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92-574: The Doce River is formed by the junction of the Piranga and the Carmo near the historical city of Ouro Preto , whose sources are located in the foothills of the Mantiqueira and Espinhaço mountain chains at altitudes of about 1,200 m. It flows in a northeastern direction via Ipatinga , makes a wide curve near Governador Valadares , and flows in a southeastern direction passing through Conselheiro Pena , to enter

184-545: A subtropical highland climate ( Cwb , according to the Köppen climate classification ), with warm and humid summers and mild, dry winters. Frost is occasional and occur in June and July. There is a report of snow in the city in the year of 1843. Although Ouro Preto now relies heavily on the tourism industry for part of its economy, there are important metallurgic and mining industries located in town, such as Novelis, formerly Alcan,

276-556: A 2013 autosomal DNA study, the ancestral composition of the state of Minas Gerais can be described as: 59.20% European, 28.90% African and 11.90% Native American During the time of the gold rush, thousands of Portuguese immigrated to Brazil (mainly from the Minho), and many of them to Minas Gerais, the place where the gold rush activities took place. Most of them came from Entre Douro e Minho, in Northern Portugal. The reference book for

368-478: A Black mother and a Portuguese father) and Cabras (people of mixed ancestry, usually with high degree of Amerindian admixture). Black people and "Mulattoes" predominated in the population after the beginning of the colonization. By the 19th century, however, whites were already the largest single group in the Minas Gerais population. Taking the population as a whole (all groups included), European genes account for

460-408: A common souvenir among tourists, and can be found in many shops in the city's town centre and street fairs. Jewelry made of local precious and semi-precious gemstones (such as hematite) can also be found for sale. Ouro Preto is also a university town with an intense student life. The Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (Federal University of Ouro Preto or UFOP) has approximately 10,000 students in

552-487: A great reduction in the indigenous population, leaving currently only five groups: the Xakriabás, Krenaks, Maxakalis, Pataxós and Pankararus, the latter coming from Pernambuco 's hinterlands. The first European expedition into Minas Gerais' territory was led by Spaniards Francisco Bruza Espinosa and Juan de Azpilcueta Navarro between 1553 and 1555, which left the coast of Bahia and traveled through northern Minas Gerais. In

644-417: A great social mobility to former slaves, mainly for women. In Tejuco , the percentage of White males who were head of family (37.7%) was very similar to the percentage of Black women who were head of family (38.5%). Many former slaves were able to accumulate goods and many of them became slave owners as well. Some Black people and mainly Mulattos were able to integrate themselves in the highest social stratum of

736-776: A joint venture between Vale and BHP Billiton , collapsed, devastating a nearby town with toxic mudslides, killing at least 19 people, injuring more than 50 and causing an enormous ecological damage, and threatening life along the Doce River and the Atlantic Ocean near its mouth. About 40 million cubic metres of iron waste flowed into the river. Toxic brown mudflows reached the ocean 17 days later. Ouro Preto Ouro Preto ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈo(w)ɾu ˈpɾetu] , lit.   ' Black Gold ' ), formerly Vila Rica ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvilɐ ˈʁikɐ] , lit.   ' Rich Village ' ),

828-622: A large number of these families is "Velhos Troncos Mineiros" (Old Mineiro Branches) by Raimundo Trindade. The Native American population of Minas Gerais was estimated to be at 97,000 in 1500, by the time the Portuguese arrived in Brazil in 1500 (John Hemming in " Red Gold: The Conquest of the Brazilian Indians "). The ancestry of the Africans brought to Minas Gerais was both West African and Bantu, with

920-555: A larger region. The second interpretation derives the name from the former name of the colonial province, "Minas dos Matos Gerais" ("Mines of the General Woods"), referring to two distinct regions encompassed by the state: the region of the mines (Minas), and the "general" region ("Matos Gerais" or "Campos Gerais", roughly meaning "General Fields"). The latter corresponded to the areas of sertão which were farther and hard to access (with an economy based on farming and agriculture) from

1012-519: A million people, in turn, consider themselves irreligious, of which around seventy thousand are atheists and just over seven thousand are agnostics. Minas Gerais is the second-largest consumer market in Brazil, behind the state of São Paulo. It shares 10.4% of the Brazilian consumer market. Companies of this Brazilian state have access to 49% of the Brazilian consumer market, with estimated consumption potential of 223 billion US dollars. The service sector

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1104-430: A peculiar culture, marked by traditional religious manifestations and typical countryside cuisine, in addition to national importance in contemporary artistic productions and also in the sports scene. Two interpretations are given for the origin of the name Minas Gerais. The first interpretation is that the name simply means "General Mines", referring to a number of mines which were located in several spots spread around

1196-437: A pivotal role in shifting the economic axis from the Brazilian northeast (based on sugarcane, that starts declining in the 18th century) to the southeast of the country, which still remains the major economic center. The large amounts of gold found in the region attracted the attention of Portugal back to Brazil, progressively turning Rio de Janeiro into an important port city, from where these would be shipped to Portugal and where

1288-440: A predominance of the former initially and a predominance of the latter later. Religion in Minas Gerais (2010) According to the 2010 Brazilian census , most of the population consider themselves to be Catholic, which puts the state in ninth place when considering the percentage of the population belonging to this religion (70.4%). Although the number of Catholics has been gradually decreasing in recent years, Roman Catholicism

1380-511: A result, that same year the Captaincy of Minas Gerais was created after the dismemberment of São Paulo e Minas do Ouro. The first capital of Minas Gerais, and seat of the local see, was the city of Mariana; it was later moved to Vila Rica. In the late 18th century, Vila Rica was the largest city in Brazil and one of the most populous in the Americas. The Portuguese Crown then began to strictly control

1472-563: A style related to the classical European style , but marked by more a more chordal, homophonic sound, and they usually wrote for mixed groups of voices and instruments. In the 1720s, in the Jequitinhonha valley region, the discovery of diamonds occurred, although its discoverers did not recognize the value of this precious stone for decades. However, the Portuguese Crown, upon recognizing the region's mineral production, soon established

1564-452: A way of charging taxes in a similar way to the gold tax. The main diamond exploration center was close to where Arraial do Tijuco (today Diamantina ) emerged. At the height of gold mining, enslaved labor was essential for large landowners. In this way, the trade in slaves brought from the African continent to work in the mines intensified. Many slaves tried and managed to escape, which led to

1656-477: A whole. Monogamy and weddings in churches would only take root in Brazil in the 19th century, fitting the moral standards imposed by the Church. The role of women in colonial Minas Gerais was much more dynamic than it would be allowed by the standards of the time. Many women used to live on their own, were heads of family and worked, particularly the "women of color" and former slaves. The society of Minas Gerais provided

1748-523: Is Brazil's sixth largest industry. Minas Gerais Minas Gerais ( Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈminɐz ʒeˈɾajs] ) is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil , being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 census . Located in the Southeast Region of the country, it is bordered to south and southwest by São Paulo ; Mato Grosso do Sul to

1840-616: Is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais . The city, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains, was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its Baroque colonial architecture . Ouro Preto used to be the capital of Minas Gerais from 1720 until the foundation of Belo Horizonte in 1897. The municipality became one of the most populous cities of Latin America, counting on about 40,000 people in 1730 and, decades after, 80,000. At that time,

1932-497: Is a major tourist destination, for its well-preserved colonial appearance with baroque architecture and cobblestone streets. The city contains numerous churches, many known for their religious art and baroque architecture. Some of the best known are: A number of former gold mines in the city offer tours to tourists. One of the most well known is the Mina do Chico Rei, near the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Conceição. Another infamous mine

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2024-690: Is derived from the tribe of the Maxakali . The Maxakalisaurus fossils belonged to an animal about 13 meters (43.3 ft) long, with an estimated weight of 9 tons, although, according to paleontologist Alexander Kellner , it could reach a length of approximately 20 meters (65 ft). It had a long neck and tail, ridged teeth (unusual among sauropods) and lived about 80 million years ago. Because sauropods seem to have lacked significant competition in South America, they evolved there with greater diversity and more unusual traits than elsewhere in

2116-489: Is historically explainable: southern Minas Gerais, in the border with São Paulo , received larger numbers of Portuguese farmers in colonial times. In the late 19th century, Italian immigrants also arrived. The north region, close to Bahia , was a place to the arrival of many African slaves since the 18th century. The central part of the state, where the capital Belo Horizonte is, has a more balanced ratio between White, Black and mixed people. The population of Minas Gerais

2208-574: Is produced in the region with the municipality of Ipatinga accounting for 5.4% of that total. Ipatinga is the major city of the Vale do Aço Metropolitan Area . The economy of the basin is based on the following activities: According to the Anuário Estatístico do Brasil (IBGE) the Doce basin has a population of about 3,100,000, with the urban population making up 68.7% of the total population. In recent years

2300-457: Is speculated that vegetable cultivation occurred, in particular corn, and that two thousand years ago, ceramic products were already being manufactured. More than a hundred indigenous groups inhabited the current territory of Minas Gerais at the time of the arrival of the Portuguese. In the valleys of the Doce , Jequitinhonha and Mucuri rivers, people generally known as " botocudos " lived, such as

2392-570: Is still strongly rooted in Minas Gerais' culture, especially in rural areas and inland cities where celebrations and festivities organized by community parishes are common, but religious pluralism has also grown in recent years. Almost four million inhabitants are evangelical. According to the number of followers, the Assembleias de Deus (more than seven hundred thousand followers), the Baptist Church (more than five hundred thousand followers) and

2484-510: Is subdivided into 853 municipalities , the largest number among Brazilian states. The state's terrain is quite rugged and some of Brazil's highest peaks are located in its territory. It is also home to the source of some of Brazil's main rivers, such as the São Francisco and Grande rivers, which places it in a strategic position with regard to the country's water resources. It has a tropical climate , which varies from colder and humid in

2576-554: Is the Mina da passagem. In the early 19th century, Portugal gave the United Kingdom exclusive use of this mine for 100 years to pay Portugal's sovereign debts. This is the world's largest mine open to the public. The municipality contains about 10% of the 31,270 hectares (77,300 acres) Serra do Gandarela National Park , created in 2014. The street carnival in Ouro Preto attracts thousands of people every year. Carnival blocks are

2668-415: Is the largest component of GDP at 47.1%, followed by the industrial sector at 44.1%. agriculture represents 8.8% of GDP (2004). Main exports: mineral products 44.4%, metals 15.8%, vegetable products 13%, precious metals 5.5%, foodstuffs 4.9%, transportation 3.5% (2012). Its share of the Brazilian economy in 2005 was 9%. Minas Gerais had an industrial GDP of R $ 128.4 billion in 2017, equivalent to 10.7% of

2760-513: Is the result of an intense mixture of peoples, particularly between Black Africans and Portuguese. In colonial Minas Gerais, the population was divided in five different categories: Whites , mostly Portuguese; Africans , who often did not have a surname and were usually known for their region of origin (for example Francisca Benguela would refer to Benguela ); Crioulos (Black people born in Brazil, usually to both African parents); Mulattoes (people of mixed Black and White ancestry, usually born to

2852-667: The Atlantic Ocean near Linhares in Espírito Santo state. Its main tributaries are the Piracicaba , Casca, Matipó, Caratinga-Cuieté, Manhuaçu, Santo Antônio and Suaçuí Grande, in Minas Gerais ; the Pancas, Guandu, and São José, in Espírito Santo. Part of the river basin is contained in the 3,562 hectares (8,800 acres) Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve , a fully protected area. South of

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2944-590: The Foursquare Church (almost three hundred and fifty thousand adherents) stand out. Around 420 thousand people in the state are followers of Spiritism , whose important promoter in Brazil was the Minas Gerais-born medium Chico Xavier . There are also several other religious minorities in the state, including Umbanda and Candomblé , which together have less than twenty thousand followers and whose rituals are sometimes confused with folk traditions. Almost

3036-610: The Kayapos and Araxás, while the Zona da Mata was populated by the Puri . The region of Minas Gerais close to the border with São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás was occupied by the Bororós . However, during the first centuries of the colonization of Brazil, the indigenous people of this region were captured by the bandeirantes to be enslaved and the groups that revolted were exterminated, which caused

3128-634: The Maxakalis , Maconis, Naquenuques, Aranãs, Krenaks and Pataxós . Northern Minas Gerais was dominated by the Kiriris and Xakriabás . Center, western and southern Minas Gerais were inhabited by the Cataguás, who were the most numerous indigenous group in Minas Gerais' territory in colonial times, so much so that the region was known as "Campos Gerais dos Cataguases" in the time of the bandeirantes . The regions of Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba were inhabited by

3220-445: The freshmen , also known as "bixos" (misspelling of "bichos", Portuguese for "animals"), have to undergo a hazing period, called batalha (battle), before being accepted permanently as residents of the houses. The final choice of the freshmen, called escolha , has to be unanimous among the senior students of the house. The Museu Mineralógico da Escola de Minas (Mineralogy Museum) can be of special interest to visitors. It belongs to

3312-420: The village of São Paulo in 1674, stand out. In the 17th century, the colonization of northern Minas Gerais began, with the settlement of cattle herders, due to the expansion of livestock farming in the northeastern Sertão , and of bandeirantes , in search of precious stones and indigenous people to enslave. Between 1692 and 1693, the bandeirante Antônio Rodrigues Arzão discovered the first gold deposits in

3404-573: The 18th century. Printed copies of European music, as well as accomplished musicians, made the journey to the area, and soon a local school of composition and performance was born and achieved considerable sophistication. Several composers worked in Minas Gerais in the 18th century, mainly in Vila Rica, Sabará, Mariana, and other cities. Some of the names which have survived include José Joaquim Emerico Lobo de Mesquita , Marcos Coelho Neto , Francisco Gomes da Rocha and Ignácio Parreiras Neves; they cultivated

3496-548: The Americas. Luzia was found in 1974 in excavations in Lapa Vermelha, a cave between the municipalities of Lagoa Santa and Pedro Leopoldo , in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte . Based on the analysis of Luzia and her people's cranial morphology, it was theorized that they had Australoid features, having belonged to a population that arrived in the Americas before the ancestors of Amerindians . However, with

3588-541: The Portuguese crown would eventually move its administration in 1808 after Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Portugal (see Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil ). Due to the economic importance of the state and the particular traits of the local population—famed for its reserved and balanced character—Minas Gerais has also played an important role on national politics. During the 19th century, politicians such as José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva were instrumental in

3680-510: The Portuguese used enslaved African labor to start building the Estrada Real , the "royal road," that would connect the ports of cities of Rio de Janeiro and Paraty to the mineral-rich regions of Vila Rica, Serro, and, at the northernmost point, Diamantina. São Paulo settlers considered themselves owners of the gold taken from the mines, claiming the right due to having discovered and conquered it, and did not want others to take possession of

3772-542: The UFOP's School of Mining, which opened its doors on 12 October 1876. The museum is located at the Tiradentes Square No. 20, in the town's historical center, and contains a rich assortment of minerals on display, including precious and semi-precious gemstones and large crystals . Security is tight, however (for example, no cameras are allowed), due to the incalculable value of the gemstones and ores on display. Ouro Preto

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3864-546: The analysis of the genetic material of the human remains of the Lagoa Santa People, it was found that this prehistoric population had completely Amerindian DNA, therefore ruling out any relationship with Australasian populations and the theory that the peopling of the Americas was due to a wave of individuals with Australoid traits and another of Mongoloid individuals. The indigenous peoples of Minas Gerais, as well as throughout Brazil and South America, are descendants of

3956-507: The best Colombia-origin emeralds, and are most often a bluish-green color. Each region of the state has a distinct character, geographically and to a certain extent culturally. According to the modern (2017) geographic classification by Brazil's National Institute of Geography and Statistics ( IBGE ), which succeeded the division in mesoregions and microregions (1988), the state is now divided in 13 intermediate geographic regions , each one divided in immediate geographic regions (70 total in

4048-465: The captaincy São Paulo e Minas de Ouro. The most notable one, however, was the Minas Gerais conspiracy , started in 1789 by a group of middle-class colonists, mostly intellectuals and young officers. They were inspired by the American and French Enlightenment ideals. The conspiracy failed and the rebels were arrested and exiled. The most famous of them, Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (known as Tiradentes),

4140-464: The city. Many of them live in communal houses that are somewhat similar to fraternity houses as found in North American colleges. These communal or shared houses are called repúblicas , 66 of which are owned by the university, called repúblicas federais , and 250 are privately owned ( repúblicas particulares ). The repúblicas system of Ouro Preto is unique in Brazil. No other university city in

4232-479: The country has exactly the same characteristics of the student lodgings found there. It shares traits with the repúblicas of the Portuguese University of Coimbra , where the tradition originated. Before universities were founded in Brazil, Coimbra was where most of the rich students who could afford an overseas education went to. Each república has its own different history. There are repúblicas in which

4324-487: The cultural movements, the work of Aleijadinho and Master Ataíde stands out, among others, which allowed the flourishing of a local Baroque . Aleijadinho's sculptural and architectural work, as exhibited in the Twelve Prophets and The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Ouro Preto, are prime examples of this period. In addition to art and architecture, there was an explosion of musical activity in Minas Gerais in

4416-436: The emergence of quilombos throughout Minas Gerais. It is estimated that during the 18th century more than 120 of these communities emerged throughout the captaincy. These settlements were not so far from mining centers, which made it easier for more slaves to escape. There was also a trade in subsistence products between slaves and traders, who took advantage of the lower price offered by the former. In 1753, Rosa Egipcíaca ,

4508-458: The emergence of the first settlements. The news of the discovery of gold soon spread, initiating a gold rush , and in the following decades hundreds of thousands of people eager for wealth, mainly Portuguese (which included New Christians ), but also colonial Brazilians from São Paulo, Bahia, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro, settled in Minas Gerais. The arrival of large numbers of people in a short time led to epidemics and food shortages. In 1697,

4600-518: The end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (meaning Black Gold ) was originally called Vila Rica, or "Rich Village", the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century under Portuguese rule. Between 1695 and 1696, a gold-bearing stream was discovered in Itacolomi, which would be renamed Gualacho do Sul. In 1711, several small settlements were united as a municipality called Villa Rica, which later came to be called Ouro Preto. This name

4692-559: The establishment of the Brazilian Empire under the rule of Pedro I and later his son, Pedro II . After the installation of the First Brazilian Republic , during the early 20th century, Minas Gerais shared the control of the national political scene with São Paulo in what became known as the " coffee with milk politics " (coffee being the major product of São Paulo, and milk representing Minas Gerais' dairy industry, despite

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4784-540: The first civil president after the 1964 military coup. However, he died after a series of health complications just as he was about to assume the position. Also, Itamar Franco , former president of Brazil, lived there, though he was not born in Minas Gerais. Minas Gerais features some of the longest rivers in Brazil, most notably the São Francisco , the Paraná and to a lesser extent, the Doce river . The state also holds many hydroelectric power plants, including Furnas . Some of

4876-507: The first large consumer market in Brazil. Villages appeared along these access points, therefore playing a key role in the population of the captaincy. Among these routes, the Caminho Novo stands out, which connected the mining regions to Rio de Janeiro. The intense mix of people associated with wealth from gold and urban life led to the formation of a new, culturally diverse society, with several musicians, artists, sculptors and artisans. Among

4968-534: The first of its kind in Minas Gerais. The territory is situated within the Serra da Galga Formation , where more than 10,000 fossils of various prehistoric creatures have been unearthed. Among these discoveries, the Uberabatitan ribeiroi found in 2004 ranks among the largest ever discovered in Latin America. According to the 2022 census , there were 20,539,989 people residing in the state. The population density

5060-468: The following decades, other expeditions known as "entries", coming from the Brazil's northeastern coast, traveled through this same region, such as that of Sebastião Fernandes Tourinho in 1573. From the end of the 16th century, bandeirantes traveled the territory of Minas Gerais in search of gold and precious stones. Many of their expeditions were supported by the Portuguese Crown, among which those of Fernão Dias and his son-in-law Borba Gato , who left

5152-547: The foot of the Itacolomi Peak and founded his settlement there, the embryo of Vila Rica (currently Ouro Preto ). In 1702, João de Siqueira Afonso discovered precious stones in the Rio das Mortes valley. Initially, gold was extracted from riverbeds, which forced miners to move as the deposits ran out. After some time, exploration also began to be carried out on mountain slopes, which forced the permanent settlement of miners, leading to

5244-499: The former slaves were women and only 37% men. Since interracial relationships between "women of color" and White men were widespread, the female slaves were more likely to be freed than the male slaves. The monogamous family structure that the Catholic Church tried to deploy in colonial Brazil was the exception in Minas Gerais. At that time cohabitation and temporary relationships predominated in Minas Gerais, as well as in Brazil as

5336-491: The groups who migrated there through North America. In the region of the municipalities of Januária , Montalvânia , Itacarambi and Juvenília , in northern Minas Gerais, archaeological excavations have led to estimates that the initial settlement occurred at Luzia's time. Starting in this period, cultural characteristics emerged, such as the use of stone or bone, the creation of cemeteries and small grain silos, as well as cave paintings. Later, about four thousand years ago, it

5428-674: The highest peaks in Brazil are in the mountain ranges in the southern part of the state, such as the Mantiqueira Mountains and Serra do Cervo, that mark the border between Minas and its neighbors São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The most notable one is the Bandeira peak , the third highest mountain in Brazil at 2,890 m, standing on the border with Espírito Santo state. The state also has huge reserves of iron and sizeable reserves of gold and gemstones, including emerald , topaz and aquamarine mines. Emeralds found in this location are comparable to

5520-423: The late 17th century. The mining of gold brought wealth and development to the then captaincy , providing its economic and cultural development; however, gold soon became scarce, causing the emigration of a large part of the population until a new cycle (that of coffee) once again brought Minas Gerais national prominence and whose end led to the relatively late industrialization process. Minas Gerais currently has

5612-417: The latter also being an important coffee producer). Minas Gerais was also home to two of the most influential Brazilian politicians of the second half of the 20th century. Juscelino Kubitschek was president from 1956 to 1961, and he was responsible for the construction of Brasília as the new capital of Brazil. Tancredo Neves had an extensive political career that culminated with his election in 1984 to be

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5704-563: The majority of the Minas Gerais genetic heritage, which has been explained on the basis of the extremely high mortality rates of the enslaved African population and lower reproductive rate of African slaves (the vast majority of them were males, among other reasons for their lower reproductive success). The Amerindian population was hit hard by the diseases brought by the European colonists and they did not have much of an impact either, especially in Minas Gerais, where European presence and colonization

5796-521: The mid-19th century, Danish paleontologist Peter Wilhelm Lund discovered, in the Lagoa Santa region, human remains belonging to a population that lived there thousands of years ago, nicknamed the "Lagoa Santa People". The region of Minas Gerais was inhabited by indigenous peoples as long as 11,400 to 12,000 years ago, based on the estimated age of the Luzia woman , the name of the oldest human fossil found in

5888-695: The mines. As a result, in 1707, they came into conflict with the Portuguese and other Brazilian settlers (nicknamed " emboabas ", a Tupi term that means "one who offends"), causing the War of the Emboabas , which ended in 1709. The São Paulo settlers were defeated and many of them had to abandon the gold deposits in Minas Gerais, having to look for the metal in what is now the Central-West region of Brazil, finding it years later in Goiás and Mato Grosso . Prior to 1720, Minas Gerais

5980-412: The mining of gold, instating a 20% tax of everything that was produced, which became known as "the fifth". The captaincy's population continued to grow, but until then there were only small subsistence agricultural crops, which required the import of products from other regions of the colony. New access ways to the region began to be created and the flow of people and goods increased intensely, thus creating

6072-408: The mining spots, whose economic space was urban in origin. Part of the history of the current state of Minas Gerais was determined by the exploration of the great mineral wealth found in its territory. Its name, in fact, comes from the large quantity and variety of mines present, which began to be explored since the 17th century and to this day drive an important fraction of the state's economy. In

6164-446: The most important aluminum factory in the country, Vale S.A. , and others. Main economic activities are tourism, transformation industries, and mineral riches such as deposits of iron , bauxite , manganese , talc and marble . Minerals of note in the city are: gold , hematite , dolomite , tourmaline , pyrite , muscovite , topaz and imperial topaz, which is a stone only found in Ouro Preto. Soapstone handicraft items are

6256-486: The most traditional type of parade, where bands play across the town, followed by herds of paraders dressed up in costumes. The block Zé Pereira dos Lacaios , founded in 1867, is the oldest block that is still active in Brazil. Parades with samba schools also happen. The street party is also celebrated in neighbouring towns such as Mariana. Ouro Preto was a setting in the comedy movie Moon over Parador (1988), with actors Richard Dreyfuss and Sonia Braga . Mining

6348-642: The point where the Piracicaba enters the river near Ipatinga the river forms the eastern boundary of the Rio Doce State Park . The Doce River has great economic importance for the region. The basin is home to the largest steel making complex in Latin America . Three of the five largest companies in Minas Gerais state in the year 2000, Companhia Siderúrgica Belgo Mineira , Arcelor Mittal ( Acesita ) and Usiminas , are located there. The largest open-pit mine in

6440-573: The population has declined, with small towns and rural areas losing up to 40% of their population. Major cities located along the Doce or in its basin are: Timóteo , Coronel Fabriciano , Ipatinga , Governador Valadares , Colatina , and Linhares . According to the Koppen classification, there are three climatic types in the Doce basin: On 5 November 2015, a mine dam holding back waste water from an iron ore mine in Mariana, Minas Gerais , owned by Samarco ,

6532-500: The population of New York was less than half of that number of inhabitants and the population of São Paulo did not surpass 8,000. Officially, 800 tons of gold were sent to Portugal in the eighteenth century, not to mention what was circulated in an illegal manner, nor what remained in the colony, such as gold used in the ornamentation of the churches. Other historical cities in Minas Gerais are São João del-Rei , Diamantina , Mariana , Tiradentes , Congonhas and Sabará . Founded at

6624-514: The population varies from town to town. For example, in Córrego do Bom Jesus, a small town located in the extreme south of Minas Gerais, White people make up 98.7% of the population. The South of Minas Gerais is both the most European and the most densely populated part of the state. On the other hand, in Setubinha , located in the northeast part of the state, 71.8% are mixed-race and 14.7% Black . It

6716-612: The region. Due to the large quantity of fossils uncovered, the Paleontological Research Center Llewellyn Ivor Price was established in 1991, alongside the Dinosaurs Museum in Peirópolis , which is currently dedicated to the study of local paleontology in collaboration with research institutions worldwide. In March 2024, Uberaba was officially designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark , marking it as

6808-516: The sculptured works of Aleijadinho make Ouro Preto a tourist destination. The tremendous wealth from gold mining in the 18th century created a city which attracted the intelligentsia of Europe. Philosophy and art flourished, and evidence of a baroque revival called the "Barroco Mineiro" is illustrated in architecture as well as by sculptors such as Aleijadinho, painters such as Manoel da Costa Ataíde , composers such as Lobo de Mesquita , and poets such as Tomás António Gonzaga . At that time, Vila Rica

6900-539: The society of Minas Gerais, once restricted to Whites. This happened through a process of "whitening" their descendence and through the assimilation of the culture of the White elite, like being members of Catholic brotherhoods. Cohabitation was the most common crime in Minas Gerais. The Catholic Church was strict in the punishment of this crime, in order to prevent the widespread miscegenation between White, mostly Portuguese males with Black or Mulatto women. According to

6992-508: The south to semi-arid in its northern portion. All of these combined factors provide it with a rich fauna and flora distributed in the biomes that cover the state, especially the Cerrado and the threatened Atlantic Forest . Minas Gerais' territory was inhabited by indigenous peoples when the Portuguese arrived in Brazil . It experienced a large migration wave following the discovery of gold in

7084-418: The south, its tourist points are hydro-mineral spas, such as the municipalities of Caxambu , Lambari , São Lourenço , Poços de Caldas , São Thomé das Letras , Monte Verde (a district of Camanducaia ) and the national parks of Caparaó and Canastra . In the Serra do Cipó , Sete Lagoas , Cordisburgo and Lagoa Santa , the caves and waterfalls are the main attractions. The people of Minas Gerais also have

7176-504: The technological foundation for several of the mineral discoveries in Brazil. Ouro Preto was the capital of Minas Gerais from 1720 until 1897, when the needs of government outgrew this town in the valley. The state government was moved to the new, planned city of Belo Horizonte . Population : Data from the 2010 Census ( IBGE ) The city is linked by unlit winding roads to highways for: Bordering municipalities are: Located at 1,179 m (3,868 ft) above sea level, Ouro Preto has

7268-513: The territory of Minas Gerais. In the following years, bandeirantes from the towns of São Paulo and Taubaté traveled through the Das Velhas region looking for gold. In 1696, Salvador Fernandes Furtado discovered gold on the banks of the Carmo river and built his camp there, which gave rise to the town of Nossa Senhora do Carmo (now Mariana ). Two years later, Antônio Dias de Oliveira discovered gold at

7360-559: The third largest GDP among Brazilian states, with a large part of it still being the product of mining activities. The state also has a notable infrastructure, with a large number of hydroelectric plants and the largest road network in the country. Due to its natural beauty and historical heritage, Minas Gerais is an important tourist destination. It is known for its heritage of colonial architecture and art in historical cities such as Ouro Preto and Diamantina , São João del-Rei , Mariana , Tiradentes , Congonhas , Sabará and Serro . In

7452-570: The west; Goiás and the Federal District to the northwest; Bahia to the north and northeast; Espírito Santo to the east; and Rio de Janeiro to the southeast. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte , is a major urban and finance center in Brazil, being the sixth most populous municipality in the country while its metropolitan area ranks as the third largest in Brazil with just over 5.8 million inhabitants, after those of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro . Minas Gerais' territory

7544-596: The whole state): The discovery of the Maxakalisaurus topai (Dinoprata) fossils was a significant paleontological find. The fossil is a genus of titanosaurid dinosaur found 45 kilometers (28 mi) from the city of Prata , in the state of Minas Gerais in 1998. It was closely related to Saltasaurus , a sauropod considered unusual because it had evolved apparently defensive traits, including bony plates on its skin and vertical plates along its spine; such osteoderms have also been found for Maxakalisaurus. The genus name

7636-513: The world is operated in the basin by the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce . These industrial conglomerates have an important role in Brazilian exports of iron ore, steel, and cellulose ( Cenibra ). In addition, the Doce basin contributes greatly to production of coffee from Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo as well as fruit pulp from Espírito Santo. Fifteen percent of the GDP of the state of Minas Gerais

7728-615: The world. A replica has been displayed at the National Museum of Brazil , since August 28, 2006. In the 1940s, fossil records from the Late Cretaceous period began to be unearthed in the territory of Uberaba , many of them exceptionally well-preserved. Subsequently, extensive research efforts were initiated by the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM), which appointed paleontologist Llewellyn Ivor Price to work in

7820-632: Was 35.02 inhabitants per square kilometre (90.7/sq mi). Urbanization : 85% (2006); Population growth : 1.4% (1991–2000); Houses: 5,741,000 (2006). The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 9,605,151 Brown ( Multiracial ) people (46.8%), 8,437,697 White people (41.1%), 2,432,877 Black people (11.8%), 31,885 Amerindian people (0.2%), 31,681 Asian people (0.2%). Ethnicities of Minas Gerais in 2022. Ethnic groups found in Minas Gerais include: Amerindians , Portuguese , Africans , Italians , Germans and Lebanese . The ethnic composition of

7912-434: Was adopted on 20 May 1823, when the former Vila Rica was elevated from village to city. The name "Black Gold" comes from the gold covered with a layer of iron oxide that is found in the city. The city centre contains well-preserved Portuguese colonial architecture, with few signs of modern urban development. New construction must keep with the city's historical aesthetic. 18th- and 19th-century churches decorated with gold and

8004-464: Was enslaved and forced to work as a prostitute in a mine in the region, until she became ill and began to have religious visions. These visions led to her arrest and imprisonment and ultimately interrogation by the Inquisition. She recorded them in the first book to be written by a black woman in Brazil — Sagrada Teologia do Amor Divino das Almas Peregrinas . During the 18th century, mining exploration

8096-452: Was hanged by order of Queen Maria I of Portugal , becoming a local hero and a national martyr of Brazil. The Minas Gerais flag—a red triangle on a white background, along with the Latin motto "Libertas quæ sera tamen", "freedom albeit late"—is based on the design for the national flag proposed by the "Inconfidentes", as the rebels became known. In the economic history of Brazil, Minas Gerais plays

8188-449: Was massive. During the colonial period, the disproportion between the number of men and women was quite sharp. The census of 1738 in Serro do Frio, which included Diamantina, revealed that of the 9,681 inhabitants, 83.5% were men and 16.5% women. Among the slaves, women were only 3.1%. The number of free "women of color" (Black and "Mulatto") was very high. The same census revealed that 63% of

8280-468: Was part of the captaincy of São Vicente . The imposition of the authority of the Portuguese Crown contributed to the end of the conflict, with the creation of the Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas do Ouro in 1709. In 1711, the first villages were created in Minas Gerais, namely Sabará , Vila Rica and Vila de Nossa Senhora do Carmo. In 1720, the Vila Rica Revolt took place against taxes on gold and, as

8372-585: Was strongly controlled by the Portuguese Crown , which imposed heavy taxes on everything extracted (one fifth of all gold would go to the Crown). Several rebellions were attempted by the colonists, always facing strong reaction by the imperial crown. One of the most important was the Vila Rica revolt that ended with the execution of Filipe dos Santos, the revolt's leader, but also with the separation of Minas Gerais from

8464-511: Was the largest city in Brazil, with 100,000 inhabitants. In 1789, Ouro Preto became the birthplace of the Inconfidência Mineira , a failed attempt to gain independence from Portugal . The leading figure, Joaquim José da Silva Xavier , known as Tiradentes, was hanged as a threat to any future revolutionaries. In 1876, the Escola de Minas (Mines School) was created. This school established

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