Botucatu is a city in the southeastern region of 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...

 and is located 224.8 km from São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

, the Capital of 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...

. The city has a population of about 127,370 inhabitants (1909) within a total area of 1,486.4  square kilometers, on top of a plateau (804 meters high). Botucatu became a township in 1876.

The region has humid-subtropical weather, with dry winters and hot summers. During winter the temperature rarely falls below 2 °C. During most of the year, mainly at night, a breeze blowing over São Paulo plateau, from which Botucatu elevates about 200 m, cools the city and surroundings.

Botucatu's biggest employer is UNESP

Unesp

Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho is one of the six public universities of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, with USP, UFABC, UNIFESP, UFSCar and UNICAMP. It's a part of the state’s higher education system.UNESP has a combined student body of almost 40,000 spread among its 23...

, one of the two São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

 state universities. In particular, the city has two campuses, one centered on medical sciences, including a school of medicine and veterinarian sciences, and one of agricultural sciences. The leading industrial company is Embraer

Embraer

Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....

 through a subsidiary Neiva

Neiva

Neiva is the Capital of the Department of Huila. It is located in the valley of the Magdalena River in south central Colombia with a population of about 378,857 inhabitants...

, that has a multipurpose plant there but primarily the manufacture of EMB 201 "Ipanemao" crop spraying aircraft. Along with Rondonopolis

Rondonópolis

Formerly known as Rio Vermelho , Rondonópolis is the third-largest city in Mato Grosso. It is located around from Cuiabá the capital of the state.- Overview :...

 and Ribeiro Preto it is one of the centers of the large Brazilian airborne spraying industry. The city has also two bus bodyworks builders, the Brazilian Induscar and the Basque Irizar

Irizar

Irizar Group is a Spanish-based builder of luxury coach vehicle bodies, established in 1889. It is located in Ormaiztegi in the Basque Country, Spain...

. Besides UNESP

Unesp

Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho is one of the six public universities of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, with USP, UFABC, UNIFESP, UFSCar and UNICAMP. It's a part of the state’s higher education system.UNESP has a combined student body of almost 40,000 spread among its 23...

, there are two other colleges, one public and one private, plus a local teaching center of São Paulo's Pontificial university, PUC-SP.

The city boasts a higher than usual elementary and mid-level educational network, including public and private institutions. It is also an important center for "organic" agriculture being the site of a recognized certification body.

History

The city of Botucatu, herein referred as such for being the seat of an archdiocese, has experienced many changes during a century and a half of existence, the most substantial being the arrival of the state university in 1960.

Old Botucatu was a place full of romantic characters such as coffee barons, musicians and poets and hinterland explorers. One of these is Conde (count) de Serra Negra, who is locally considered the father of Lawrence of Arabia and Rhett Butler

Rhett Butler

Rhett Butler is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.-Role:In the beginning of the novel, we first meet Rhett at the Twelve Oaks Plantation barbecue, the home of John Wilkes and his son Ashley and daughters Honey and India Wilkes...

, who is said to be buried there. Of note, Botucatu's municipal council has declared war on Great-Britain on two distinct occasions, with no actual consequences.