Itu

From Freepedia

This article is about the location. For the article on the telecommunications group, see ITU (International Telecommunication Union).

Itu is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. Its coordinates are 23° 15′ 51″ S, 47° 17′ 57″ W. The population in 2004 is 149,758, the area is 641.68 km² The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language.

Itu was the birth place of the Brazilian Republic and has a very interesting museum about it.

Itu became a famous town after "Simplicio" a well known Brazilian comedian, born in Itu, was made Turism Secretary and to increase tourism promoted it as the "capital of large things". For example, the town square holds a giant 4mt high yellow phone-booth "orelhão". The ITu popsicle is about a feet tall.