GOVERNADOR VALADARES

also called (until 1939) Figueira, city, eastern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. It lies on the left bank of the Doce River. The city was made the seat of a municipality in 1937. It is an agricultural trade centre dealing in beans, rice, sugarcane, coffee, and livestock. Sawmills and food-processing plants are in the city, and mica and beryl are mined in the area. Governador Valadares is one of the most famous gem-trading centres in Brazil. Gem minerals include amethyst, chrysoberyl, brazilianite, topaz, and quartz. The city is on the Belo Horizonte-Vitria railway and on the Rio de Janeiro-Salvador highway. It can also be reached by air. Pop. (1980 prelim.) 173,699.