RIBEIRO PRTO

city, in the highlands of northeastern So Paulo state, Brazil, at 1,700 feet (520 m) above sea level, on the Prto River, a tributary of the Pardo River. Founded in 1856 and formerly called Entre Rios and So Sebastio do Ribeiro Prto, the settlement was given town status in 1870 and was made the seat of a municipality in 1871. It was long renowned as a colonization and coffee-growing centre. Now feijo (beans), rice, corn (maize), sugar, cotton, and fruits are also cultivated in the area. Following the arrival of the Mogiana Railway (1883), the community developed industrially. Manufactures include textiles, cottonseed oil, and beer. The city is accessible by road, rail, and air from So Paulo city, 175 miles (282 km) south-southeast. A Helen Keller School for the Blind is in Ribeiro Prto. Pop. (1980 prelim.) 300,704.