MINAS GERAIS

inland estado (state) of Brazil. It is the storehouse of the mineral riches of that country, as is indicated by its name, which means general mines. The state is bounded on the north by the states of Gois and Bahia; on the east by Bahia, Esprito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro; on the south by Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo; and on the west by So Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Gois. Its area is 226,708 sq mi (587,172 sq km). Its population is exceeded among Brazilian states only by that of So Paulo. The state capital and largest city is Belo Horizonte. Minas Gerais was first explored by Ferno Dias Pais Leme between 1664 and 1677, though he was not the first European to enter the area. The discovery of gold in 169295 by bands of adventurers from the So Paulo settlements led to a mad rush for the new mines. Minas Gerais at first formed part of the captaincy of So Paulo, but in 1720 it was established as a separate captaincy general and was brought more directly under the Portuguese crown. Minas Gerais has traditionally played an important role in Brazilian politics, in part because of its central position but also because of the dense population in its southeast. In 1822 it became a province in the Brazilian Empire, and in 1891 a state in the federal republic. In 1897 the old colonial capital of Ouro Prto, deprived of its administrative function, became a national monument in 1933. The new capital was placed at Belo Horizonte, where a new city, laid out on previously almost unoccupied land, was planned and built. Minas Gerais lies almost wholly within the geologically ancient, mineral-rich uplands known as the Brazilian Highlands, a much dissected hilly upland reaching an elevation of about 2,600 ft (790 m) above sea level. Only small sections of the southern and eastern parts are within the zone of the Great Escarpment which forms the eastern margin of the highlands. In the southwest, along the border of So Paulo, is the commanding range of mountains known as the Serra da Mantiqueira, whose highest summit, Pico das Agulhas Negras (also known as Pico do Itatiaia), reaches 9,144 ft. The other principal mountain range is the Serra do Espinhao, which begins a little south of Belo Horizonte and extends northward into Bahia. It forms the divide between the rivers draining to the So Francisco River and those draining eastward directly to the Atlantic (the Doce, Mucuri, Jequitinhonha). In the southwest Minas Gerais is drained by the Rio Grande, one of the major headwaters of the Paran River. The whole northwestern part of the state is drained by the So Francisco, which flows northward through a rift valley to the west of the Serra do Espinhao. At Belo Horizonte, 2,800 ft above sea level, the average temperature of the warmest month (February) is 72 F (22 C), and the average of the coldest month (July) is 62 F (about 17 C). The rainfall throughout most parts of the state averages between 40 and 60 in. (1,000 and 1,500 mm). The southern and eastern part of the state was originally covered with a dense tropical forest including a few species of trees that shed their leaves in the dry season. On the upper slopes of the Serra da Mantiqueira and of the Serra do Espinhao, the forest gives way to upland meadows or to a scrubby growth of deciduous woodland. All of southwestern and western Minas Gerais is covered by a woodland savanna. The population of Minas Gerais is chiefly of Portuguese origin, with a considerable admixture from other European countries. Persons of African and mixed (African and European or European and Indian) ancestry constitute other important elements. Outside of the cities, there is a dense rural population in the south and east, but the whole northern and western part of the state is still very thinly occupied. The language is Portuguese, and the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. Living conditions in general are higher in the urban areas, and health services are more accessible in the cities. Minas Gerais has been one of the leading states in providing for education. The Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, one of the country's official universities, was founded in 1927, and the Universidade Catlica de Minas Gerais was established in 1958; both are in Belo Horizonte. The Escola Nacional de Minas e Metalurgia (founded 1876) is at Ouro Prto. The largest source of wealth in Minas Gerais is mining, but the largest source of employment is agriculture, and the greater part of the area is used for pasture of cattle. Minas Gerais has long been known for its wealth of minerals and its mining activities, supplying more than half the mineral production of Brazil. Gold was discovered in 1698 and in 1729 diamonds were discovered. These precious commodities created great wealth in the 18th century, and Ouro Prto, the former administrative centre of Minas Gerais, became a city of great splendour, with numerous beautifully decorated churches. By 1800, however, the richest gold sources had been used up. Minas Gerais is also widely known for its semiprecious gems, such as aquamarine, amethyst, tourmaline, and topaz, and it is an important source of industrial diamonds and large quartz crystals. Of greater importance in modern times, however, are the vast deposits of high-grade iron ore and manganese. In the southern part of the Serra do Espinhao there is a large reserve of iron-ore, containing few impurities and so located that it can be mined with mechanical shovels. By the late 20th century there were three large-scale steel plants using this ore. Brazil now exports about two-thirds of its iron ore, with the majority of the exported ore produced in Minas Gerais. Minas Gerais also supplies bauxite, zirconium, iron pyrite, rutile, graphite, chromite, molybdenum, nickel, tungsten, titanium, beryl, and mica. Manufacturing and processing industries have developed in and around the cities, especially around Belo Horizonte. In addition to iron and steel, principal industries include food processing, textiles, chemicals, and furniture and other consumer and capital goods. Slash-and-burn agriculture produces corn (maize), rice, beans, and cassava rotated with pasture grass, chiefly for cattle grazing. This area is the chief source of beef for Rio de Janeiro, So Paulo, and other cities. Dairy farming is important in southern Minas Gerais. In only a few spots is the land used for sugarcane or coffee. The state is a leading producer of rice, beans, corn, and cheese. In the Serra da Mantiqueira and in the southwestern uplands of the state, to the north of these mountains, are a number of resort towns, most of them possessing various hot and curative baths. The mineral waters are bottled and widely dispensed in Brazil. Minas Gerais is served by railroads, all-weather highways, airports, and by river steamers that descend the So Francisco from Pirapora to Juzeiro in Bahia. The main railroad, Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil, runs from Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte. Since World War II all-weather motor highways provide easy access to Rio de Janeiro, So Paulo, and the capital, Braslia. As is to be expected, the cultural life of the state is concentrated in its cities and especially in the capital, Belo Horizonte, and in Ouro Prto, the old colonial capital. Pop. (1982 est.) 13,957,000.