Paulínia, Industrial municipality in São Paulo, Brazil.
Paulínia is an industrial city in São Paulo state, located about 120 kilometers northwest of the state capital. The town spreads across gentle hills with residential neighborhoods, commercial zones, and extensive refinery and chemical plants that dominate the skyline and drive the local economy.
The settlement began in 1906 as the village of São Bento around a chapel and grew first as a farming hub with sugarcane and coffee plantations. The construction of the Replan refinery in the 1970s transformed the town completely, turning it within a few years into a leading center of Brazilian petrochemicals.
The town takes its name from Paulino de Souza e Queirós, an imperial-era politician whose family shaped the region. Residents today celebrate an active calendar of street parties and religious holidays that mark the rhythm of local life and keep community traditions alive.
The town is easy to reach via several highways and has a good network of bus routes linking residential areas with commercial districts. Visitors interested in seeing the industrial facilities should check with operators beforehand about visitor policies and safety requirements.
Much of the city area is occupied by the Replan refinery complex and associated chemical plants that operate around the clock. These facilities make the town a hub for research and technical training, with programs and institutions that draw specialists from across Brazil.
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