Brazil
Basic information
- Area: 8,514,877 km²
- Calling code: +55
- Population (EST): 187,393,918
- Official language: Portuguese
- Time zone: BRT (UTC-2 to -4)
Overview
The City of Sao Paulo lies just less than 900 kilometres south of the Brazilian capital, Brasilia and around 60 kilometres northwest of the country`s Atlantic coastline. The city has a population of close to 20 million, which according to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes it the second most populated city in the world. The city is also the capital of the state of Sao Paulo. Since the mid 1500s, Sao Paulo has evolved from a small village into one of the world`s top cities, however it is more of a business destination than a tourist city, unlike many of the large cities around the world that are tourist orientated as well as business.
Economy
The IMD World Competitiveness Scoreboard for 2006 placed Sao Paulo in 48th position, with Brazil as a whole in 52nd place; the scoreboard is a study of 61 national and regional economies, 312 different criteria are used within the study. Only Columbia is in a higher position in South America. In November 2005 the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) published a presentation, a section of which showed that while occupying only 3% of Brazil`s land, Sao Paulo accounted for 34% of the national GDP. The Headquarters of the Brazilian Stock Exchange (BOVESPA) are located in Sao Paulo, which the Government of the state of Sao Paulo indicate to be the largest stock exchange in Latin America. The city is also home to the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange. According to the World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC), Sao Paulo is a Beta World City (Major World City), as defined by a number of indicators such as familiarity of name, such as active influence and participation in international events and world affairs, a lively cultural scene, the presence of large foreign companies and an advanced communications infrastructure.
Infrastructure
Located 25 kilometres northeast of the city centre, Guarulhos International Airport provides Sao Paulo with a gateway to most major worldwide destinations: New York is around 7,700 Kilometres, London 9,500 kilometres and Beijing just less than 18,000 kilometres. The Brazilian airport authority Infraero has published figures stating the airport has a capacity to deal with 15 million passengers a year, and that a third planned terminal will increase that to 29 million. Also the airport is the second busiest for air cargo in Latin America: in 2003 the airport dealt with 75 thousand metric tons, according to Infraero. Congonhas airport, located approximately eight kilometres south of the city, is Sao Paulo`s second airport. The older of the two, it deals now primarily with domestic flights. The city of Sao Paulo has a fairly modern metro system - work on its first line commenced in late 1968 and the fifth line opened in 2002. Expansion of the system is ongoing and the metro is probably the best way to get around the city, as Sao Paulo is notorious for road traffic congestion. Sao Paulo State has 34,650 kilometres of paved road, of which 59.4% of the States highways were classified as excellent in 2004, as reported by the State Secretary of Transport.
Standard of Living
As with many cities around the world the standard of living can vary due to economic and social conditions, for those living in the cities slums/shantytowns (favelas) life is often hard as well as dangerous. For the more fortunate, Sao Paulo has all the benefits of a modern metropolis such as entertainment and leisure facilities. For the visitor, whilst Sao Paulo is not regarded as a main tourist destination, both the city and state have enough for visitors to experience with its diversity of immigrant cultures. The city has a number of top-quality museums and galleries such the Sao Paulo Art Museum (MASP); the building gives the appearance of being suspended from two red oblong arches. One of the best-known annual events taking place in Brazil is the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix, held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, close to the city. The Mercer Human Resource Consulting Quality of Life Survey 2007 ranks Sao Paulo in 114th position out of 215 cities worldwide, with a score of 74.6. New York is the median for the index, in 48th place (100), with Zurich in 1st place (108.1). Of the 27 Latin American cities surveyed, Sao Paulo was 9th, and Port Au Prince in Haiti was 27th, only 16 places above Baghdad. The survey is based on a number of factors such as quality and accessibility of healthcare, pollution and even potentially dangerous fauna. It should also noted that the Mercer Human Resource Consulting Cost of Living Survey 2006 ranks Sao Paulo in 34th position out of 144 cities world wide, with a score of 85. Remarkably, in the previous year the city was 119th position - this sudden leap up the ranking has made Sao Paulo the costliest city in Latin America.
Business Costs
According to the real estate advisory company CB Richard Ellis in 2005, prime office rent in Sao Paulo stood at US$307 per square metre per annum; in Rio de Janeiro, the cost was USD$316.
