São Paulo is the capital of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, and is the most populous city in all of the Americas.
Originally known as Piratininga, the region that now includes the city of São Paulo was inhabited by indigenous groups known as the Tupi people. In 1554, priests settled a village called São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga, which would grow into the city.
Not known as a fossil-rich area, the city of São Paulo is home to a number of Brazilian paleontologists, and the museums and universities that support them.
São Paulo is named after Saint Paul ('São Paulo' in Portuguese) by the priests that started the first settlement in the region that later grew into the city.