Get to know São Paulo, the host city of the 43rd WorldSkills Competition in 2015

São Paulo is the sixth most populous city in the world, with over 11.8 million inhabitants from all over Brazil and the world. One of 27 capital cities in the country (located in the state of São Paulo), the municipality has the highest number of industries, with extensive productive diversity. In the area of education, it has 249 technical schools, with 22 from SENAI; 532 child education institutions, 1,584 institutions of primary and 200 of higher education.

The city is the main financial centre of South America, headquartering one of the largest stock exchanges in the world, accounting for 12% of the entire economy of the country and ranks fourth in the world for receiving investments.

But by no means is life only about business. The city is also a great culinary and artistic centre, with more than 280 cinemas, 180 theatres, 110 museums and 90 cultural centres. Added to this, it features 420 hotels with 42,000 rooms. There are more than 15,000 restaurants, 500 churrascarias (Brazilian steakhouses), 250 Japanese restaurants, 20,000 bars and 5,000 pizzerias in the city.

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With numerous attractions, highlighted by Paulista Avenue, the Museum of Portuguese Language, the São Paulo Art Museum (MASP) and Ibirapuera Park, the locations are quite sought after by more than 13.2 million tourists who visit the city every year. Major events are regularly held in the metropolis: the International Biennial of Art, the Brazil Grand Prix of Formula I, the International Motor Show and São Paulo Fashion Week are just some examples. Also, in 2014, the city was recognized as the best travel destiny of Brazil on Travellers' Choice, an Award given by Trip Advisor.

The São Paulo transportation system is made up of about 1,350 bus lines and an extensive metro network. 9.7 million people are transported per day by bus and 3.7 million via the subway, with its 67 stations. The taxi fleet exceeds 34,000 vehicles.

The city also has two major airports: Guarulhos International Airport, located 30 km from downtown São Paulo and Congonhas Airport, only 11 km from the city centre, used for domestic flights.