Ribeirão Preto (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁibejˈɾɐ̃w ˈpɾetu]) is a municipality and a metropolitan area located in the northeastern region of São Paulo state, Brazil.

This movement was helped by the new Mogiana Railway, linking Ribeirão Preto to São Paulo and to the port city of Santos, and by the abolition of slavery in Brazil, in 1888.

Immigrants coming from Europe (mostly Italy, but also from Portugal, Spain and Germany) and from Japan have settled in coffee farms of Ribeirão Preto and neighboring towns.

Adding to the Native Amerindians already living in the area when migrants began to occupy and settle the land, the population of Ribeirão Preto includes, amongst other groups, descendants of Africans, Italians, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Germans, Lebanese immigrants who were attracted to the region, after the abolition of slavery in 1888, when immigrants were granted lands, after being indentured workers.

During the 1990s, Northeastern migrants came to the region attracted by São Paulo state cities' economic development, which was widely broadcast in TV documentaries.

[7] At the beginning of the 20th century and during its first three decades, Ribeirão Preto was a rich city, boasting several mansions, European-style cafés, cabarets and even two opera houses, as result of the coffee economy.

One of the opera houses – the Carlos Gomes Theatre (in honour of Brazilian opera composer Carlos Gomes) – was demolished in 1949, but the other – the "Pedro II Theatre" (named in honor of Emperor Dom Pedro II), dating from the 1920s – resisted time and was restored and modernized during the 1990s.

Its ceiling, completely destroyed in a fire of 1980, was rebuilt and gained a new design projected by Japanese-Brazilian artist Tomie Ohtake.

These events move various segments of the municipality, as the airport, bus system, taxi, hotel chain, bars, restaurants, and more.

The municipality has a hot climate, which makes people go out in the evening to chat and enjoy cold draft beers in bars.

Ribeirão Preto has some museums and theatres, highlighting the Theatro Pedro II (Pedro II Theatre), which is an opera house, located in the central region, more specifically in the "Quarterão Paulista" (Paulista Square), considered the third largest of the category in Brazil, with capacity for 1580 spectators and a total area of 6500 m2, inaugurated on October 8, 1930.

In addition, the city still has the largest film society in the country, Cineclube Cauim (900 seats), and dozens of mainstream cinema rooms, such as UCI, Cinemark and Cinepolis.

In 2010, Ribeirão Preto was chosen as the theme for Águias de Ouro Samba School parade, in São Paulo Sambodrome, showing its history related to coffee, sugar cane and agribusiness.

The 8 goals were payback for the defeat Santos suffered on September 6, 1964, when they visited Ribeirão Preto during the first round of the tournament and lost 2 x 0.

[15][16] Organized by the Brazilian Olympic Committee, this event brought about 4,000 athletes up to 17 years old from all brazilian states and the Federal District, disputing in 18 sports events (athletics, swimming, open water swimming, triathlon, cycling, volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, handball, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, judo, taekwondo, wrestling, fencing, badminton, table tennis and archery).

[21] After the New York Stock Exchange crash of 1929 the economy of Ribeirão Preto, based on a single export crop, collapsed, and the city had to adapt to a new situation.

Since the city is relatively far from other major Brazilian urban centers, it found a new economic vocation in the services and commercial sector, which was developed to attend the local and regional demands.

Pró-Álcool led to the development of a technology which allows the use of ethanol (sugarcane alcohol) either as automotive fuel or as a gasoline additive.

Due to the Pró-Álcool program, farmers from the region of Ribeirão Preto were encouraged by government subsidies to grow sugarcane.

[citation needed] The sugarcane boom brought a new age of prosperity for the city, which was called the "Brazilian California" during the 1980s and early 1990s.

The creation of USP-RP stimulated the cultural and academic life in Ribeirão Preto and several schools, colleges and universities were opened in the city since then.

Focused on providing a platform for youth leadership development, AIESEC offers young people the opportunity to be global citizens, to change the world, and to get experience and skills that matter today.

In May 2012 was opened the School of Technological Training (FORTEC) "Jandyra Camargo Moquenco" downtown, beginning its activities with four classes and attending around 900 students, divided in three shifts.

Other areas that the city also stands out in the technological sector are the Health, the Biotechnology and the Bioenergy, considered one of the biggest sugar and ethanol's producers worldwide.

Anhanguera is one of the most important roads of São Paulo, being inserted in the northeast corridor of the state, linking it to Minas Gerais.

From here depart flights to important cities of Brazil, such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Goiânia, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Salvador and Campinas.

It functions full-time and received, in 2011, more than 54,000 flights and nearly 1.1 million passengers, making it the 26th busiest airport in Brazil, with more movement than some Brazilian capitals.

On June 1, 1966, was inaugurated the new railway station, now owned by Centro- Atlantic (FCA), which received passengers until August 1997, when these trains were suppressed.

The Railroad São Paulo-Minas transported ore between Ribeirão Preto and Minas Gerais, with the station that was inaugurated on May 1, 1928, and operated until around 1970.

[30] The city plays a major role in Orson Scott Card's Ender saga, as it becomes the headquarters of the Hegemony and the South American capital of the Free People of Earth (the world government).