Ribeirão Preto

Ribeirão Preto is a city and a metropolitan area in the northeastern part of São Paulo state, Brazil. It covers an area of 650.9 km² (251.3 mi²) and had an estimated population of 720,216 in 2021, with a metropolitan area of 1,178,910 people. The city is about 313 km (194 mi) from the city of São Paulo and 706 km (439 mi) from Brasília, the federal capital. It sits at an average height of 526.8 meters (1,728 feet) above sea level, with a comfortable yearly temperature of 23 °C (73 °F). The area was originally covered by the Atlantic Forest.

The city began as an agricultural region around 1856, with coffee being a major source of income until 1929. After that, the focus shifted to industries. In the second half of the 20th century, investments in health, biotechnology, bioenergy, and information technology helped the city grow. By 2010, it was recognized as a Technological Center, and today it ranks 30th in gross national product among Brazilian cities.

Ribeirão Preto is also a cultural hub. Parks such as Mayor Luiz Roberto Jábali Park, Maurilio Biagi Park, Carlos Raya Park, Santa Tereza Reserve, and the Zoo help protect natural areas. Popular spots include Pinguim Beerhouse, Pedro II Theatre, and the Cinema Center. The city hosts many events, such as the Agrishow Agricultural Fair, Ribeirão Rodeo Music, Joao Rock Music Festival, and the National Outdoor Book Fair.

History

See also: Coffee production in Brazil

Ribeirão Preto was founded on June 19, 1856, by farmers and people coming from other areas of São Paulo and Minas Gerais looking for good land. The city was named after a stream called Black Creek, which means "Ribeirão Preto" in Portuguese.

In the 1870s, coffee farming began in Ribeirão Preto. The coffee brought great wealth and growth to the city. By the 1880s, it was the biggest coffee producer in the world. Many people from around the world came to work on the coffee farms. This was helped by a new railway and the end of slavery in Brazil in 1888. Immigrants from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Japan settled in the area. After a big economic problem in 1929, some immigrants bought farms from people who could no longer afford them.

Demography

Ribeirão Preto has a rich mix of people. Many of its residents come from different backgrounds, including African, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, German, and Lebanese origins. After slavery ended in 1888, many immigrants were given land to work on after serving as indentured workers. By 1902, more than half of the city's people were born in Italy.

In the 1990s, many people from northeastern Brazil moved to the area looking for jobs. While this brought economic growth, it also led to challenges like poverty and crime. Some found work on sugar cane plantations and orange farms, but seasonal workers often struggled when jobs ended. In 2020, the city had about 711,825 people, and the larger area around it had roughly 1.4 million.

The city had 703,293 people in 2019, with a metropolitan area of about 1.7 million. In 2010, the total population was 605,114, with 603,401 living in the city and 1,713 in rural areas. There were 290,286 men and 314,828 women. The population density was 930.42 people per square kilometer. Other details include a literacy rate of 95.56%, an infant mortality rate of 9.90 per thousand, and a life expectancy of 74.40 years.

Ethnicity

Region

Ribeirão Preto is the center of a large area with about 1.7 million people. This area includes 34 different places, such as Altinópolis, Barrinha, Brodowski, and many more, with Ribeirão Preto being the main city.

Geography

Climate

Ribeirão Preto has a tropical climate with rainy summers and dry winters. The highest temperature ever recorded there was 43.6 °C on October 29, 2012.

Winter temperatures average around 18.6 °C, while summer temperatures average about 23.9 °C. The city sits at an altitude of 531 meters, ranging from 504 to 852 meters above sea level. It receives about 1508 mm of rain each year, with a yearly average humidity of 71%.

Hydrography

Ribeirão Preto is home to many small rivers and creeks, including the Pardo River. The city’s name comes from one of these creeks, called Ribeirão Preto, which means “Black Creek.” Other nearby water bodies include Retiro Saudoso Creek, Tanquinho Creek, Laureano Creek, and many more.

Tourism, culture and events

In the early 1900s, Ribeirão Preto was a wealthy city with many grand buildings, European-style cafés, lively entertainment venues, and two opera houses due to its success from coffee farming. Though one opera house was torn down in 1949, the other, called the Pedro II Theatre, still stands today. After a fire damaged its ceiling in 1980, it was beautifully redone with designs by artist Tomie Ohtake. Now, it is one of the largest opera houses in Brazil and home to an important symphony orchestra.

The city hosts many fun events each year, like Agrishow, a big fair for farming technology, film festivals, music festivals, and cultural celebrations from Japan, Italy, and more. These events bring lots of visitors and keep the city busy with activity in airports, buses, hotels, and restaurants.

Ribeirão Preto has a warm climate, so many people enjoy cool drinks and chats at bars in the evenings. The city has all kinds of bars, from simple local spots to fancy ones like those in big cities. There are also many small breweries that are well-known across Brazil.

The city is a popular spot for business travelers and was picked by Brazil’s tourism ministry as a key place for growing tourism. Today, Ribeirão Preto has many hotels, motels, and event spaces ready to welcome visitors.

Parks and forests

Ribeirão Preto has many green spaces, including parks, gardens, and a zoo. Some well-known spots are Fábio Barreto municipal forest, Luís Roberto Jábali Park (also called Curupira), Luís Carlos Raya Park (the Botanical Garden), Tom Jobim Park, and Maurílio Biagi Ecological Park.

Theatres and museums

The city has several theatres and museums. The Pedro II Theatre is a big opera house that can hold over 1,500 people. The Municipal Theatre, opened in 1969, is modern and can hold about 500 people. There are also many other theatres around the city.

Museums include the Coffee Museum Francisco Schmidt, which shows important pieces about Brazil’s coffee history, and the Art Museum of Ribeirão Preto. Other museums focus on Italian heritage, military history, and more.

The city’s theatres include:

• Auxiliadora Theatre
• Bassano Vaccarini Theatre
• Arena Theatre
• SESC Theatre
• Minaz Theatre
• Municipal Theatre
• Pedro II Theatre/Opera House
• Santa Rosa Theatre
• Sesi Theatre

Cinema

Ribeirão Preto is an important place for film in Brazil. It has a big film studio called Kaiser Film Studios, which has over 13,000 square meters of space for making movies and TV shows. The city also has a large film society called Cineclube Cauim, along with many regular movie theatres.

Carnival

Ribeirão Preto is where some of Brazil’s oldest samba schools began, like the “Bambas” from 1927. The city still has many samba schools and street groups that celebrate during Carnival. In 2010, São Paulo’s big samba parade featured Ribeirão Preto’s history with coffee, sugar cane, and farming.

Sports

Ribeirão Preto has two soccer stadiums: Estádio Palma Travassos for Comercial FC and Santa Cruz for Botafogo FC. Botafogo FC plays in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B and Campeonato Paulista, while Comercial FC plays in the Campeonato Paulista Série A3.

In 2017, a men's volleyball team called Vôlei Ribeirão was started. They won the Superliga Brasileira B in 2018 and played in the main Superliga Brasileira from 2019 to 2021. Their games were held at Cava do Bosque, a public sports centre. The team ended in 2021.

In 2021, a new skate park called RP Skate Park was built at Maurilio Biagi Ecological Park. It was designed by world champion Bob Burnquist and covers 4,000 square meters.

From September 1 to 16, 2023, Ribeirão Preto hosted the Brazilian Youth Games. About 4,000 young athletes from all over Brazil competed in 18 different sports.

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, France national football team used Ribeirão Preto as their training base. They practiced at the Santa Cruz stadium, and press conferences were held at Theatre Pedro II.

Economy

After a big problem with money in 1929, Ribeirão Preto had to find new ways to grow. The city is far from big cities, so it started focusing on helping people and businesses in the area.

Later, in the 1970s, Brazil needed new kinds of fuel. The city helped create a way to use alcohol from sugarcane as fuel. This made the area grow a lot of sugarcane, and Ribeirão Preto became very important for making alcohol fuel.

This growth made the city richer and more modern. But it also brought many new people, which caused some areas to become crowded. Today, Ribeirão Preto grows sugarcane and makes many things like medical supplies, food products, and materials for farms. The city also holds a big yearly show for farming called Agrishow.

The airline Passaredo Transportes Aéreos has its headquarters in the Jardim Aeroporto area of the city.

Government

The city of Ribeirão Preto is run by two main groups: the executive power and the legislative power. The first person to lead the city was João Gonçalves dos Santos in 1874. Today, the mayor is Ricardo Silva from the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

The city has special partnerships with places far away, called sister cities. These include:

• Bucaramanga, Colombia.
• Ripa Teatina, Italy.
• San Leandro, United States.
• Teramo, Italy.

Besides the main city hall, Ribeirão Preto has three smaller local offices for different parts of the city:

• Regional administration 1: North (Campos Elísios)
• Regional administration 2: West (Vila Tibério)
• Regional administration 3: South (Bonfim Paulista)

Urban infrastructure

Health

Ribeirão Preto has many health centers, including hospitals, clinics, and dental offices. In 2009, there were 319 places where people could get medical help. These included both public and private services. The city had enough hospital beds for over 2,000 patients. Most babies born in the city in 2010 had help during birth, and nearly all children under one year had their vaccinations up to date.

Ribeirão Preto is known for having some of the best health services in Brazil. It has many hospitals and clinics that attract people from nearby areas. The city works closely with its local government to make sure everyone has access to good health care.

Education

Ribeirão Preto is a great place for learning. In 2009, the city had many schools, both public and private. Students in the city scored well on tests compared to students in other parts of the country. The city also has a very high education level, with almost everyone able to read and write.

The city has a big university called the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto. It started with a medical school in 1952 and has grown to include many different areas of study. There are also many other colleges and private schools in the city. This makes Ribeirão Preto an important place for education and learning.

Science and technology

Ribeirão Preto is a hub for science and technology. The city has a Technology Park that helps support new ideas and inventions, especially in health and biotechnology. The park has special labs and places where new businesses can start.

The city is also known for its work in information technology, health, biotechnology, and bioenergy. Many companies in these fields have grown here, making Ribeirão Preto an important center for new discoveries and technology.

Transportation

Public transportation

Ribeirão Preto has a busy public transportation system with three companies running about 300 buses on 113 different routes. Some of these routes use smaller buses to connect faraway parts of the city to main stations, and they are free to use. An electronic card is needed to ride the buses, which works like a prepaid card where the fare is taken directly from the card.

Main highways

Ribeirão Preto has many roads connecting it to other cities in São Paulo and even to the capital. Important highways pass through the city, linking it to places like Araraquara, São Carlos, Bauru, Piracicaba, Campinas, São José do Rio Preto, Uberaba, and Uberlândia. These roads make it easier to travel to many major cities nearby.

Bus station

The bus station in Ribeirão Preto is in the city center and operates around the clock. It connects the city to many other places in São Paulo and other states in Brazil.

Airport

Leite Lopes Airport is a major airport that works all the time and serves more than 1.1 million passengers. Flights go to important cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Goiânia, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Salvador, and Campinas. The airport has a long runway and a big passenger terminal, with plans to make it even larger.

Railroad

Right now, the city's railway system is not in use, but there are plans to bring it back. The first railway arrived in Ribeirão Preto in 1883, and the station was used until 1997. The city was also served by other railroads in the past.

Media

Ribeirão Preto used to have its own phone company called Centrais Telefônicas de Ribeirão Preto. In December 2000, a bigger company named Telefónica bought it. In 2012, Telefónica started using the brand name Vivo. Today, Vivo provides many services in Ribeirão Preto, including cell phones, fixed lines, fast internet, and television through satellite and cable.

In popular culture

The city is important in the book series by Orson Scott Card called the Ender saga. In these stories, the city becomes the main place for the Hegemony and the South American capital of the Free People of Earth, which is the world government.

Notable people

Ribeirão Preto has been home to many famous people. Some of them are Alex, a former footballer who played for the Armenia national football team. There is also Amador Aguiar, who founded Banco Bradesco. The city has produced talented athletes like swimmer Gustavo Borges, racing drivers Hélio Castroneves, Marcos Gomes, and Paulo Gomes, and actor Lino Facioli. Other notable individuals include agricultural engineer Warwick Estevam Kerr, swimmer Nicholas Santos, and musician Kiko Zambianchi.