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Votuporanga

Votuporanga
Municipality
The Municipality of
Votuporanga
Aerial view of the town centre
Aerial view of the town centre
Flag of Votuporanga
Flag
Official seal of Votuporanga
Seal
Nickname(s): City of the Soft Breezes
Location of Votuporanga
Location of Votuporanga
Coordinates: 20°25′02″S 49°58′22″W / 20.41722°S 49.97278°W / -20.41722; -49.97278Coordinates: 20°25′02″S 49°58′22″W / 20.41722°S 49.97278°W / -20.41722; -49.97278
Country  Brazil
Region Southeast
State  São Paulo
Mesoregion São José do Rio Preto
Government
 • Mayor Nasser Marão Filho
Area
 • Total 424.11 km2 (163.75 sq mi)
Elevation 525 m (1,722 ft)
Population (2010/IBGE)
 • Total 94,692
 • Density 199.69/km2 (517.2/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-3 (UTC-3)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-2 (UTC-2)
Postal Code 15500-000
Area code(s) +55 17
Website Votuporanga, São Paulo

Votuporanga is a municipality in the Northwest of the São Paulo state, Brazil. The city is located 520 km from São Paulo. The population of the city, according to the IBGE, is 94,692 inhabitants. Votuporanga is the center of a Microregion with 139,475 inhabitants. In 2016, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Votuporanga was formed by Pope Francis.

Votuporanga's history is closely linked to that of the coffee trade in Brazil. The land where the city is located originally belonged to the Marinheiro de Cima Farm, owned by . Schmidt was forced to sell the land to Theodor Wille, owner of the Wille, Schmillinski e Cia. company, to settle outstanding debts. The land was thus divided up into plots and sold at a low price. Little by little the area's population began to grow, until at last, becoming part of the district of Vila Monteiro, now Álvares Florence, and the municipal district of Monte Aprazível.

The name, Votuporanga, was suggested by Sebastião Almeida de Oliveira, notary public for the local town of Tanabi. Votuporanga, in Tupi language, means "Good winds" or "Soft breezes". The town on Votuporanga was founded on August 8, 1937. Father Isidoro Cordeiro Paranhos celebrated a Catholic mass on this same day, thus becoming one of the pilars of the town's heritage.

In 1945 Votuporanga was decreed to be a municipal district, and center for the local county. The first mayor was Francisco Villar Horta. In the same year, an important development took place with the arrival of the Railroad Araraquarense, providing a vital rail connection to the Port of Santos. Two other principal features of the city are the Santa Casa de Misericórdia hospital and the contemporary Igreja de Nossa Senhora Aparecida (Church of Our Lady Aparecida).

In the 1970s, the state highway Rodovia Euclides da Cunha, SP-320, which connects Votuporanga to the state capital, was tarmacked, helping to develop the growth of the town. Also around this time, the educational institution UNIFEV was created. In the 1980s, the city experienced economic growth, mainly in the Furniture, agricultural machinery industry and metalworking for the haulage industry.


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Wikipedia

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