Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais is one of the 27 states in Brazil. It is the fourth largest state by area and the second most populated, with over 20 million people. Located in the country's Southeast Region, it shares borders with several other states, including São Paulo, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro.

The capital of Minas Gerais is Belo Horizonte, a major city and financial center. The state has a rugged landscape and is home to some of Brazil's highest peaks and the sources of important rivers like the São Francisco and Doce. It has a tropical climate, with cooler, wetter conditions in the south and drier areas in the north.

Minas Gerais has a rich history, beginning with indigenous peoples and later influenced by the Portuguese arrival in Brazil. The discovery of gold in the late 1600s brought great wealth and growth, though this eventually declined. The state later became important for coffee production before undergoing industrialization. Today, Minas Gerais has the third largest economy among Brazilian states, with mining still playing a big role.

Because of its natural beauty and historical sites, Minas Gerais is a popular place for tourists. Cities like Ouro Preto and Diamantina showcase beautiful old architecture and art. The state also offers scenic spots such as waterfalls, caves, and mineral spas. The local culture is unique, with special festivals, traditional food, and contributions to art and sports.

Etymology

There are two ideas about why Minas Gerais is called that. One idea is that the name means "General Mines" because there were many mines in the area.

Another idea is that the name comes from an old name for the area, "Minas dos Matos Gerais," which means "Mines of the General Woods." This name refers to two parts of the state: the mining areas and the wider fields far away from the mines.

History

Mining started in the 1600s and is still important today in Minas Gerais. People found lots of valuable minerals there, which shaped the state's history.

Long ago, before Europeans arrived, many different groups of indigenous peoples lived in Minas Gerais. One famous person from that time is Luzia, whose fossil is one of the oldest human remains found in the Americas. These early people used stones and bones for tools and created art, like cave paintings.

When Portuguese explorers came, they discovered gold in Minas Gerais. This started a gold rush, and many people moved there looking for wealth. The Portuguese government controlled the gold mining and taxed it heavily. Over time, Minas Gerais became a busy place with many different people, leading to a rich culture with artists, musicians, and builders creating beautiful works.

There were also many enslaved people brought from Africa to work in the mines. Some managed to escape and formed hidden communities called quilombos.

Later, some people in Minas Gerais tried to fight for more freedom and against unfair taxes, but these attempts failed. One famous leader, Tiradentes, was executed for his role in these efforts. Despite these challenges, Minas Gerais remained very important to Brazil, helping shift the country's economic focus to the southeast region. Over the years, leaders from Minas Gerais have played big roles in Brazil’s history, including helping create the new capital city, Brasília.

Geography

Minas Gerais has some of Brazil's longest rivers, like the São Francisco, the Paraná, and the Doce river. The state has many hydroelectric power plants, including Furnas. Some of Brazil's highest mountains are in the southern part of the state, such as the Mantiqueira Mountains and Serra do Cervo. The highest peak is Bandeira peak, standing at 2,890 meters tall.

The state is rich in minerals, with large reserves of iron, gold, and gemstones like emerald, topaz, and aquamarine. Each area of Minas Gerais has its own unique landscape and character. The central and eastern parts are rocky with little vegetation, while the south is green and known for coffee and milk production. The southeast, called Zona da Mata, was once very wealthy and is still an important place for industry and education. The west, known as the "_Triângulo Mineiro", has wide-open lands used for ranching and farming. The north is drier and often faces droughts but is known for making a special type of alcohol called cachaça.

Intermediate Geographic Region of Belo Horizonte

Intermediate Geographic Region of Patos de Minas

Intermediate Geographic Region of Montes Claros

Intermediate Geographic Region of Teófilo Otoni

Intermediate Geographic Region of Governador Valadares

Intermediate Geographic Region of Ipatinga

Intermediate Geographic Region of Barbacena

Intermediate Geographic Region of Juiz de Fora

Intermediate Geographic Region of Divinópolis

Intermediate Geographic Region of Varginha

Intermediate Geographic Region of Pouso Alegre

Intermediate Geographic Region of Uberaba

Intermediate Geographic Region of Uberlândia

Geology

Starting in the early 1700s, Minas Gerais became an important place for finding beautiful gem diamonds. These shiny stones were usually found in river sediments or inside certain types of rocks.

Paleontology

In 1998, scientists made an exciting discovery near the city of Prata. They found fossils of a dinosaur called Maxakalisaurus topai. This giant dinosaur, which lived about 80 million years ago, was about 13 meters long and weighed around 9 tons. It had a long neck and tail, and special bony plates on its skin.

In the 1940s, more dinosaur fossils were found in Uberaba. These fossils were very well preserved, and scientists have been studying them ever since. In March 2024, Uberaba became a special UNESCO Global Geopark, the first in Minas Gerais. Over 10,000 fossils have been found there, including a very large dinosaur called Uberabatitan ribeiroi.

Demographics

See also: List of metropolitan areas in Brazil and List of municipalities in Brazil by population

According to the 2022 census, there were 20,539,989 people living in Minas Gerais. The population density was 35.02 inhabitants per square kilometre. In 2006, 85% of the people lived in cities, and the population was growing at a rate of 1.4% each year between 1991 and 2000. There were about 5,741,000 houses in the state in 2006.

The last census showed the following numbers of people by background: 9,605,151 Brown people, 8,437,697 White people, 2,432,877 Black people, 31,885 Amerindian people, and 31,681 Asian people.

Ethnic groups in Minas Gerais include: Amerindians, Portuguese, Africans, Italians, Germans and Lebanese.

The mix of people in Minas Gerais varies from town to town. For example, in Córrego do Bom Jesus, White people make up most of the population. The South of Minas Gerais has many Portuguese people and Italian immigrants. The North of Minas Gerais has many African slaves who arrived in the past. The central part, where the capital Belo Horizonte is, has a mix of White, Black, and mixed-background people.

Major cities

Religion

Religion in Minas Gerais (2010)

1. Catholic Church (70.4%)
2. Protestantism (20.2%)
3. Spiritism (2.10%)
4. Other religions (3.40%)
5. Irreligious (3.90%)

According to the 2010 Brazilian census, most people in Minas Gerais are Catholic. Even though the number of Catholics has been going down, Roman Catholicism is still very important in Minas Gerais' culture, especially in smaller towns and rural areas. There are also many Protestant people, with groups like the Assembleias de Deus, the Baptist Church, and the Foursquare Church being popular. Around 420 thousand people follow Spiritism, a religion started by the Minas Gerais-born medium Chico Xavier. There are also smaller groups like Umbanda and Candomblé, and almost a million people consider themselves irreligious.

Economy

Minas Gerais is a big state in Brazil that helps the country’s economy a lot. It is the second-biggest place for people to buy things, just after São Paulo. Many companies here sell to almost half of all people in Brazil.

The biggest part of the state’s money comes from services, like shops and banks. Farming and making things also help the economy grow.

Agriculture

Minas Gerais grows a lot of important foods. It makes the most coffee in Brazil and also grows sugar, soy, oranges, beans, and many other fruits and vegetables. The state also has many cows and makes a lot of milk.

Mineral extraction

The state has lots of valuable minerals like iron, gold, and precious stones. Minas Gerais is the top place in Brazil for finding these minerals.

Manufacturing

Many factories in Minas Gerais make things like cars, electronics, food, shoes, and clothes. The state is a big maker of vehicles and has important companies in these industries.

Service industry

People visit Minas Gerais to see old towns with beautiful buildings and to enjoy natural springs. Eco-tourism, where people visit nature, is also growing here.

Tourism

One of the most important tourist circuits in Minas Gerais is the Estrada Real. This route follows old paths used to carry gold from mines, linking the central part of the state with the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Parati. Visitors can enjoy historical, cultural, and natural sights along this journey. Another key feature of Minas Gerais tourism is its historic cities, which have beautiful old buildings and museums. Ouro Preto is especially famous for its Museum of Inconfidência.

The state's many mountains, peaks, caves, rivers, and lakes draw people who love nature and adventure. Rural tourism is also popular, with many farms and countryside spots to explore. In the central region, you can find national parks like Serra do Cipó and the Inhotim Museum, which holds a large collection of modern art. In the south, the Circuito das Águas area is well-known for its mineral spas. Cities like São Lourenço and Poços de Caldas are famous for their hot springs and baths.

Business tourism is growing too, with many big international events taking place in the state. Belo Horizonte, the capital, is a top spot for fairs, congresses, and meetings thanks to its strong infrastructure and many hotels. Other cities such as Juiz de Fora, Uberaba, and Uberlândia also host large business events.

Infrastructure

Highways

As of November 2020, Minas Gerais had 39,738 kilometers of highways. Many of these roads are paved, and some connect the capital city, Belo Horizonte, to other important cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The state has many highways, but some parts still only have one lane, which can cause traffic problems. In 2022, a new project started to improve one of the main highways, BR-381, making it wider for safer travel.

Minas Gerais has the most highways of any state in Brazil. Because it is in the middle of the country, many important national highways cross through it. This also means the state has more car accidents than others.

Railways

Railways have been used in Minas Gerais since the 1800s. Over time, many railway lines closed as more people started using cars. Today, some railways are still used to move goods, and there is one passenger train that travels between Vitória and Belo Horizonte, connecting several cities along the way.

Airport

Tancredo Neves International Airport is located near Belo Horizonte. It opened in 1984 and was built to handle more flights as they grew. The airport rarely closes because of bad weather. In 2005, many flights from the smaller Pampulha Airport in Belo Horizonte moved to this larger airport.

Administrative center

A new administrative center was finished in March 2010. Designed by a famous architect, it has four large buildings on a big piece of land. Two buildings hold government offices, one has an auditorium for guests, and the fourth is a special building supported by only four columns.

Education

In 2021, Minas Gerais had a good education score, ranking seventh in Brazil. The state has many schools, from primary to higher education. According to the 2010 census, millions of people were attending school, while millions more were not.

The Federal University of Minas Gerais is one of the best universities in Latin America. Minas Gerais has many other universities and colleges, both public and private, spread across many cities.

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in Minas Gerais, just like in the rest of Brazil. Famous player Pelé was born in the city of Três Corações. Belo Horizonte has two very successful football teams and one of the biggest football stadiums in the world, the Mineirão, which opened in 1965. It was used for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The main teams in Belo Horizonte are Atlético Mineiro, nicknamed "Galo" after its rooster mascot, and Cruzeiro. Both teams have won many important matches and tournaments over the years.

Belo Horizonte also has strong volleyball and basketball teams, and the city sees many people at volleyball games. The state has produced many good athletes in sports like tennis, swimming, and volleyball.

Communications

As of April 2007, there were 11.3 million mobile phones and 4.2 million telephones in Minas Gerais.

The area phone codes for cities in Minas Gerais, known as DDD in Brazil, range from 31 to 38.

Culture

Minas Gerais is often called Deep Brazil. It has a more traditional feel compared to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The people, known as Mineiros, have a unique accent and are known for being friendly and family-oriented. Many are Roman Catholics, with growing numbers of Evangelical and neo-Pentecostal followers. The Spiritist doctrine is also popular, partly because of Chico Xavier, a famous spiritual leader from the state.

The most common way of speaking is called mineiro, especially in the capital, Belo Horizonte, and old towns like Ouro Preto. Other ways of speaking include caipira near São Paulo and Goiás, and baiano near Bahia.

The state’s cuisine comes from simple farm life, using local ingredients like chicken and pork. Traditional dishes are made in wood-fired ovens. A famous food is "pão de queijo", a small cheese roll made with cassava flour. Minas Gerais is also known for its milk, cheese, and cachaça, a type of alcohol made from sugar cane. Local dishes include beans with pork, rice with chicken, and many sweet treats. The biggest food festival is Comida de Buteco in Belo Horizonte, where people taste traditional dishes from selected restaurants.

Flag

Main article: Flag of Minas Gerais

The flag of Minas Gerais is the oldest one created by Brazilians and has been the official flag of the state since 1963. It was first used by the Republican Party, which did not support the old Imperial Government.

The flag has a Latin phrase that says, “Freedom albeit late.” This phrase came from a group that wanted Minas Gerais to be free from Portugal a long time ago. The triangle on the flag stands for the Holy Trinity. The colors have special meanings: white shows the wish for peace, and red stands for freedom and the bravery of people who fought for it.

Cities

Main article: List of municipalities in Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais is a big state in Brazil, and even though it is not the largest, it has more cities than any other state. It has 853 cities out of over 5,500 in the whole country. Some of the most important cities are the capital Belo Horizonte, as well as Contagem, Betim, Juiz de Fora, Varginha, Muriaé, Montes Claros, Uberlândia, Governador Valadares, Ipatinga, Ouro Preto, Sete Lagoas, Uberaba, Araxá, Patos de Minas, Divinópolis, Barbacena, Itabira, Pouso Alegre, Janaúba, Teófilo Otoni, Conselheiro Lafaiete, Mariana, Poços de Caldas, Tiradentes, and São João del-Rei.

Fauna

Fish

This is a partial list of species found in the state.

• Phalloceros uai, the one spot toothcarp, is a species of poeciliid fish.