Taubaté is a medium-sized city in the State of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil.
Its strategic location between the two most important Brazilian cities (São Paulo 123 km away, and Rio de Janeiro 280 km away), connected to both by the Presidente Dutra Highway, between high, cold mountains and the Atlantic Ocean has helped the development of the city. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 317,915 (2020 est.) in an area of 625.00 km². The city has become an industrial center, seating branches of several companies, including Volkswagen, Alstom, LG, Embraer, among many others.
A traditional city in São Paulo state, it played an important role in the historical and economic development of the country. In the gold cycle was radiating center of bandeirismo discovering gold in Minas Gerais, founding several cities. In the Second Empire, during the coffee boom of the Paraíba Valley, has emerged as the largest municipality in the state production area, hosting the Taubaté Convention in 1906. The municipality contains part of the 292000 ha Mananciais do Rio Paraíba do Sul Environmental Protection Area, created in 1982 to protect the sources of the Paraiba do Sul river.
