PIRATININGA

city, So Paulo estado (state), southeastern Brazil. It lies just southwest of Bauru. Formerly called Patrimnio dos Inocentes, it was founded by the Portuguese explorer Martim Afonso de Sousa in 1532 and was colonized by Jesuits in 1554. In 1681 it succeeded So Vicente, near present-day Santos, as capital of the captaincy. Piratininga achieved city status in 1907 and became the seat of a municipality in 1913. Coffee growing and livestock raising are the main economic activities in the area. Rice, cotton, feijo (beans), and corn (maize) are also cultivated. The city's factories process coffee, cotton, rice, garlic, silk, and wine. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 6,628.