SOROCABA

city, east-central So Paulo estado (state), Brazil. It lies along the Sorocaba River, a tributary of the Tiet River, at 1,804 feet (550 m) above sea level. Given town status in 1661 and made the seat of a municipality in 1842, Sorocaba is now one of the nation's major industrial centres. Manufactures include cotton and silk textiles, cement, fertilizers, lumber, aluminum products, shoes, hats, alcohol, and wines. The city is the headquarters of the electric Sorocaba Railway (arrived c. 1875) and of its maintenance shops. Goods from Sorocaba reach So Paulo city, 80 miles (130 km) east, and other markets by rail, road, and air. Pop. (1980) 254,672.