Bauru

Bauru is a Brazilian city and municipality in the state of São Paulo. It is also the capital of the micro-region of Bauru. The population in 2004 is 313,670, the area of the municipality is 675.2 km² and the population density is 464.56/km².

Established in 1896, its boundaries are Reginópolis to the north, Arealva to the northeast, Pederneiras to the east, Agudos and Piratininga in the south and Avaí in the west.

It is the hometown of football superstar Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé.

There are a couple theories intended to explain the origin of the Bauru name. One of most accepted was proposed by Ismael Marinho Falcão, an engineer who coexisted during many years with the Caingangue tribe, who used to inhabit the region.

According to his findings, the region was called ubaurú, because of the abundance of an herbaceous plant called ubá, used for the hampers and wicker baskets, and urú, a ground bird related to the chicken.

Others think that the name comes offrom mbai-yuru, meaning waterfall or river in strong declivity; or ybá or uru, basket of fruits; or even bauruz, as the natives who inhabited the edges of rio Batalha were called.