Located in the metropolitan area of the Great São Paulo, near the capital of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The called Great ABC region was formely composed by three cities: Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo and São Caetano. Later on another city called Diadema lent its initials to the group forming the ABCD. Today seven cities compound the ABCDMRR. The other cities are: Mauá, Ribeirão Pires and Rio Grande da Serra.

The Great ABC region is widely known in the whole Brazilian territory and even abroad because the great number of international companies that have been installed in its area. National media and organizations consider ABC a powerful industrial pole and birthplace of the labor union movement that fight against dictatorship in the 70s and 80s. In this regions was formed the Workers Party (PT) whose activities and popularity launched a great figure to the best known names in Brazil: Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, or simply Lula, president of Brazil in 2002.

ABC: First World Statistics

Total Population : 2,354,772 inhabitants

Santo André Population: 649,331 inhabitants – Literacy rate: 95.9%

São Bernardo do Campo Population: 703,177 – Literacy rate: 95.4%

São Caetano do Sul Population: 140,159 – Literacy rate: 97.2%

Diadema Population: 357,064 – Literacy rate: 93.8%

Mauá Population: 363,392 – Literacy rate: 94%

Ribeirão Pires Population: 104,508 - Literacy rate: 95%

Rio Grande da Serra Population: 37,091 - Literacy rate: 92.4%

Classes Class A/B: 70% Class C : 25% Class D/E: 5%

Source: Brazilian Census 2000

References

Agência ABC - http://www.agenciagabc.com.br/ Consórcio do Grande ABC - http://www.consorcioabc.org.br/ Newspaper: Diário do Grande ABC - http://www.dgabc.com.br/