São José do Rio Preto 7.3

São José do Rio Preto is a municipality (cidade/município) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The city is located at the north/northwest portion of the state, 440 km (273 mi) from the city of São Paulo and 700 km (435 mi) from Brasília. With 408,258 inhabitants (IBGE/2010), is the 12th biggest city of the state and the 52nd biggest in Brazil.Founded in 1852, its history is closely linked with trade, the provision of services and agriculture. In 1912, the railroad Araraquarense arrived and stopped in the city for 20 years, transforming São José do Rio Preto into the commercial center of the region.Known as Rio Preto, is the center of a Mesoregion with 1,569,220 inhabitants in 29,387 km². The Microregion of São José do Rio Preto has a population of 763,534 inhabitants.HistoryBefore the 19th century, the region was inhabited by the Kaingang, an indigenous people, that was gradually reduced or assimilitated, due to migration, the bandeiras and miscegenation. In the 19th century, farmers from Minas Gerais settled in the region.The city was founded on March 19, 1852, by João Bernardino de Seixas Ribeiro, after Luis Antônio da Silveira donated part of his lands to the Catholic Church, in tribute to Saint Joseph, aiming the creation of a city. These lands from the farm gave birth to the city.