About Ribeirao Preto

The city’s average temperature throughout the year is 23,2 °C (73,75F) and the predominant original vegetation is the Atlantic forest. Of the total inhabitants 99.7% of its population lives within city boundaries, and in 2009 there was 319 health establishments. Its IDH is 0.855, considered elevated and the sixth highest of the state. There are numerous highways linking Ribeirão Preto to other cities, such as Anhanguera Highway and Cândido Portinari Highway, alongside the railroad and the Doctor Leite Lopes Airport.

The city was originated around 1856 as the region received many miners that had left their already depleted lands because of the mining, looking for pastures for cattle. In the beginning of the 20th century the city began to attract immigrants that had come to work in the agriculture or in the recently opened industries. The coffee was for a long time the principal activity and main source of income until 1929, when it lost its value and lost space to other cultures and the industrial sector. Along the second half of the 20th century there was some investment in areas such as health, biotechnology, bioenergy and information technology, that lead the city to be declared in a Technological Center in 2010. These activities have caused the city to have the 30th biggest GNP in Brazil.

In addition to its economic importance, the city is also an important cultural center. The Prefeito Luiz Roberto Jábali Park, the Maurilio Biagi Park and the Zoo Garden are important preservation areas, while the Pinguim Choperia, the Dom Pedro Theatre and projects as the Ribeirão Preto’s Cinema Center are relevant sightseeing points, along the cultural events as Agrishow, and the National Book Fair