Batatais is a municipality in the state of

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

History

The settlement became a town and an independent municipality on March 14, 1839, when it was separated from

Franca Franca is a municipality in the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, Brazil. The city is located in the northeastern portion of the state, distant 401 km (249 mi) from the state capital (São Paulo), and 676 km (420 mi) from Brasília, Brasil ...

. It became a city in 1875.

Washington Luís Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa (; 26 October 1869 – 4 August 1957) was a Brazilian politician who served as the 13th president of Brazil. Elected governor of São Paulo state in 1920 and president of Brazil in 1926, Washington Luís belonge ...

, president of Brazil around 1929, was the city mayor in 1899.

Geography

The city has an area of . The elevation is 862 m. The city is in Brazil's sugarcane belt.

Population

In 2020 the population is about 62,980. The population is mostly formed by Italian-Brazilians. There is commemorated the "San Gennaro Party" that is an example of culture predominance.

Theories on the origin of the name

There are at least four theories for the meaning of the name "Batatais": *The most accepted one is based on historical reports, linked to the Native Americans that lived there and their agricultural activity. The

Bandeirantes The ''Bandeirantes'' (), literally "flag-carriers", were slavers, explorers, adventurers, and fortune hunters in early Colonial Brazil. They are largely responsible for Brazil's great expansion westward, far beyond the Tordesillas Line of 1494 ...

may have found a large culture of purple

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

es (Batatais sounds like ''Batatas'', "potatoes"). *Another version came from the Native American language spoken there, and the name came from the word "BAITATA", which means according to some experts "river running through the rocks", meaning the

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

s that exists there. *A third version also from the Native American language spoken there says that the name came from the word "MBOITATA", snake of fire, which on the native belief was the god that protects the field from fires. This version can be also verified due to some small gas fields that exists around the city, which may generate fireballs due to the heat occasionally. *Some recent studies also brings another possible version: Batatais or Batatal was an expression used by the old miners to describe the place where

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

can be found at the surface. As this region was part of the old way to the Goias mines, it is possible that the city was a rest place for the travelers.

Notable people

* Zeca Lopes, footballer *

Marcelo Batatais Marcelo Guioto or simply Marcelo Batatais (born September 9, 1974 in Batatais, São Paulo), is a former Brazilian Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre defender. Batatais was known for his incredible header (association football), h ...

, footballer *

Emerson César dos Santos Emerson may refer to: People * Emerson (surname), a surname (and list of people with that name) * Emerson (given name), a given name (and list of people with that name) Places Australia * Emerson Crossing, a place in Adelaide Canada * Emerson, ...

, footballer *

José Guilherme Baldocchi José Guilherme Baldocchi (born 14 March 1946), better known as ''Baldocchi'', is a former Brazilian footballer who played as a central defender. During his club career he played for Batatais (1964–65), Botafogo-SP (1964–67), Palmeiras (1 ...

, footballer, world champion of soccer in the

1970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's senior national teams. Held from 31 May t ...

References

Municipalities in São Paulo (state) Populated places established in 1839 {{SaoPauloState-geo-stub