Jaú

Jaú is a municipality in the center of the state of São Paulo, in Brazil. The population is 151,881 (2020 est.) in an area of 687 square kilometres (265 sq mi).[2] The elevation is 522 metres (1,713 ft). The city takes its name from the native fish species jau. The history of the city goes back to 1853, when a group of people decided to settle and found a village. Not until 1889, however, did it achieve the status of town. Its most widely known inhabitant is João Ribeiro de Barros, the first man to travel from Europe to South America by plane, in 1927, 23 days before Charles Lindbergh's flight. Jaú is located in a tropical weather region, known for its very fertile lands, which were once called "terra roxa" (purple land). The city is known as the national capital of female shoes, which are exported to the whole world.[citation needed]