Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais (pronounced
IPA [The presented pronunciation is in Brazilian Portuguese. The European Portuguese pronunciation is //.]) is one of the 26
states of
Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation. The capital is the city of
Belo Horizonte, near the center of the state.
Minas Gerais is in the west of the southeastern subdivision of
Brazil, which also contains the states of
São Paulo,
Rio de Janeiro and
EspÃrito Santo. It borders on
Bahia and
Goiás (north),
Mato Grosso do Sul (far west), the states of
Sao Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro (south) and the state of
EspÃrito Santo (east). It also shares a short boundary with the
Brazilian Federal District. Minas Gerais is situated between 14º13'58' and 22º54'00' ' south latitude and between 39º51'32' ' and 51º02'35' ' longitude west of Greenwich.
Minas Gerais was formed mainly by colonists who searched for veins of
gold and
gems, and later
diamonds. (The name literally means
general mines, a shortening from
Minas dos Matos Gerais, or
mines of the general woods, this being originally the hinterland to the incipient colonies of
São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga and
São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro.) These helped to boost occupation of the inner lands and led to the foundation of several new villages. The first capital 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 biggest city in Brazil and one of the biggest of the Americas in population. As the gold mines were exhausted over the 19th century, the city lost its importance; it was later renamed
Ouro Preto and remained the state capital until the construction of the all-new, planned city of Belo Horizonte at the turn of the 20th century.
The gold cycle left its mark in cities such as
Mariana,
Ouro Preto,
Diamantina,
Sabará,
Tiradentes and
São João del Rei. The relative isolation from European influence, added to the huge influx of gold and other valuable minerals, helped the local people to develop their own style art, which became known as
Barroco Mineiro. Prime examples of this period are the richly decorated churches at the colonial cities, some of them preserved today as museums. The most important artist of this period was Antônio Lisboa, who became known as
Aleijadinho. His statues and paintings are now highly valued by experts as one of the most refined artistic expressions outside Europe at that time.
In addition to art and architecture, there was an explosion of musical activity in Minas Gerais in 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 (now Ouro Preto), Sabará, Mariana, and other cities. Some of the names which have survived include
José Joaquim Emerico Lôbo de Mesquita,
Marcos Coelho Netto,
Francisco Gomes da Rocha and
Ignacio Parreiras Neves; they cultivated 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.
During the 18th century, mining exploration 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. The most notable one was the
Inconfidência, started by group of middle-class colonists, mostly intellectuals and young officers. They were inspired by the
American and
French Revolutions and Illuminist ideals. The conspiracy failed and the rebels were arrested and exiled. The most famous of them, Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (known as
Tiradentes), 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—is based on the design for the national flag proposed by the "Inconfidentes", as the rebels became known.
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 played an important role on national politics. During the 19th century, politicians such as
José Bonifácio Andrada were instrumental in the establishment of the Brazilian Empire under the rule of
Dom Pedro I and later his son,
Dom Pedro II. After the installation of the 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 and Milk" political cycle (coffee being the major product of São Paulo, and milk that of Minas Gerais).
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
BrasÃlia as the new capital of Brazil.
Tancredo Neves had an extensive political career that culminated with his election in 1984 to be the first civil president after the 1964 military countercoup. However, he died after a series of health complications just as he was about to assume the position.
See also the
List of Governors of Minas Gerais.
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Sanctuary of Bom Jesus of Matosinhos, Congonhas |
Minas Gerais may be called the
Profound Brazil by analogy with the
France profonde. It has a distinctly more native flavour than cosmopolitan
São Paulo, a more traditional slant than flashy
Rio de Janeiro, and is more Portuguese than the South and São Paulo with their great influx of Italians and other
Central Europeans, the North with its native Indians, or the Northeast with its heavy Afro-Brazilian influence.
The people are considered reserved, prudent, relatively silent to the point of melancholy, but welcoming and family-focused. It is one of the most religious states, with a large proportion of staunch
Roman Catholics and a burgeoning
Evangelical and neo-
Pentecostal population, with pockets of African religions.
Kardecist Spiritism is also professed by a significant portion of the population, partly due to the influence of
Chico Xavier, the main spiritual icon of Brazil, who lived in Minas Gerais all his life.
Minas Gerais is also known nationally for its cuisine. The cultural basis of its cuisine is the small farmhouses, and many of the dishes are prepared using locally produced vegetables and meats, especially chicken and pork. Traditional cooking is done using coal- or wood-fired ovens and cast iron pans, making for a particularly tasty flavor; some restaurant chains have adopted these techniques and made this type of food popular in other parts of the country.
Many of the appetizers of the local cuisine use
corn or
cassava (known there as
mandioca) flour instead of wheat, as the latter didn't adapt well to the local weather. Corn flour is the basis for a wide variety of cakes and appetizers. But the best-known dish from Minas Gerais is "pão de queijo", recently introduced internationally as "Brazilian cheese rolls"; it's a small baked roll made with cheese and cassava flour that can be served hot as an appetizer or for breakfast.
Minas Gerais is often recognised abroad as the state where the
footballer Pelé was born and raised.
Many famous Brazilian writers were born in Minas Gerais:
Carlos Drummond de Andrade,
Fernando Sabino and
João Guimarães Rosa.
*53.6%
Whites (mainly of
Portuguese descent, though there are 2 million
Italian Brazilians and small groups of
German,
Spanish and
Arab Brazilian descent (
Syrian and
Lebanese people)
*37.6%
Mixed race*7.8%
Black*0.3%
Amerindian*0.1%
Asian (
Japanese Brazilians)
Minas Gerais is the source of some of the biggest rivers in Brazil, most notably the
São Francisco, the
Paraná and to a lesser extent, the
Rio Doce. The state also holds many hydroelectric power plants, including
Furnas. Some of the highest peaks in Brazil are in the mountain ranges in the southern part of the state, such as Serra da Mantiqueira 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
Pico da Bandeira, the third highest mountain in Brazil at 2890 m. The state also has huge reserves of
iron and sizeable reserves of
gold and
gemstones, including
emerald,
topaz and
aquamarine mines.
Each region of the state has a distinct character, geographically and to a certain extent culturally.
* The central and eastern area of the state is hilly and rocky, with little vegetation on the mountains. Around
Lagoa Santa and
Sete Lagoas a typical
Karst topography with
caves and
lakes is found. Some of the mountains are almost entirely
iron ore, which led to extensive mining (in some places at the expense of the environment). Recent advances in environmental policy helped to put limits to mining. To the east of the state capital
Belo Horizonte, there is a region known as
Vale do Aço (
steel valley), mainly the city of
Governador Valadares (but also,
Ipatinga in more recent times), which holds a great number of iron and steel processing companies along the course of the
Rio Doce. Now that mining is restricted large areas of forest are being removed for timber, charcoal and to clear land for cattle ranching. The original forest cover of these inland hills is very much fragmented.
* The South of Minas Gerais is hilly and green, with
coffee and milk production. This region is notably cooler than the rest of the state, and some locations are subject to temperatures just below the freezing point during the winter. The region is also famed for its mineral-water resorts, including the cities of
Poços de Caldas,
São Lourenço and
Caxambu. Many industries are located at
Varginha and
Pouso Alegre.
* The southeast of the state, called
Zona da Mata (
Forest Zone) was the richest region until the mid 20th century but nowadays only the biggest city,
Juiz de Fora, remains an important industrial center, the second largest in the state.
* The West of Minas Gerais, also known as
"Triângulo Mineiro" (which means "the Minas Triangle", due to the geographic shape of this region), is composed of a particular type of
savanna, known as
Cerrado. This region was initially occupied by great free-wheeling
beef ranches, which are still important for the economy of the region. Over the 1990s, extensive
soy and corn farms occupied most of the farming land available. The main cities of this region are
Uberlândia and
Uberaba.
* The North of Minas Gerais is arid, being subject to frequent droughts. Recent irrigation projects use the water from the
São Francisco river for agriculture; the river crosses the northern region carrying water from its basin at the central area of the state, which is subject to a regular rainfall pattern. The diamond mines of this region attracted miners but are now exhausted, and the remaining population lives in poor conditions, especially in the valley of the
Jequitinhonha River. The main cities of this region are
Montes Claros and
Teófilo Otoni.
Minas Gerais (or simply Minas, as it is commonly called) is a major producer of milk,
coffee and other agricultural commodities, as well as minerals.
Electronics are also produced in Minas. The automakers
Fiat and
Mercedes-Benz have factories there.
Tourism is also an important activity for the state: historical cities like
Ouro Preto, Mariana,
Sabará, Congonhas, Diamantina, Tiradentes, and Sao João del Rey, are a major attractive for visitors interested in their colonial architecture. Other cities, like
Araxá,
Poços de Caldas, Lambari, Caxambu, and others, attract visitors interested in their mineral watersprings.
The state has marked economic divisions. The southern part of the state (close to the
São Paulo and
Rio de Janeiro state borders) has several mid-sized cities with solid industrial bases such as
Juiz de Fora,
Varginha,
Pouso Alegre, and
Poços de Caldas, as well as
Ipatinga in the east of the state, which is also a modern and major industrial city. The northeastern region is marked by poverty, but
Governador Valadares and
Teófilo Otoni attract foreign traders for the semi-precious gems such as topaz and
sapphire. The central region of the state (where the capital is located) has big reserves of
iron (and to a lesser extent, gold) still being actively mined. The western part, the
"Triângulo Mineiro", is less densely populated than the rest of the state, and it is now a focus of
biotechnology investment, particularly on the cities of
Uberlândia,
Uberaba and
Patos de Minas, which includes leading research on cattle,
soy and
corn culture.
Minas Gerais is a major source of immigration, both legal and illegal, into the United States. The majority of Brazilian immigrants in the Boston area (a very large population) seem to be from Minas Gerais.
The flag of the state of Minas Gerais is the oldest one adopted in Brazil that was devised by Brazilians. It was remembered by the Republican Party, which opposed the Brazilian
Imperial Government, and adopted unofficially as the flag of the state. Since 1946 it has been the official flag and is probably the most cherished Brazilian state flag.
The sentence "Libertas quæ sera tamen", seen in the flag, is a motto in
Latin which translates in
Portuguese as
Liberdade ainda que tardia and in
English as "Freedom, even if delayed". The triangle was said to represent the
Trinity and the three ideals of the
French Revolution:
Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.
The colors were chosen for their revolutionary meaning: white represented the desire to form a peaceful new nation, discarding all colonial institutions, and red symbolised the flame of liberty.
See
List of cities in Minas Gerais.
*
Minas Gerais' location on a 3D globe (Java)*
Official homepage (Portuguese)
*
Talk About Minas*
Directory Sites of Minas Gerais
