Campinas, city in southeastern Brazil, in the highlands of São Paulo State, on the main São PauloBrasília- highway. Campinas is an important manufacturing and commercial center for a rich agricultural area in which coffee, sugarcane, and cotton are produced. Textiles, machinery, and agricultural equipment are manufactured in the city, which is the seat of the noted Institute of Agronomy (1887), the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas (1941), and the State University of Campinas (1962). Campinas dates from the 18th century and grew rapidly during the Brazilian coffee boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Population (1996 estimate) 908,906.
