BELO HORIZONTE

'Belo Horizonte' (a Portuguese name meaning "beautiful horizon", (^[1] ) is the capital of Minas Gerais state, located in the southeastern region of the country. It is the third largest metropolitan area in Brazil. Belo Horizonte — or "Beagá" as it is more familiarly known from the sound of its initials BH in Portuguese — has a population of almost 2.4 million and over 5.3 million in the official metropolitan area.
The first settlements in the region occurred in the early 1700s, but the city as it is known today was planned and constructed in the 1890s, in order to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas Gerais. It is nowadays well known for the contrast between contemporary and classical buildings, being in fact the location of many modern Brazilian architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Church.

Contents

History

Economy

Transportation

Highways

Bus system

Metro

Weather

Notable landmarks

Culture

Sports

Sister Cities

See also

Picture Gallery

References

External links

History

The metropolis was once a small village, founded by João Leite da Silva Ortiz, a bandeirante explorer from São Paulo. Having found a location with a pleasant weather, a nice landscape and a good soil for farming, the explorer settled in the region in 1701, leaving a gold hunting expedition. He then established a farm called "Curral d'el Rey" - archaic Portuguese for the "King's Corral." The farm's wealth and success encouraged people from surrounding places to move into the region, and Curral del Rey became a village surrounded by farms.

Another important growth factor of the village were the immigrants from the São Francisco river region, who had to pass through Curral d'el Rey in order to reach southern parts of Brazil. Travelers usually visited a small wooden chapel, where they prayed for a safe trip. Due to that, the chapel was named Capela da Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, which means "Chapel of Our Lady of the Good Trip." Years later it was upgraded to a bigger church.
The previous capital of Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto, was a symbol of both the monarchic Brazilian Empire and the period when most of Brazilian income was due to mining, and that never pleased the members of the Inconfidência Mineira, republican intellectuals who conspired against the Portuguese dominion of Brazil. In 1889 Brazil became a republic, and it was agreed that a new state capital, in tune with a modern and prosperous Minas Gerais, had to be set.
In 1893, due to good climatic and topographic conditions, Curral Del Rey was elected by Minas Gerais governor Afonso Pena from other cities as the spot for the new economical and cultural center of the state, under the new name of "Cidade de Minas," or Minas City.
Aarão Reis, an urbanist from Pará, was then set to design the first planned city of Brazil, and then Cidade de Minas was inaugurated finally in 1897, with many unfinished constructions as the Brazilian Government set a deadline for its completion. Inhabitation of the city was subsidized by the local government, through the concession of free empty lots and funding for building houses. An interesting feature of Belo Horizonte Reis designed was the downtown street plan, featuring a regular array of perpendicular and diagonal streets, named after Brazilian states and Brazilian indigenous tribes.

In 1906 the name was then changed to Belo Horizonte, and at that time the city was experiencing a considerable industrial expansion that increased the its commercial and service sectors.
The city's planners didn't count on its population growth afterwards, which proved especially intense in the last twenty years of the 20th century.

Economy

Belo Horizonte has never been a popular destination among tourists, as it lacks one of the main touristic features of Brazil - beaches. However, it annually receives great amounts of visitors, as it is in the Brazilian main economic axis with economic influence even on regions of other states. Both multinational and Brazilian companies, like Google and Oi, maintain their headquarters in the city.
The service sector plays a very important role in the economy of Belo Horizonte, being responsible for 85% of the city's GDP, with the industry making up for most of the remaining 15%.
Belo Horizonte has a developed industrial sector, being traditionally a pole of the Brazilian siderurgical and metallurgical industries, as the state of Minas Gerais has always been very rich in minerals, specifically iron ore. The main industrial district of the city was set during the 1940s in Contagem, a part of greater Belo Horizonte. Multinational companies like FIAT, Arcelor, and Toshiba have subsidiaries in the region, along with other textile, cosmetic, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, furnishing and refractory companies.
Between the companies headquartered in the city we can list siderurgicals Açominas (held by Gerdau, one of the largest multinationals originated in Brazil); Usiminas; Belgo-Mineira (held by Arcelor); Acesita (partially held by Arcelor); mobile communication Telemig Celular; and Tim Maxitel, as well as the NYSE-listed electrical company CEMIG, which is said to have the best transmission quality of Brazil. Leading steel product makers Sumitomo Metals of Japan and Vallourec of France have also recently announced plans to construct an integrated steel works on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte.

There are also a large number of small enterprises in the technological sector with regional to nationwide success, such as biotechnology Biomm, information technology firms RM Sistemas and Paiva Piovesan, and industrial automation company IHM, among others.
Due to both governmental and private funding in the diversification of its economy, the city has become an international reference in Information Technology and Biotechnology, and is also cited because of the advanced corporate and university research in Biodiesel fuel. Projects in these fields are likely to expand due to integration between universities, the oil company Petrobras and the Brazilian Government. Over 16% of the Brazilian biotechnological industries are located in Belo Horizonte, with annual revenues of more than US$550 million.
During the past few years, the city has made investments in "business-tourism," by promoting more than 3,000 national or international events yearly. One of the largest events that ever took place in the city, the IDB meeting, occurred in 2005 and attracted people from everywhere in the world.

Transportation

Highways

The city is connected to the rest of Minas Gerais state and the country by a number of roadways. Minas Gerais has the country's largest federal highway network ^[2].

★ BR-040 connects Belo Horizonte to Rio de Janeiro (going south) and Brasília (going northwest). It also links other cities in the state, such as Juiz de Fora, Conselheiro Lafaiete, Santos Dumont, Sete Lagoas, and Paracatu.

★ BR-262 begins in Mato Grosso do Sul and ends in Espírito Santo, crossing Minas Gerais from west to east. It links Belo Horizonte to Pará de Minas, Araxá, Manhuaçu, Uberaba, and Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo state.

★ BR-381 is an important federal highway. It connects Belo Horizonte to São Paulo, the biggest and richest city in Brazil.

★ MG-010 is a state highway that connects the capital to the Tancredo Neves International Airport, itself located in the municipalities of Confins and Lagoa Santa, which are part of the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte. Starting in 2005, several flights were transferred from the Pampulha Regional Airport to the international airport. To improve access to the international airport, MG-010 is being expanded (effectively duplicating its lanes).^[3]
The city is also served by other minor roads such as state highways MG-020, MG-050, MG-030, and MG-433.
There is also an East-West Express Way, which goes from the city to the nearby industrial centers of Contagem and Betim (together having a population of ca. 900,000), and Anel Rodoviário, a kind of "beltway" - indeed it is not circumferential, but connects many highways, such as the federal (BR-ones) so it is not necessary for a large number of cars and trucks to pass through the city center.
Many of these roads are in poor condition, but in the last years many revitalization and rebuilding projects have been started.

Bus system

The system has a large number of bus lines, going through all parts in the city, administrated by BHTRANS. Among the upcoming projects are the expansion of the integration between bus lines and the metro.

Metro

Belo Horizonte Metro originated at the end of 1970s, and is one of the oldest urban railways in the country. There is still just one line, with 19 stations, from Vilarinho to Eldorado Station, in Contagem, but it is now insufficient to address the commuting needs of the entire city. Two new lines, from Santa Tereza to Barreiro (a part of this line, from Carlos Prates to Barreiro, is being built), and from Pampulha to Savassi, are being planned. There is also a project for the expansion for the first line, from Vilarinho to Ribeirão das Neves and from Eldorado to Betim.

Weather

Belo Horizonte's climate can be classified as tropical altitude, with yearly average temperature between 18-19 and 22-23°C. The Köppen climate classification of the region is Cwa (Tropical on high altitudes, humid/warm summer and a dry/cool winter).
As a city located in the southern Hemisphere, Belo Horizonte's spring starts in September, its summer in December, its autumn in March, and its winter in June. Even though inter-seasonal differences are not as pronounced as they are in temperate places, and many people believe that, as in much of Brazil, there are just two seasons (a hot and humid one from October to March, and a colder and drier one from April to September), there is a contrast between spring and summer, and between fall and winter. The coldest month is generally July, with a lowest recorded temperature of 3.1°C (37.6°F). The hottest month is usually January, with a highest recorded temperature of 35.4°C (95.7°F). There can be problems related with low air humidity during August.
The 852m elevation of Belo Horizonte helps a little in cooling the city, suppressing high maximum air temperatures experienced in nearby cities at lower altitudes. At its foundation, Belo Horizonte had one of the finest climates of all Brazilian cities, but as time passed and the city grew it has come to suffer from typical urban phenomena known as the heat island and thermal inversion. However, its climate is still neither as hot as Rio de Janeiro's, nor as cold as Curitiba's in the winter.

Notable landmarks

Belo Horizonte has plenty of significant cultural landmarks, many of them situated in the Pampulha district, where there are very wonderful examples of Brazilian contemporary architecture. These include one of the largest soccer stadiums in the world, the Mineirão stadium, and the São Francisco de Assis Church, widely known as Igreja da Pampulha, designed by famous Brazilian Modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. In Pampulha there is also the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais campus, whose buildings themselves are important contributions to the city's architecture. Other remarkable Pampulha buildings include the Mesbla and Niemeyer buildings, in addition to the headquarters of corporations such as Usiminas, Seculus, and Telemig Celular.
In downtown Belo Horizonte, there are the neo-Gothic Boa Viagem Cathedral, the Lourdes Basilica, the São José Cathedral, the Praça da Estação, which is an old train station that now is also the Museum of Arts and Workmanship, the Municipal Park, and the Nossa Senhora de Fátima Church situated in Carlos Chagas square, both referred to as the Assembléia Church and the Assembléia Square due to their proximity to the state's legislative assembly.
Next to downtown is the famous Savassi region, known for fine restaurants and as a center of cultural events as well as the best of the city's nightlife. Many landmarks are located there, such as the Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Plaza), and its surrounding buildings, including the Executive Offices of the governor called the Palace of Liberty (Palácio da Liberdade), the first building to be finished during the city's planned development in the late 1890s.

Last but not least is the "Rua do Amendoim" (Peanut Street), an example of a gravity hill, where parked automobiles appear to roll uphill, defying gravity. Whether this is an illusion or a magnetic phenomenon is left to the visitor to decide. Though most of the effect seems to have disappeared due to housing development in the area, many people still believe that the street is magic.
Another important landmark is Praça do Papa (Plaza of the Pope), located at a high point just south of the downtown area, with its spectacular view of the entire city. It is named for the July 1, 1980 visit by John Paul II, who held a youth mass there. Afterwards, he stood and remarked over the sea of youthful faces, "Que Belo Horizonte!" or "What a beautiful horizon!" The nearby Parque das Mangabeiras (Mangabeiras Park) boasts extensive wildlife, with an area so huge it has its own internal bus service. It is not uncommon for tourists to see monkeys and other animals, and a few people have even managed to get lost inside its woods.

Culture

There are many notable Brazilian artistic groups which have its origins in Belo Horizonte.
Grupo Corpo, which is perharps the most famous contemporary dance group in the country, was created in the city in 1975, travel internationally and are acclaimed throughout the world.
Giramundo is an important group, specialized in performing puppet shows. They maintain the museum of the puppets they created since their foundation in 1970.
first launched a complete album in 1981, and has released 11 works since that year.

Another innovative artistic group is Uakti. They create their own musical instruments using materials like PVC, wood, metals and glass. The origin of their name is based in a myth by the Tukano Indians, and reflects the indigenous feeling present in their works.
Many important rock groups were founded in Belo Horizonte, being among them Jota Quest, Pato Fu, Skank, 14 Bis and Tianastácia. But the band that achieved most international success was thrash metal group Sepultura.
Clube da Esquina is a musical movement that originated in the mid 1960s, and since that time their members have been considered influent in Minas Gerais culture and have important artists such as Tavinho Moura, Wagner Tiso, Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Beto Guedes, Flávio Venturini, Toninho Horta, Márcio Borges, Fernando Brant and 14 Bis, among others.
Belo Horizonte is also the birthplace of pioneering thrash metal band Sepultura.
Annually, the city realizes the FIT BH, The International Theater Festival of Belo Horizonte, which attracts artists from all over Brazil and many parts of the world.
In 2006 there was an extreme sports event in Belo Horizonte with a slogan that became very popular in Belo Horizonte: "Eu amo BH radicalmente", or "I love Belo Horizonte radically."

Sports

As in the rest of Brazil, football is the most popular sport among locals. Belo Horizonte has two of the most successful teams in the country, and the city also has one of the biggest football stadiums in the world, the Mineirão, opened in 1965.
The older Independência Stadium hosted a legendary victory of the United States World Cup Team 1950 in a 1-0 triumph over England. See England v United States (1950) and
[1]
Atlético Mineiro, which is also called by its nickname and mascot "Galo" (rooster) is one of the oldest football clubs in the city and was founded in 1908. Atlético Mineiro was the first Brazilian champion, in 1971, and has also won two CONMEBOL Cups (nowadays called Copa Sudamericana) and 39 State Championships. In spite of so much tradition, the team has suffered through very difficult times recently and was relegated to the Brazilian Série B. However, the club won the championship in 2006 and is back to Série A in 2007.
Cruzeiro was founded in 1921 by the members of the local Italian community. Cruzeiro has been one of Brazil´s most successful clubs in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning 4 National Cups, 1 National League, 2 Copa Libertadores, and 2 Supercopa Libertadores, and is also the winner of Taça Brasil in 1966 and 34 State Championships.
The city is also home to América Mineiro, which has its own playing field, the Independência Stadium. It was a major team in Brazil decades ago, but passed three years striving to leave Brazilian League Série C. Things came worse at the beginning of 2007. The team was relegated to the Módulo II of Campeonato Mineiro and didn't even qualify for playing the Série C, being completely out of Campeonato Brasileiro.
Besides football, Belo Horizonte has one of the largest attendances at volleyball matches in the whole country. Crowds usually go to Mineirinho in order to watch either the Brazil national volleyball team or Minas Tênis Clube matches.
Minas Tênis Clube is a sport association with various modalities, and its volleyball team has some of the most advanced training facilities in the country. Besides Mineirinho, the clubs also plays on its own ground, the modern Telemig Celular Arena. Both its male and female volleyball teams have already won the Brazilian Superleague of Volleyball titles.

Sister Cities

★ Toronto, Canada

★ Porto, Portugal (1986)

★ Milan, Italy

★ Havana, Cuba

★ Bethlehem, Palestine

★ Boston, USA (2007)

★ Fort Lauderdale, USA (2003)

★ Newark, New Jersey, USA (2006)

★ Masaya, Nicaragua (2002)

★ Granada, Spain (1975)

★ Minsk, Belarus (1987)

★ Luanda, Angola (1968)

★ Tegucigalpa, Honduras (2004)

★ Zahle, Lebanon (1974)

★ Homs, Syria (2001)

★ Tripoli, Libya (2003)

★ Cuenca, Ecuador (2004)

★ Córdoba, Argentina (2007)

See also

★ Tancredo Neves International Airport

Picture Gallery

References

★ Belotur/Prefeitura de Belo Horizonte. 2004. Economy - The economic and financial scene is a beauty too

★ Belotur/Prefeitura de Belo Horizonte. 2004. Belo Horizonte - A capital do século XX

1. This is the pronunciation of the portuguese variant spoken in the city of Belo Horizonte. Other possible pronunciations in Brazil are , and
2. Tempo bom e trânsito lento marcam volta de feriado
3. Linha Verde .

External links

★ Belo Horizonte official website

★ Weather.com information on Belo Horizonte climate

★ Belo Horizonte's pictures Fotolog

★ City Hall Web Page

★ Downtown

★ Pampulha Lake region

★ "Praça da Liberdade" (Liberty Square)

★ Mangabeiras region

★ 'BeloHorizonte.com' Portal for Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

★ Hotel booking at Belo Horizonte

★ "Beautiful Horizon" - Access in English to Belo Horizonte

★ Ser belorizontino

★ Brazil Travelogue featuring Belo Horizonte

★ Church in Google Earth