Matão is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

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 GaW ...

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 ...

. As of 2020, the town had an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 83,626 and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

of 146.3 persons per km². The total area the city is . Matão sits at an elevation of . The municipality consists of two districts: Matão and São Lourenço do Turvo.

History

Matão was first populated by coffee growers at the beginning of the 1890s. The settlers constructed a small chapel in 1894, and in 1895 called their settlement Senhor do Bom Jesus das Palmeiras. The settlement was renamed Matão in 1897 and became a district of

Araraquara Araraquara ( or ) is a city in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 250.314 (2022 est.) in an area of . It is also known as "the abode of the sun," because of its impressive sunset and because of its hot atmosphere, especially in su ...

. It became an independent municipality on August 27, 1898. The region attracted more small-scale farmers in the 1890s, and development was furthered by the construction of a railroad line, the Estrada de Ferro Araraquara, which was built to connect Rio Claro, in São Paulo State, to

Cuiabá Cuiabá () is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It is located near the geographical centre of South America. Also, it forms the metropolitan area of Mato Grosso, along with the neighbouring town of Várzea Grande. The city ...

, the capital city of Mato Grosso. The rail line reached Matão by 1899. The municipality comprised three districts, Matão, Dobrada and São Lourenço do Turvo, until 1964 when Dobrada became a separate municipality.

Events

Corpus Christi (Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ) Feast

Matão is one of the Brazilian cities renowned for its Corpus Christi festivities, which have been celebrated since 1948. On this day streets of the city are decorated with temporary "rugs" made of crushed colored glass, coffee powder, and other materials in preparation for a religious procession. These rugs feature religious and municipal scenes and colorful floral and geometric designs.

References

External links

* 1894 establishments in Brazil {{SaoPauloState-geo-stub