Junqueirópolis

Junqueirópolis is the name of a city and the surrounding municipality in the western region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The population is 20,831 (2020 est.) in an area of 583 km<sup>2</sup> (5 km<sup>2</sup> of which is city). Its elevation is 421 m. Rio do Peixe (Fish River) and Rio Aguapeí (Aguapeí River) are major rivers of the region.

History

At the start of the 20th century this area was largely unexplored and undeveloped. It was not until 1941 that the Companhia Paulista de Estrada de Ferro (São Paulo Locomotive Company) ran railroad tracks through this remote hinterland.

Over the next few years Alvaro de Oliveira Junqueira, a wealthy inhabitant of the city of São Paulo, began buying up land here upon which he established coffee plantations. On 1 November 1944 the municipal division of Patrimônio de Junqueira (Junqueira's Patrimony) was established and land development proceeded as lots were sold to investors.

thumb|center|Map of the state of São Paulo (1948).

The place name has been formed by joining Junqueira's surname with the Greek language-derived suffix -polis meaning "city".

Economy

Agriculture

thumb|222px|right|This is the [[Vitamin C rich fruit for which Junqueirópolis has been nicknamed Capital da Acerola, the "Acerola Capital".]]

Outside the urban area, Junqueirópolis is a hilly, agricultural region that produces valuable crops that thrive in a subtropical climate. For this reason the municipality promotes itself as Cidade Verde, "Green City".

Media

In telecommunications, the city was served by Telecomunicações de São Paulo. In July 1998, this company was acquired by Telefónica, which adopted the Vivo brand in 2012. The company is currently an operator of cell phones, fixed lines, internet (fiber optics/4G) and television (satellite and cable).

Penitentiary

The penitentiary in Junqueirópolis was the site of some of the violence of 2006 that swept the prisons of São Paulo state and involved deadly clashes between Primeiro Comando da Capital (a prison gang) and Polícia Militar do Estado de São Paulo (the state police).

Religion

Christianity is present in the city as follows:

Catholic Church

The Catholic church in the municipality is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marília.

Protestant Church

The most diverse evangelical beliefs are present in the city, mainly Pentecostal, including the Assemblies of God in Brazil (the largest evangelical church in the country), Christian Congregation in Brazil, among others. These denominations are growing more and more throughout Brazil.