Itaquaquecetuba 6.73

Itaquaquecetuba is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 352,801 (2015 est.) in an area of 82.62km². It sits at an elevation of 790m.The municipality was founded between 1560 and 1563 by Jesuits led by Father José de Anchieta, among native villages near the Rio Tietê, beginning with the Catholic chapel of Our Lady of Acute, which was established by Father José. The settlement saw little development, and was almost deserted by the early twentieth century. Until 1958 the city was a district of Mogi das Cruzes. Following the emancipation of the municipality that year, the first Mayor, Victorio Eugenio Deliberato, began a campaign of industrial development that had great geographic and economic impact on Itaquaquecetuba in the decades to come.Today, Itaquaquecetuba is one of the 10 best Brazilian cities who had significant advances in challenges against inequality in the last 20 years, and has the second best GDP in the region.HistoryThe origin of the city dates back to Itaquaquecetuba of the twelve villages founded by the Jesuit priest José de Anchieta, in his long stay in Brazil. Its creation is due to the then president of the province, Bernardo José Pinto Gavião Peixoto, named village of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, on September 7, 1560, being established in the River Tietê, to catechize the guaianases.