Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, which makes up the Southeast Region of Brazil. It is a metropolis, the central municipality of Greater Belo Horizonte, as its metropolitan region is known. BH was a planned city whose foundation took place in 1897. Today it has more than 2.5 million inhabitants, so one of the most populous capitals in Brazil and an important economic and financial center.
Read too: What are the capitals of Brazilian states?
Summary
- Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, located in RSoutheast region from Brazil.
- The city was founded on December 12, 1897, after a four-year period of construction. It is a planned city.
- It is characterized by the high tropical climate and the relief made up of mountains and hills. Its headquarters are located at 852.19 meters above sea level.
- Mata do Planalto is one of the main preservation areas of the Atlantic Forest in the municipality.
- The municipality's dense drainage network is mostly channeled.
- With 2,521,564 inhabitants, Belo Horizonte is the 6th most populous city in Brazil.
- The capital of Minas Gerais is the main economic and financial center of the state, also standing out on the national scene. Its economy is centered on the tertiary sector, and some of the largest industries in Minas Gerais are located in its metropolitan region.
- Belo Horizonte has an extensive infrastructure network and, in addition, it has several leisure and tourist spots that attract visitors. Among them are Lagoa da Pampulha and the Brazilian Football Museum.
General data for Belo Horizonte
- Gentile: Belo Horizonte.
- Location: Southeast region.
- Parents: Brazil.
- Federative unit: Minas Gerais.
- Intermediate region[1]: Belo Horizonte.
- Immediate region[1]: Belo Horizonte.
- Metropolitan region: Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (RMBH). Formed by the municipalities of: Belo Horizonte, Baldim, Betim, Brumadinho, Caeté, Capim Branco, Contagem, Confins, Esmeraldas, Florestal, Ibirité, Itaguara, Igarapé, Itatiaiuçu, Jaboticatubas, Juatuba, Lagoa Santa, Nova Lima, Mário Campos, Mateus Leme, Matozinhos, Nova União, Pedro Leopoldo, Raposos, Ribeirão das Neves, Rio Maior, Rio Manso, Sabará, Santa Luzia, São Joaquim de Bicas, São José da Lapa, Sarzedo, Taquaraçu de Minas and Vespasian.
- Bordering municipalities: Vespasiano, Santa Luzia, Sabará, Nova Lima, Brumadinho, Ibirité, Contagem, Ribeirão das Neves.
- Geography of Belo Horizonte
- Total area: 331,354 km² (IBGE, 2020).
- Total population: 2,521,564 inhabitants (IBGE, 2020).
- Density: 7,167.00 inhab./km² (IBGE, 2010).
- Climate: altitude tropical.
- Altitude: 852.19 meters.
- Time zone: GMT -3 hours.
- Historic:
- Foundation: December 12, 1897.
Geography of Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte (BH) is a Brazilian city belonging to the state of Minas Gerais, located in the Southeast region of the country. It houses the headquarters of the state government and concentrates its main political-administrative activities, thus receiving the status of capital. It has an area of 331.35 km² and is located at 852 meters above sea level, bordering eight other municipalities:
- Vespasian, to the north;
- Santa Luzia, to the northeast;
- Sabará and Nova Lima to the east;
- Brumadinho, to the south;
- Ibirite, to the southwest;
- Contagem and Ribeirão das Neves, to the west.
Since 1973 it has been part of the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (RMBH), which is currently made up of 34 municipalities. Adjacent to the RMBH is the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Necklace, comprising 16 municipalities.
![Aerial view of Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais. [1]](/f/9fa1ffb2c26dffc1390cf01d31cd58a7.jpg)
Next, we will analyze the main physical aspects of the capital of Minas Gerais.
Belo Horizonte climate
In Belo Horizonte there is a predominance of high altitude tropical climate. This climate type is characterized by mild temperatures throughout the year and the occurrence of a Winter dry. In the capital of Minas Gerais, average temperatures are around 20°C and 22°C, with maximum temperatures of 27°C in summer and minimum temperatures between 16°C and 18°C in winter. Rains are concentrated in the period from October to January, with an annual total between 1,250 and 1,600 mm.
Belo Horizonte relief
The city is located in the domain of plateaus and east-southeast mountain ranges, marked by the rugged relief and features such as mountains and hills. Belo Horizonte is no different, and its terrain is characterized by elevations ranging from 650 to 1150 meters. The highest point is in Serra do Curral and is located at 1,500 meters above sea level.
Vegetation of Belo Horizonte
The vegetation cover of Belo Horizonte integrates the biome Atlantic forest. There are some areas where there is preservation of Atlantic Forest remnants, with emphasis on the Planalto Forest. The municipality also has transition areas for the thick, like Serra do Curral, where small and medium-sized trees and shrubs (forming the fields) are found. In other areas, the presence of secondary vegetation is observed.
Belo Horizonte Hydrography
The city of Belo Horizonte has a dense drainage network, consisting of rivers, streams and streams. However, most of them are channeled today. This means that, with the growth of urbanized areas, the water courses that run through the Belo Horizonte territory were being modified and some covered to enable the construction of roads and the development of networks of transport.
In all, the city is divided into three watershedsTourist attractions: Ribeirão Arrudas, Ribeirão Onça/Izidora and Córrego do Borges/Espia. The presence of Lagoa da Pampulha is also noteworthy, one of the main leisure areas and tourist attractions in the capital of Minas Gerais.
Read too: Metropolization — the process of intensifying the growth of cities
Belo Horizonte map
Belo Horizonte Demographics
The municipality of Belo Horizonte has 2,521,564 inhabitants, according to the most recent data from IBGE, which makes it the most populous city in Minas Gerais and also the 6th largest city in Brazil. Its population is equivalent to 11.8% of the Minas Gerais population. The Belo Horizonte population also represents just over 40% of all residents of the RMBH, which has more than 6 million inhabitants. The capital of Minas Gerais still stands out for its very high demographic density, 11th highest in Brazil: 7,167 inhab./km².
Data from the IBGE Demographic Census indicate that all inhabitants of Belo Horizonte live in its urban area. Analyzing the population composition, we have to most of Belo Horizonte declare themselves white (46.74%) or brown (41.90%). Blacks make up 10.15% of the inhabitants, while those who declare themselves to be yellow or indigenous are the numerical minority, representing, respectively, 1.06% and 0.15% of the city's residents.
Belo Horizonte stands out for its high Human development Index (HDI), which, according to the IBGE, is 0.810, the second highest in Minas Gerais, after the city of Nova Lima, which is part of the RMBH.
Geographical division of Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte consists of 487 neighborhoods, which integrate the Administrative Regions of the city, which are also called Regional. Currently, the territory of Belo Horizonte is subdivided into nine administrative regions, namely:
- New sale;
- Pampulha;
- North;
- North East;
- Northwest;
- West;
- East;
- South Center;
- Barrier.
Economy of Belo Horizonte
The economy of Belo Horizonte is one of the most expressive in the country, ranking 4th among municipalities, and the largest in the state of Minas Gerais. O Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the city is R$91.95 billion, equivalent to approximately 15% of the state's GDP, as shown by IBGE data. The municipality concentrates the main economic and financial activities of Greater Belo Horizonte, in addition to representing an important national financial center.
In this way, O tertiary sector accounts for the largest share of Belo Horizonte's GDP (70,73%). In addition to financial and commercial and retail activities, tourism has gained more and more importance for the municipal economy, especially through services linked to event and tourism tourism. Business.
THE industry accounts for 14.43% of the municipal economy, highlighting companies in technology and information, electronics, construction, clothing, footwear (and, by extension, fashion) and mechanics. RMBH, in turn, concentrates the main industries in the state of Minas Gerais.
Read too: Urban macrocephaly — the concentration of economic activities and population in a single city
Belo Horizonte government
The government of Belo Horizonte is of the representative democratic type. The population elects its governors through municipal elections for them to exercise four-year terms and, at the end of that period, the process is repeated. O Mayor is the head of the municipal Executive Power, and the Legislative Power, represented by the Municipal Chamber, is composed of 41 councilors.
In addition, Belo Horizonte is the capital of Minas Gerais, as it houses the seat of the state government. This is located on the outskirts of the Presidente Tancredo Neves Administrative City (CAMG), inaugurated in 2010 and designed by Oscar Niemeyer.
Infrastructure of Belo Horizonte
The city of Belo Horizonte offers a wide network of urban infrastructure for its residents, bearing in mind that, according to data from the last IBGE census, all homes in Belo Horizonte were located in their urban area. The vast majority of them had access to the sewer system or had a bathroom inside. When taking into account adequate sanitary sewage, the share is 96.2%. The supply through the municipal water network was 99.7%, while 99.9% had access to electricity. The percentage of households located on tree-lined public roads is 82.7%.
Transport in the city is carried out by means of buses and also the subway line, which serves the municipality and the city of Contagem. The Vitória a Minas train line is managed by Vale and transports passengers between states. These displacements are also made through state and federal highways. The metropolitan region has a dry port and is also home to two of the most important airports in Minas Gerais, among which the Belo Horizonte International Airport – Confins stands out.
Belo Horizonte Culture
Belo Horizonte's rich culture is expressed through literature, dance, music, parties and the arts in general. THE city has an extensive annual calendar of events, which includes a series of festivals, such as Virada Cultural, Belo's International Comic Festival Horizonte, the Belo Horizonte Black Art Festival and the Belo Horizonte Literary Festival, held every two years.
Much of Belo Horizonte's urban landscape recounts part of its history and represents tourist attractions for visitors from abroad and meeting points for its inhabitants. One of them is the Pampulha Lagoon, inaugurated in the 1940s and whose architectural ensemble is authored by Oscar Niemeyer, made at the invitation of the then mayor Juscelino Kubitschek.
The city also has other spaces for cultural dissemination, such as the Brazilian Football Museum, the Museum of Toy, the Museum of Mines and Metal, Museum of the History of the Inquisition, as well as theaters, cinemas, exhibitions and houses of show.
History of Belo Horizonte
The occupation of the area where Belo Horizonte is located started in the 18th century, with the arrival of pioneer João Leite da Silva Ortiz. Its installation in the prosperous land gave rise to a settlement that, in 1707, received the name of Curral del-Rei. Its population lived mainly from cattle raising, subsistence farming and flour production. The demographic density and expressive growth of the region occurred with the cooling of gold exploration in Minas Gerais at the end of the century, gaining thousands of new inhabitants.
In 1890, the then Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem district of Curral del Rey was renamed Belo Horizonte. Three years later, it was elevated to the status of a city and it then became the capital of Minas Gerais.
Belo Horizonte was a city planned since its beginning and, when the decree that defined the new state capital was issued, there was also the establishment of a Construction Commission for the new headquarters of the Minas Gerais government to be built within a period of four years old.
The foundation of the city corresponds to its opening date: December 12, 1897. Over the years, Belo Horizonte has established itself as one of the most important cities in the country, being the main financial and political center in the state of Minas Gerais.
Image credits
[1] Luis War / Shutterstock.com
By Paloma Guitarrara
geography teacher
