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Archived Articles
Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.
He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.
In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.
Global Real Estate Project
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Sao Paulo is for Businessmen Only
 Sao Paulo is indisputably the economic and financial heart of Brazil. It's also the biggest Brazilian city with population of more than 10 million and other 7 million living in close proximity. Today the state economy generates more than third of the national GDP. The city that Brazilians call SP is in fact the first stop for every major technological innovation that enters the country. To win the national market you have first to win the fed up SP market. So if you're a foreign investor with serious interests in Brazil, establishing you office in this city should be among your first practical concerns on the ground. Founded by the Jesuits almost 450 year ago as a religious mission center, SP is situated just 60 km from the Atlantic coast. It wasn't until the middle of 19th century that SP began expanding by accumulating capitals from the coffee exports. When many of the local plantations collapsed, the city attracted thousand of farmers. The huge industrial development since has provided the city with the most educated middle and working class in the country. Although it can't match Rio de Janeiro for its famous landmark attractions, many foreigners witness their admiration for the variety of cultural events and the city nightlife. Thanks to some 5 millions business visitors each year, SP leaves behind Rio when it comes to the number of foreign guests. 150 out of 170 fairs in Brazil are held in SP. The city hosts largest number of events in the country (70,000). The business tourism pushes up the accommodation development projects and now under way are tens of thousands of new units. On the negative side SP is among the most dangerous big cities in the world and perhaps on the first place of sold cars with special bulletproof protections. In fact these protections can double, even triple the initial costs of the cars. The same goes when it comes to buy or rent a house or apartment in the city. In fact there are two parallel cities or groups of cities, divided by high concrete walls. To live safe means to live in one of these highly protected areas where there is everything, including their own schools, hospitals, shopping centers and recreational facilities. The difference in the price of the properties reflects the level of (un)protection the citizens enjoy in these two separate worlds. As some say about SP, living in this city means living at the same time in first-world and third-world environment. Just to illustrate how far are the lives of those who live in these two worlds, we'll take the UN human-development index that takes into account many factors to determine the quality of life. Thus the richest district Moema stands abreast Spain and Portugal, which are slightly below the European average. On the other end the most impoverished district Marsilac is worse than Sierra Leone, the world's poorest country. SP is definitely not made for those who love the quiet life; on the contrary, the life is fast, sometimes can be even brutal. If you want to go there, prepare yourself for some profound changes. Things in SP aren't what they seem, based on your previous experience abroad.
Sao Paulo profile: --------------------
See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Brazil.
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