West São Paulo
West São Paulo is a region in the state of São Paulo. Differently from the east part of the state, West São Paulo did not have an "industry boom" after the decline of coffee farming. As result the region contains mostly small and calm cities, and like Northwest São Paulo, it also contains a strong Japanese heritage.
- Not to be confused with West Side of São Paulo city.
Cities
Understand
In the beginning of the XX century, the railway of the Sorocabana company advanced further into the west of the state, reaching Presidente Prudente in 1919 and bringing the region the prosperity of coffee farming. Even after the decline of coffee farming after the 1929, the region maintained its economical success thanks to cotton farming and livestock.
In the 1920s, a Japanese-Brazilian company named Bratac started promoting Japanese immigration in the West São Paulo. The Japanese immigrants settled in farms across the region and contributed to the formation of cities like Bastos and Álvares Machado. Since then, many Japanese and their descendants have moved towards the east of the state, but they left behind a strong cultural legacy.