Botucatu

 city, municipality

Botucatu is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil, located 224.8 km from São Paulo, the state capital and 898 km from Brasília. Total area is 1486.4 km² and elevation is 804 m. Its population in 2003 was 117,308.

The region has humid-subtropical weather, with dry winters and hot summers. During winter the temperature rarely falls below 2 °C. During most of the year, mainly at night, a breeze blowing over Sao Paulo plateau, from which Botucatu elevates about 200 m, cools the city and surroundings.

Botucatu's biggest employer is UNESP, one of the two Sao Paulo state universities. In particular, the city has two campuses, one centered on medical sciences, including a school of medicine and veterinarian sciences, and one of agricultural sciences. The leading industrial company is EMBRAER, that has a multipurpose plant there. The city has also two bus bodyworks builders, the Brazilian Induscar and the Basque Irizar. Besides UNESP, there are two other colleges, one public and one private, plus a local teaching center of Sao Paulo's Pontificial university, PUC-SP.

The city boasts a higher than usual elementary and mid-level educational network, including public and private institutions. It is also an important center for "organic" agriculture being the site of a recognized certification body.

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