Projected Population in 2015: 20.5 million
Population in 2005: 18.3 million

Sao Paulo is a megacity created by coffee. Founded in 1554 by Jesuit missionaries, it grew to prominence in the 19th century thanks to its location in the heart of Brazil's richest coffee-growing region. Now, it's a financial center with a notably diverse population. In Sao Paulo, people of Italian descent outnumber people of Portuguese descent, and the cosmopolitan ethnic mix includes many people whose ancestors came from Japan, Lebanon or Africa.