th city in the State of São Paulo.

Urban area (city and districts): 158.06 km². 95% of Piracicaba's population live in the urban area.

Rural area: 1,154.24 km².

Geographic location: latitude: S 22°42'30 longitude: W 47°38'01

Altitude: 554 m.

Weather:

• 37.5°Celsius (maximum)
• 18.0°. Celsius (minimum)

Rain Level: 1,230.6 mm

Distance from São Paulo, the state capital: 152 km - Bandeirantes Highway 175 km - Castelo Branco Highway.

Population: (approximately) 300,500

• Women: 151,100
• Men: 149,400
• Urban Population: 286,960
• Rural Population: 13,540

Geometric Rate of the Annual Population Increase: 1.34%

A city of young people: 37% of the population are under 19; 18% are between 20 and 30 years old; 28% are between 30 and 50; only 17 % are over 50.

The urban area consists of:

• 33,093 lots
• 74,759 homes
• 6,907 commercial buildings
• 2,228 industrial buildings

Water and Power supply: practically 100%

Number of telephones (per 1000 inhabitant): 164.26

Number of cars (per 1000 inhabitant): 333.09

Voters: 172,535