piracicaba , city, in the highlands of east-central são paulo estado (state), southeastern brazil . it lies at 1,772 feet (540 metres) above sea level on the tietê river . formerly called santo antônio de piracicaba and vila nova da constituição, the settlement was given town status in 1821 and made the seat of a municipality in 1856. the city is in the centre of the state's main sugarcane-producing area; cotton, rice, coffee, and other crops are also cultivated. in addition to sugar refineries, the city has distilleries and food-processing factories as well as metallurgical plants. one of the state's chief agricultural colleges is nearby, and it has a sizable football (soccer) stadium. piracicaba is linked by road, rail, and air to são paulo , the state capital, 85 miles (137 km) southeast. neighbouring cities include americana , limeira , and rio claro . pop. (2010) 364,571.we welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. you can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind.
