NOVA LIMA

city, east-central Minas Gerais estado (state), Brazil. It lies along the Cristais River at 2,444 feet (745 m) above sea level. Nova Lima was made the seat of a municipality in 1891 and became a city in 1936. It is known for its Minerao Morro Velho (Old Mountain Mine), British-owned from 1834 until 1959, when it was sold to a Brazilian concern. The air-cooled shaft, which penetrates 8,501 feet (2,591 m), is one of the deepest in the Americas. The mine accounts for as much as half of Brazil's gold production. Ore crushed at the site is shipped by rail and road to nearby Belo Horizonte, the state capital, and to other neighbouring communities. Pop. (1980 prelim.) 35,053.