Pindamonhangaba is a municipality in the state of São Paulo

São Paulo (state)

São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, located in the Paraíba valley

Paraíba Valley

The Paraíba Valley is located in the eastern part of the state of São Paulo along the rodovia Presidente Dutra , between Rio De Janeiro and São Paulo....

, between the two most active production and consumption regions in the country, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It is accessed to the Via Dutra (highway) at the 99th km (BR-116). This place name comes from the Old Tupi language

Old Tupi language

Old Tupi or Classical Tupi is an extinct Tupian language which was spoken by the native Tupi people of Brazil, mostly those who lived close to the sea. It belongs to the Tupi–Guarani language family, and which has a written history spanning the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries...

 meaning where hooks are made or, according to a different interpretation, where the river bends.

Geographic information

• Estimated population (2010): 147,034 inhabitants
• Total area: 731,90 km² (about 425 mi²)
• Geographical coordinates:
  • 22º55'26" S
  • 45º27'42" W
• Altitude: 557 m
• Tropical climate
• Average annual temperature: 20 °C (68 °F)

History

Note: The region now occupied by the Portuguese was Pindamonhangaba at least since July 22, 1643, registering more remote occupation by a certain Captain João Prado Martins. Six years later, on May 17, 1649, the area was formalized as a land grant and donated to the captain. It seems there is no information about what occurred between that date and August 12, 1672, so 13 years later, when no record of building a chapel in honor of São José by brothers Antônio Bicudo Leme and Braz Esteves Leme. The brothers Leme have acquired of the Countess of Vimieiro,(Condesa de Vimieiro) the lands north of the town of Taubaté. There is no news of how the allotment would have passed from the hands of Captain Prado Martins to the Countess of Vimieiro. Given the uncertainties of history, two recent mayors of the city solved the problem by fiat: Caio Gomes Mayor officiated at the date of August 12, 1672 (Leme brothers) as the founding date of the city and later, Mayor João Bosco Nogueira decreed magna that date the county was the date of emancipation, July 10, 1705. Footballer for Bayern Munich Luiz Gustavo was born in Pindamonhangaba.

External links

• Official website