Montes Claros (Portugal)
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Montes Claros is a Brazilian municipality located in the northern region of the
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
of
Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () 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 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
. Situated north of the state capital,
Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...
, it lies approximately away. The municipality spans an area of , with within its
urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
. As of the 2022 census, its population was , making it the fifth most populous municipality in Minas Gerais. Montes Claros achieved emancipation in the 19th century and has long relied on industry and commerce as key economic drivers, establishing itself as a regional industrial hub. The municipality is currently divided into ten districts and further subdivided into approximately 200 neighborhoods and villages. It boasts a variety of natural, historical, and cultural attractions, including the Milton Prates Municipal Park, Guimarães Rosa Park, and Sapucaia Park, which are significant green spaces, as well as notable structures such as the Cathedral of
Our Lady of Aparecida Our Lady Aparecida ("Our Lady, the Appeared"), ( or ''Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida'') is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the Immaculate Conception. Her image, a dark clay statue, is widely venerated by Brazilian Cat ...
and the Small Church of the Little Hills, alongside numerous
archaeological sites An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
.


History


Origins

Until the 1660s, the lands now comprising Montes Claros were inhabited solely by the
indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...
Anais and Tapuia peoples. Around 1554, the Espinosa Expedition, consisting of 12 ''bandeirantes'', explored the region in search of precious stones, venturing into the northern backlands of the Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas de Ouro. However, these explorers did not establish permanent settlements. In 1674, Fernão Dias Pais, known as the "Emerald Hunter", led a ''bandeira'' to explore the region for precious stones. Antônio Gonçalves Figueira, a member of Fernão Dias’ expedition, accompanied it to the banks of the
Paraopeba River The Paraopeba River is a river in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In the Tupi language "Para" means "great river or sea," and "peba" means "flat," together meaning "flat river". The source of the river is situated south of the municipality of ...
, where, alongside Matias Cardoso de Almeida, he parted ways with the leader, who later returned to São Paulo two years later. There, Antônio and Matias established farms, which grew into settlements, displaced indigenous populations, and continued exploiting the region’s resources. By a royal charter dated April 12, 1707, Antônio Gonçalves Figueira received a ''sesmaria'' grant of one league in width by three in length, forming the Montes Claros Farm (one of three farms) located at the headwaters of the
Verde Grande River Rio Verde Grande ( Portuguese for "big green river") is a river of Minas Gerais state in eastern Brazil, that forms the boundary with Bahia state in its lowest reaches. It is a tributary of the São Francisco River. The Caminho dos Gerais State ...
on its left bank. To access markets for cattle, Gonçalves Figueira built roads to Tranqueiras in Bahia and the
São Francisco River The São Francisco River (, ) is a large Rivers of Brazil, river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon R ...
. A native of São Paulo, Gonçalves Figueira later returned to his home region, entrusting the Montes Claros Farm to his brother Manuel Afonso de Siqueira, who owned neighboring farms. Later, Gonçalves Figueira’s descendants sold portions of the Montes Claros Farm. Ensign José Lopes de Carvalho, whose nephew married Manuel Afonso de Siqueira’s granddaughter, acquired part of the farm and built a chapel, now the Nossa Senhora da Conceição and São José de Montes Claros Matrix Church. Around this chapel, the Arraial das Formigas developed, the second settlement on the Montes Claros Farm, which years later became the city bearing the same name.


Administrative evolution

One hundred twenty-four years after Antônio Gonçalves Figueira obtained the ''sesmaria'', the village had developed sufficiently to gain independence, separating from the municipality of Serro Frio (now
Serro Serro is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte and to the Microregions of Brazil, microregion of Conceição do Mato Dentro. As of 2020, the estimated populatio ...
). Through the efforts of local political leaders, the municipality was established by the Law of October 13, 1831, named Montes Claros de Formigas. Its independent municipal life began in 1832 with the election and inauguration of the first Municipal Chamber. By 1857, the then-village (municipality) of Montes Claros de Formigas had just over 2,000 inhabitants, with infrastructure typical of most municipalities in the province. Under Law 802 of July 3 of that year, the village was elevated to city status, adopting the name Montes Claros. Despite starting its independent municipal life in 1832 with the Municipal Chamber’s inauguration and the election of its Executive Agent (equivalent to a mayor), the city traditionally celebrates its anniversary on July 3 (referencing 1857) rather than October 16 (1832), the date of its emancipation from Serro. This history was clarified in the article “The Invention of July 3” published in the journal ''Unimontes Científica''. Under provincial law no. 1398 of November 27, 1867, and state law no. 2 of September 14, 1891, the district of Brejos das Almas (formerly São Gonçalo do Brejo das Almas) was created, becoming the municipality’s first district. Over time, Montes Claros’ territory underwent several territorial losses and administrative reorganizations, eventually comprising its current districts in the 1980s: Aparecida do Mundo Novo, Ermidinha, Miralta, Nova Esperança, Panorâmica, Santa Rosa de Lima, São João da Vereda, São Pedro de Garça, and Vila Nova de Minas.


After the foundation

Following political emancipation, population growth necessitated investments in municipal urban infrastructure. In 1871, the Charity Hospital, later known as the Santa Casa de Caridade, was established. On February 2, 1880, the Montes Claros Normal School was founded. On February 24, 1884, the first issue of the weekly newspaper “Correio do Norte” was published. On September 14, 1886, the Santa Cruz Chapel, commonly known as the Morrinho Chapel, was inaugurated. On October 27, 1892, the city’s first telegraph line was established. The industry in Montes Claros began with the Cedro textile factory in 1882, which was destroyed by a major fire on July 25, 1889. It provided primary education for its workers. In commerce, the Municipal Market, inaugurated on September 3, 1899, stood out. Located in what is now Dr. Carlos Versiani Square, it was an imposing structure with a tall tower housing a clock donated by Carlota Versiani, which chimed hourly. Throughout the 20th century, notable developments included the arrival of electricity on January 20, 1917, the first automobile on November 10, 1920, the establishment of potable water services on December 18, 1938, and the installation of intercity telephone services on June 30, 1956.


Economic and demographic growth

Montes Claros experienced significant industrialization starting in the 1970s. Industrial activities, supported by fiscal and financial incentives from federal, state, and municipal governments through the Superintendency for the Development of the Northeast (SUDENE), attracted substantial migration, leading to unplanned urban growth. This rapid urbanization, coupled with inadequate planning, resulted in intra-urban spatial disparities, with several areas marked by poverty. In the 1980s, significant urban changes occurred, including the occupation of vacant urban areas in the southern region, avenue renovations to improve traffic flow,
verticalization Verticalization is a phenomenon, typically seen in major cities, where there is a general increase in the population of high-rise residential buildings. As of 2024, there is no agreed-upon definition of verticalization. Across multiple research pa ...
in the central area, shifts in the spatial distribution of activities, and peripheral expansion. Over time, efforts to reduce poverty levels were implemented. In 1970, 74.79% of the population lived in poverty, which decreased to 33.17% by 2001. The rural landscape has increasingly been replaced by urban zones to accommodate the demands of urban expansion driven by growing productive activities (industry, commerce, and services) and rising housing needs due to population concentration. The boundary between rural and urban areas is becoming less distinct, with the rural population declining annually.


Geography

According to the
Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. IBGE performs a decennial national cen ...
, Montes Claros covers an area of , with constituting the urban area. It is located at 16°44'06" south
latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
and 43°51'43" west
longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...
, approximately north of the state capital. Its neighboring municipalities are
São João da Ponte São João da Ponte is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2020, the population numbered 25,098 within the total area of 1,849 km². The elevation is 561 meters. It became a muni ...
to the north;
Capitão Enéas Capitão Enéas is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2020 the population was 15,313 in a total area of 970 km2. Capitão Enéas belongs to the IBGE statistical microregion of Montes Claros. The d ...
to the northeast;
Francisco Sá Francisco Pedro Manuel Sá (born 25 October 1945) is a retired Argentine football defender. Sá holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores titles, he won six; 4 consecutive titles with Club Atlético Independiente between 1972 and 1975, ...
to the east;
Juramento Juramento is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. the population was 4,345 in a total area of 432 km2. It became a municipality in 1953. Juramento is located 42 km to the southeast of Montes Claros on ...
and
Glaucilândia Glacilândia is a Brazilian municipality located in the north of the state of Minas Gerais. In 2020 the population was 3,164 in a total area of 145 km2. It became a municipality in 1996.
to the southeast; Bocaiuva and
Engenheiro Navarro Engenheiro Navarro is a Brazil, Brazilian Municipalities of Brazil, municipality located in the north of the Federative units of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais. Its population was 7,241 people living in a total area of 632 km2. The city belon ...
to the south; Claro dos Poções to the southwest;
São João da Lagoa São João da Lagoa is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2020 the population was 4,932 in a total area of 990 km2. It became a municipality in 1995. Geography São João da Lagoa is located at an el ...
and
Coração de Jesus Coração de Jesus is a Brazilian municipality located in the north of the state of Minas Gerais. In 2020 the population was 26,611 in a total area of 2,236 km2. It became a municipality in 1912.
to the west; and
Mirabela Mirabela is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2020 the population was 13,620 in a total area of 721 km2. It became a municipality in 1962. Geography Mirabela is located at an elevation of 800 meters ...
and Patis to the northwest. Under the regional division effective since 2017, established by the IBGE, the municipality belongs to the Intermediate and Immediate Geographic Regions of Montes Claros. Previously, under the division into mesoregions and microregions, it was part of the Montes Claros microregion within the North of Minas mesoregion. The city center has an average elevation of . The highest point in the municipality is Morro Vermelho, reaching . The terrain is predominantly undulating, characterized by rolling hills and mountains. The lowest elevation, , is at the
mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...
of the Ribeirão do Ouro. Approximately 60% of the municipal terrain is undulating, 30% is flat, and 10% is mountainous. Montes Claros lies within the São Francisco River Basin, and is traversed by the Vieira River, Cedro River,
Verde Grande River Rio Verde Grande ( Portuguese for "big green river") is a river of Minas Gerais state in eastern Brazil, that forms the boundary with Bahia state in its lowest reaches. It is a tributary of the São Francisco River. The Caminho dos Gerais State ...
, Pacuí River, São Lamberto River, and Riachão River. The municipality also features several
lagoons A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...
: Tiriricas, Lagoão, Periperi, São João, Brejão, Garça, Vereda dos Caetanos, Mombuca, São Jorge, Freitas, Matos, and Barreiro. The soil predominantly consists of ancient
Precambrian The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of t ...
formations, with occurrences of
siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility. Although its permeabil ...
,
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
,
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
,
phyllite Phyllite ( ) is a type of foliation (geology), foliated metamorphic rock formed from slate that is further metamorphosed so that very fine grained white mica achieves a preferred orientation.Stephen Marshak ''Essentials of Geology'', 3rd ed. I ...
,
calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...
,
galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crysta ...
,
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
,
potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with a sharp, salty, bitter taste and the chemical formula . It is a potassium salt of nitric acid. This salt consists of potassium cations and nitrate anions , and is therefore an alkali metal nit ...
,
rock crystal Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical fo ...
, and
alluvial gold Placer mining () is the mining of stream bed deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit mining or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment. Placer mining is frequently used for precious metal deposits (particularly ...
.


Geology

A
geological fault Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
surrounds the city, identified as the cause of seismic activity. Extending approximately from the Vila Atlântica neighborhood to the Serra do Mel, it lies at a depth of . Due to this fault, the ground experiences near-continuous tremors, according to reports from professors at the Department of Geophysics at the
University of São Paulo The Universidade de São Paulo (, USP) is a public research university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, and the largest public university in Brazil. The university was founded on 25 January 1934, regrouping already existing schools in ...
(USP) and the Seismological Observatory at the
University of Brasília A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
(UnB). The most intense earthquake recorded reached approximately 4.2 on the
Richter scale The Richter scale (), also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale, is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Richter in collaboration with Beno Gutenberg, and pr ...
, occurring on May 19, 2012, affecting 60 homes, six of which were declared uninhabitable and two interdicted by the city’s Civil Defense, leaving families displaced. Tremors exceeding 5 on the Richter scale are considered unlikely and unpredictable but possible. However, as tremors last only seconds, they pose no significant risk of severe damage. Seismographs recorded 174 earthquakes in Montes Claros from July to December 2012.


Climate

The climate of Montes Claros is classified as
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
(type ''Aw'' according to the Köppen system), characterized by dry, mild
winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
s and rainy
summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...
s with high
temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...
s, with an annual
precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...
index of approximately . During the
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...
,
relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...
levels often drop significantly, frequently falling below 30%, and sometimes as low as 20%, well below the 60% recommended by the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
(WHO). During this period,
wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...
s become more frequent, particularly in rural areas, contributing to air quality degradation due to pollutant emissions. According to data from the
National Institute of Meteorology The National Institute of Meteorology () is the national meteorological organization of Brazil, responsible for weather forecasting, collecting climate data, and alerting the public of extreme weather. It is part of the Ministry of Agriculture, L ...
(INMET) for the periods from 1961 to 1963 and from 1968 onward, the lowest temperature recorded in Montes Claros was on July 18, 2000, though the absolute minimum since 1912 was on June 18, 1915. The highest temperature reached on October 8, 2020, surpassing the previous record of on November 6, 2015. According to INMET, the highest 24-hour
precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...
recorded during this period was on November 16, 1971. Other accumulations of or more include on March 2, 1997, on January 13, 1961, on January 4, 1961, on January 11, 1962, on January 20, 2013, on February 4, 2018, on December 18, 1989, on November 5, 1998, on January 1, 1962, and on December 20, 1993. January 1961, with , which was the wettest month.


Ecology and environment

Montes Claros is part of the
Cerrado The Cerrado () is a vast ecoregion of Tropics, tropical savanna in central Brazil, being present in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Paraná ...
biome, featuring deciduous and semi-deciduous cerrado, with minor occurrences of evergreen cerrado and
Caatinga Caatinga () is a type of semi-arid tropical vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in interior northeastern Brazil. The name "Caatinga" comes from the Tupi word '' ka'atinga'', meaning "white forest" or "white vegetat ...
hipoxerophytic vegetation. The regional
flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...
includes species such as ''
Tabebuia ''Tabebuia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Bignoniaceae.Eberhard Fischer, Inge Theisen, and Lúcia G. Lohmann. 2004. "Bignoniaceae". pages 9-38. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor) ...
'', ''
Caryocar brasiliense ''Caryocar brasiliense'', known as () or souari nut, is an edible fruit popular in some areas of Brazil, especially in Centerwestern Brazil. Taxonomy The pequi tree grows up to 10 m (30 ft) tall. It is common in the central Brazil ...
'', '' Aegiphila fluminensis'', ''
Hymenaea courbaril ''Hymenaea courbaril'', the courbaril or West Indian locust, is a hardwood tree common in the Caribbean and Central and South America. As lumber it is frequently used to make furniture, flooring, and decoration. Its hard fruit pods have an edi ...
'', '' Bromelia laciniosa'', ''
Schinopsis brasiliensis ''Schinopsis brasiliensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family known by the common names ''baraúna'' or ''braúna''.Cardoso, M. P., et al. (2005)A new alkyl phenol from ''Schinopsis brasiliensis''.''Natural Product Research'' ...
'', and ''
ceiba speciosa ''Ceiba speciosa'', the floss silk tree (formerly ''Chorisia speciosa''), is a species of deciduous tree that is native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America. It has several local common names, such as ''palo borracho'' (in S ...
'', alongside a rich variety of medicinal plants. Under Law No. 3754 of June 15, 2007, which establishes the municipal policy for the protection, preservation, conservation, control, and recovery of Montes Claros’ environment, the Municipal Council for Environmental Protection and Conservation (CODEMA) is the public agency responsible for protecting, conserving, and improving the city's environment. It also oversees the management of the municipality’s Environmental Protection Areas.


Subdivisions

Montes Claros is divided into ten districts: Aparecida do Mundo Novo, Ermidinha, Miralta, Montes Claros (Seat), Nova Esperança, Panorâmica, Santa Rosa de Lima, São João da Vereda, São Pedro de Garça, and Vila Nova de Minas. In 2000, their populations were 953, , 827, , , 222, , , , and , respectively, according to the IBGE census of that year. Throughout the 20th century, several districts were created, elevated to city status, or abolished, with the last change occurring on October 8, 1982, with the creation of the Aparecida do Mundo Novo district. Currently, Montes Claros has approximately 160 neighborhoods, according to the “Grande Brasil” portal. One of the most populous is Major Prates, home to approximately 25,000 people.


Demography

The first population estimate was recorded when Montes Claros was known as Arraial das Formigas. In 1817, Saint-Hilaire wrote during a visit: “''This settlement, which may currently comprise two hundred houses and over eight hundred souls, is certainly one of the most beautiful I have seen in the Province of Minas''.” According to the 1832 Imperial Brazilian Census, Montes Claros had inhabitants, including 499 enslaved individuals (approximately 0.24% of the total in the Province of Minas Gerais). The 1872 General Census of the Empire recorded free individuals and enslaved individuals in Montes Claros, totaling inhabitants in the seat. Including districts and rural areas, the total population was . On October 30, 1884, the Jequitaí district was elevated to the status of “City of Jequitaí,” reducing Montes Claros’ total population. In 1897, a study by Judge Antônio Augusto Velloso estimated the municipal population at 15,000, with districts and rural areas totaling about 42,000. On September 7, 1923, the Brejo das Almas district was elevated to the city of
Francisco Sá Francisco Pedro Manuel Sá (born 25 October 1945) is a retired Argentine football defender. Sá holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores titles, he won six; 4 consecutive titles with Club Atlético Independiente between 1972 and 1975, ...
. On September 10, 1925, the
Coração de Jesus Coração de Jesus is a Brazilian municipality located in the north of the state of Minas Gerais. In 2020 the population was 26,611 in a total area of 2,236 km2. It became a municipality in 1912.
district was elevated to city status, impacting Montes Claros’ total population count. In 1940, the IBGE recorded inhabitants, including whites, blacks, 2 Asians, mixed-race individuals, and 10 undeclared. The 1950 census counted inhabitants. On December 12, 1953, the
Juramento Juramento is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. the population was 4,345 in a total area of 432 km2. It became a municipality in 1953. Juramento is located 42 km to the southeast of Montes Claros on ...
district was separated from Montes Claros and elevated to municipal status, leading to a population decrease in the 1955 census. In 2000, according to IBGE census data, the population consisted of whites (42.75%), blacks (5.44%), mixed-race individuals (50.86%), 260 Asians (0.08%), indigenous (0.38%), and undeclared (0.48%). In 2010, the IBGE counted inhabitants, making Montes Claros the sixth most populous municipality in the state and the 62nd in the country, with a
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
of 101.05 inhabitants per km². According to the 2010 census, were men and were women. Additionally, lived in the urban area and in the
rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...
. A 2010 genetic study revealed the population’s genetic composition as 52% European, 39% African, and 9.0% indigenous. According to the 2022 IBGE census, the population self-identified as 60% mixed-race, 28% white, 10% black, 0.11% indigenous, and 0.1% Asian.


Human Development Index

As in much of Brazil, the rapid population growth in Montes Claros during the 1970s, driven by intense migration and poor planning, led to intra-urban spatial disparities, with several areas marked by poverty. Until around 1970, urban occupation was limited to the city center and adjacent neighborhoods. From that period, significant urban changes occurred, with the northern, eastern, and southern zones experiencing more intense population growth than the wealthier western zone. Urban expansion was uneven, resulting in persistent urban voids alongside underdeveloped neighborhoods and
slums A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily in ...
. In the urban area, population distribution correlates closely with residents’ socioeconomic status, contributing to economic inequality in the city. Neighborhoods near the center are home to higher-income populations, while peripheral areas house the most underdeveloped communities. According to the IBGE, in 2002, the Living Conditions Index (ICV) was highest in the Cidade Santa Maria (0.81), Todos os Santos (0.68), and São Luís (0.73) neighborhoods, located centrally, and lowest in Vila Mauriceia (0.31), Vera Cruz (0.37), and Vila Atlântida (0.27), all situated in peripheral areas. In 2009, the IBGE reported a
Gini coefficient In economics, the Gini coefficient ( ), also known as the Gini index or Gini ratio, is a measure of statistical dispersion intended to represent the income distribution, income inequality, the wealth distribution, wealth inequality, or the ...
of 0.41, indicating social inequality, with 1.00 being the worst and 0.00 the best. Poverty incidence, as measured by the IBGE, was 31.37%, with a lower limit of 21.74%, an upper limit of 41.00%, and subjective poverty incidence at 26.03%. The Municipal
Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...
(HDI-M) of Montes Claros is considered high by the United Nations Development Programme (
UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
), at 0.770, ranking 227th among Brazil’s municipalities. Most of the city’s indicators are average and align closely with national averages, according to the UNDP.


Religion

Reflecting the cultural diversity of Montes Claros, the city hosts a variety of
religious denominations A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name and tradition, among other activities. The term refers to the various Christian denominations (for example, non-Chalcedonian, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, ...
. While it developed within a predominantly
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
social framework, numerous
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
denominations are now present. Located in the world’s most Catholic country by absolute numbers, the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in Montes Claros had its legal status recognized by the federal government in October 2009, despite Brazil being an officially secular state. The municipality is home to various evangelical and Reformed denominations, including the
Assembly of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
, Maranata Christian Church,
Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...
,
Baptist churches Baptists are a denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches generally subscribe to the doctrines of so ...
,
Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...
, and
Universal Church of the Kingdom of God The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG; ; , IURD) is an international Evangelical Neo-charismatic movement, Neo-charismatic Christian denomination with its headquarters at the Temple of Solomon (UCKG), Temple of Solomon in São Paulo, B ...
, among others. According to the 2000 IBGE census, the population comprises
Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
(77.13%),
evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian g ...
(15.58%), non-religious individuals (4.02%), Spiritists (0.66%), and 2.61% distributed among other religions.


Politics and administration

Under the 1988 Constitution, Montes Claros operates within the framework of a federative presidential republic, inspired by the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
model but following the
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
- Germanic tradition of
positive law Positive laws () are human-made laws that oblige or specify an action. Positive law also describes the establishment of specific rights for an individual or group. Etymologically, the name derives from the verb ''to posit''. The concept of posit ...
. Municipal administration is divided between the
executive power The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...
and
legislative power A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers o ...
. Before 1930, municipalities were led by municipal chamber presidents, also known as executive agents or intendants. Following the 1930 Revolution, municipal powers were separated into executive and legislative branches. The first intendant was José Pinheiro Neves, and the first executive leader and
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
was Orlando Ferreira Pinto. Over 29 terms, 25 mayors and 22 executive agents have led Montes Claros. In 2008, Luiz Tadeu Leite of the
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party The Brazilian Democratic Movement (, MDB) is a Brazilian political party. It is considered a " big tent party" and it is one of the parties with the greatest representation throughout the national territory, with the most numbers of senators, ...
(PMDB) won the
municipal elections In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct var ...
with 96,374 votes (52.58% of valid votes) in the second round, which was necessary because the city has over 200,000 voters and Tadeu did not secure over 50% in the first round. The
legislative power A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers o ...
is exercised by the
Municipal Chamber A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the gov ...
, comprising 15 councilors elected for four-year terms, in accordance with Article 29 of the Constitution. The chamber is responsible for drafting and voting on fundamental laws for the administration and the Executive, particularly the participatory budget (Budget Guidelines Law). Montes Claros is governed by an organic law enacted on February 1, 2007. The city also serves as the seat of a ''comarca''. In 2010, the municipality had 238,405 voters, a 10.9% increase from 2006.


Economy

Montes Claros has the largest
gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...
(GDP) in its microregion, excelling in the
service sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...
. According to 2020 IBGE data, the municipality’s GDP was
reais The Brazilian real ( pl. '; sign: R$; code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real replaced the cruzeiro real in 1994. ...
. Of this, million reais are taxes on products net of subsidies at current prices. The per capita GDP is reais, and the income HDI is 0.707. In 2008, the city had 9,497 local units, 9,127 companies and active commercial establishments, and workers, with a total workforce of 70,691 and salaried employees. Salaries and other remunerations totaled reais, with an average monthly wage of 2.2
minimum wages A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...
.


Sectors

The economy of Montes Claros is diversified across agricultural, industrial, and service activities. The primary economic driver is the tertiary sector, encompassing various commerce and service segments, such as education and healthcare. The secondary sector follows, with large-scale industrial complexes and small to medium-sized production units. ; Primary Agriculture is the least significant sector of Montes Claros’ economy, contributing million reais to the gross value added of the GDP. In 2009, the IBGE reported a livestock inventory of
cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...
,
pigs The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...
,
horses The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 milli ...
, mules, 620
goats The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the famil ...
, 210
donkeys The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...
, 630
sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
, and
poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...
, including hens and
roosters The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
, broilers, and chicks. In 2009, the city produced million liters of milk from
cows Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...
, dozen eggs, and kilograms of
honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...
. Temporary agriculture primarily produces
sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
(38,400 tons),
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
(5,640 tons), and
corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
(5,440 tons). ; Secondary The industry is currently the second most significant sector, contributing million reais to the gross value added of the GDP. The city is home to an
industrial district Industrial district (ID) is a place where workers and firms, specialised in a main industry and auxiliary industries, live and work. The concept was initially used by Alfred Marshall to describe some aspects of the industrial organisation of nat ...
spanning 5.2 million m², managed by the Minas Gerais Economic Development Company (CODEMIG), one of the most important industrial complexes in Minas Gerais. Plans are underway for a second industrial district with a projected area of 1.5 million m². A
Petrobras Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by and Trade name, trading as the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a Brazilian state-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ...
biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...
plant, established in 2008, is also operational. In 2011, the municipal government reported 954 industrial establishments and workers in the industrial sector. Major companies with industrial facilities include Coteminas, Lafarge,
Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk A/S is a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bagsværd, with production facilities in nine countries and affiliates or offices in five. Novo Nordisk is controlled by majority shareholder Novo Holdings A/S ...
,
Nestlé Nestlé S.A. ( ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 20 ...
, and
Petrobras Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by and Trade name, trading as the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a Brazilian state-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ...
. ; Tertiary The
tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the ...
generates million reais for the municipal GDP, making it the largest contributor. Much of this value comes from commerce. In 2009, the city had 617 construction establishments with workers, commercial establishments with workers, and service establishments with workers. The city has several commercial hubs, including the Montes Claros Municipal Market, opened in 1899; Ibituruna Center, established on March 18, 2009; Montes Claros Shopping, founded on November 8, 1997; and Shopping Popular Mário Ribeiro, inaugurated in 2003. As in much of Brazil, the peak sales period is
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
.


Tax and financial incentives

Although located in Brazil’s Southeast Region, Montes Claros, due to its edaphoclimatic, economic, social, and cultural characteristics, is included in the Minas Gerais area of the Superintendency for the Development of the Northeast (SUDENE), receiving tax and financial incentives from this regional development agency. Through SUDENE, the city benefits from investment projects funded by the Northeast Development Fund, covering up to 60% of total fixed and circulating investments. SUDENE also provides exemptions from the Additional Freight for the Brazilian Merchant Navy (AFRMM) and the Tax on Financial Operations (IOF). The city is served by an extensive banking network, including private financial institutions and credit cooperatives, as well as branches of
Banco do Brasil Banco do Brasil S.A. (, ) is a Brazilian financial services company headquartered in Brasília, Brazil. The oldest bank in Brazil, and among the oldest banks in continuous operation in the world, it was founded by John VI, King of Portugal, on ...
,
Caixa Econômica Federal The Caixa Econômica Federal (, ''Federal Savings Bank''), also referred to as Caixa or CEF, is a state-owned Brazilian financial services company headquartered in Brasília, Brazil. It is the fourth largest banking institution in Brazil, as ...
, and Banco do Nordeste. Operating with various credit arrangements under the Northeast Constitutional Financing Fund (FNE), and transfers from the
National Bank for Economic and Social Development The National Bank for Economic and Social Development or NBESD (, abbreviated: BNDES) is a development bank structured as a federal public company associated with the Ministry of the Economy of Brazil. The stated goal is to provide long-term fin ...
(BNDES) and the Worker Support Fund (FAT), Banco do Nordeste is, according to the municipal government, the primary financial institution supporting the region’s economic activities.


Infrastructure

In the year 2000, the municipality had 75,676
households A household consists of one or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is impo ...
, comprising
apartments An apartment (American English, Canadian English), flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), tenement (Scots English), or unit (Australian English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that ...
,
houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
, and individual rooms. Of these, 59,703 were owned properties, with 56,714 fully paid off (74.94%), 2,989 in the process of acquisition (3.95%), and 10,103 rented (13.35%). Additionally, 5,553 properties were provided free of charge, with 1,190 supplied by employers (1.57%) and 4,363 provided through other means (5.77%). A further 317 households were occupied in other ways (0.40%). The municipality has treated water,
electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
,
sewerage Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff ( stormwater, meltwater, rainwater) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, and scr ...
, urban cleaning services,
fixed-line telephony A landline is a physical telephone connection that uses metal wires or optical fiber from the subscriber's premises to the network, allowing multiple phones to operate simultaneously on the same phone number. It is also referred to as plain old ...
, and
mobile telephony Mobile telephony is the provision of wireless telephone services to mobile phones, distinguishing it from fixed-location telephony provided via landline phones. Traditionally, telephony specifically refers to voice communication, though th ...
. In 2000, 92.77% of households were served by the public water supply network; 90.04% of residences had waste collected by municipal cleaning services; and 85.52% of homes were connected to the general sewer or stormwater drainage system.


Healthcare

In 2009, Montes Claros had 224 healthcare facilities, including hospitals,
emergency rooms An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pat ...
, health centers, and dental services, with 83 being public and 141 private. These facilities provided 921 hospital beds for
inpatient care Inpatient care is the care of patients whose condition requires admission to a hospital. Progress in modern medicine and the advent of comprehensive out-patient clinics ensure that patients are only admitted to a hospital when they are extremel ...
, with 241 in public institutions and 680 in private ones. The city is home to six general hospitals: one public, two private, and three
philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
. Montes Claros also employs 8,780 healthcare professionals. In 2008, the city recorded 5,167 live births, with 7.7% being premature, 38.5% delivered via
caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section, cesarean, or caesarean delivery, is the Surgery, surgical procedure by which one or more babies are Childbirth, delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because va ...
, and 16.8% born to mothers aged 10 to 19 years (0.5% to mothers aged 10 to 14). The crude birth rate in that year was 14.4 per 1,000 inhabitants. The
Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...
(HDI) for longevity in Montes Claros is 0.868. Notable hospitals in the city include Aroldo Tourinho, Clemente de Farias (University Hospital), Fundação Hospitalar Dilson de Quadros Godinho (São Lucas), Alpheu de Quadros, and Santa Casa. The Santa Casa de Montes Claros, officially known as Irmandade Nossa Senhora das Mercês, is considered the largest healthcare facility in the northern region of Minas Gerais.


Education

Montes Claros has
schools A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of ...
in all its regions. Residents of rural areas have easy access to schools in nearby urban neighborhoods due to the high level of urbanization. The average Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) among public schools in Montes Claros in 2009 was 4.85, surpassing the national average of 4.0 for municipal and state schools across Brazil. In 2009, the municipality recorded approximately 83,846 enrollments, 4,586 teachers, and 342 schools in both public and private networks. The
Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...
(HDI) for education was 0.744, classified as high. As a regional university hub, Montes Claros is home to three public higher education institutions: the Federal Institute of Northern Minas Gerais - Montes Claros Campus, the State University of Montes Claros (Unimontes), and the
Federal University of Minas Gerais The Federal University of Minas Gerais (, UFMG) is a federalIn the Brazilian Higher Education context, ''Federal'' does not mean ''collegiate'' (even though most Federal Universities in Brazil enjoy a similarly collegiate system), but it means ...
(UFMG) through its Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ICA). Additionally, several private colleges offer courses in various fields. According to data from the Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (INEP) and the
Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
(MEC), the
illiteracy Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
rate in 2000 among individuals aged 18 to 24 was 2.51%. In the same year, the adult
literacy Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
rate was 90.08%, compared to the national rate of 84%. The gross school attendance rate in 2000 was 74.41%, lower than the national average of 81.5%. Additionally, 10,169 residents had less than one year of formal education or no education at all. In 2010, 241 students were enrolled in special education programs, and 2,321 children attended preschools, with 130 preschool students receiving full-time instruction.


Public safety and crime

As in most medium and large Brazilian municipalities, crime remains a significant issue in Montes Claros. In 2008, the
homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...
rate was 28.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, ranking 34th in the state and 534th nationally. The
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
rate for the same year was 8.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, placing it 81st in the state and 570th nationally. The rate of deaths due to traffic accidents was 33.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, ranking 45th in the state and 389th nationally. According to the
Military Police of Minas Gerais State The Polícia Militar de Minas Gerais (PMMG) (Minas Gerais Military Police) is a military law-enforcement organization in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is both the oldest and the second largest state police force in all of Brazil, with ...
(PMMG), the city's battalion also serves 23 other municipalities in northern Minas Gerais, increasing demands for additional police personnel in Montes Claros. PMMG data from 2009 indicates that 74% of the prison population consisted of young individuals, with many arrests linked to
drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, ...
. The city is also home to the 55th Infantry Battalion (Dionísio Cerqueira Battalion, or 55th BI), a
Brazilian Army The Brazilian Army (; EB) is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordina ...
unit established on 19 April 1851, subordinate to the 4th Military Region.


Services and communications

Water supply and sewage collection in Montes Claros, as in the broader region, are managed by Copasa (Minas Gerais Sanitation Company). Electricity distribution, as is the case in most of Minas Gerais, is provided by
Cemig Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais S.A. (CEMIG; ) is a Brazilian power company headquartered in Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais. The company is one of the main electricity concessionaires in Brazil. It operates in the areas ...
(Minas Gerais Energy Company). In 2003, there were electricity consumers, with a total consumption of kWh. Internet services, including dial-up and
broadband In telecommunications, broadband or high speed is the wide-bandwidth (signal processing), bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast Inter ...
(
ADSL Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) is a type of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over Copper wire, copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem ...
), are offered by various free and paid
ISPs ISPS may refer to: * Isoprene synthase The enzyme isoprene synthase (EC 4.2.3.27) catalysis, catalyzes the chemical reaction : prenyl pyrophosphate \rightleftharpoons isoprene + diphosphate This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifical ...
. Mobile phone services are provided by multiple operators. The area code ( DDD) for Montes Claros is 038. The
Postal Code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or numerical digit, digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, inclu ...
(CEP) ranges from 39400-001 to 39409-999. On 10 November 2008, Montes Claros and other cities with the 038 area code gained access to number portability, allowing users to switch operators without changing their phone numbers. The city has both print and digital newspapers in circulation. In 2004, there were four print newspapers. In 2001, according to the Minas Gerais Radio and TV Association (AMIRT) and Telemig, there were eight radio stations, a number that has since increased. Notable radio stations include 98 FM, the first in northern Minas Gerais, established in May 1981; Rádio Unimontes 101.1 FM; and Rádio Transamérica Pop 95.1 FM.


Transportation

Due to the scarcity of rivers, Montes Claros has little tradition of water-based transportation. The city was once served by the Central do Brasil Railway, operational from 1858 to 1969, with passenger services at the Montes Claros station continuing until 1996, connecting to Monte Azul. Today, the station is used solely for freight trains. The city has easy access to major highways, including
BR-135 BR-135 is a federal highway of Brazil. The 2518 kilometre road connects São Luís to Belo Horizonte. The road passes through the MATOPIBA region (in the south of Maranhão and Piauí and in the west of Bahia), which is an important producer of ...
, connecting mid-northern Brazil (
Maranhão Maranhão () is a States of Brazil, state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of and it is divided into 217 municipalities. Clockwise from north, it ...
) to Belo Horizonte; BR-365, linking Montes Claros to
Pirapora Pirapora is a municipality in northcentral Minas Gerais in Brazil. The population is 56,640 (2020 est.) in an area of 550 km². The name Pirapora comes from the Tupi words for "fish" + "jump", referring to the piracema season when a mass migratio ...
and
Uberlândia Uberlândia () is a city and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. It is the second largest city in the state of Minas Gerais after the state capital Belo Horizonte. Its population in 2020 was 699,097, making it the si ...
; BR-251, extending from
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
to
Mato Grosso Mato Grosso ( – ) is one of the states of Brazil, the List of Brazilian states by area, third largest by area, located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible ...
; and BR-122, running from
Fortaleza Fortaleza ( ; ; ) is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeastern Brazil. It is Brazil's 4th largest city—Fortaleza surpassed Salvador, Bahia, Salvador in 2022 census with a population of slightly over 2.4 mi ...
,
Ceará Ceará (, ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It is the List of Brazilian states by population, eighth-largest Brazilian State by ...
, to Montes Claros at the BR-251 junction. The Mário Ribeiro Airport, inaugurated on 18 December 1939, features a 45-meter-wide, 2,100-meter-long asphalt runway and an annual capacity of 70,000 passengers. Additionally, there are two smaller privately managed airports, each with a 1,150-meter runway. In 2009, the municipal vehicle fleet totaled vehicles, including cars, trucks, 398 tractor trucks, pickups, 204 minibuses, motorcycles, mopeds, 917 buses, and nine wheeled tractors. Paved, divided avenues and numerous
traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...
s facilitate urban
traffic Traffic is the movement of vehicles and pedestrians along land routes. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic laws and informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly an ...
, but the rapid increase in vehicles over the past decade has led to slower traffic, particularly in the city center. Finding parking spaces in the commercial district has also become challenging, impacting local businesses. The Municipal Company for Planning, Management, and Education in Traffic and Transportation (McTrans) regulates public transportation, manages traffic, and issues fines through its traffic officers for violations. Electronic speed radars on major avenues assist in enforcement. Public transportation is operated by Transmoc and Alprino. The Association of Urban Public Transport Companies of Montes Claros (ATCMC), founded on 23 February 1988, unites companies involved in municipal public transport. The Hildeberto Alves de Freitas Bus Terminal, a key regional
bus terminal A bus station, bus depot, or bus interchange is a structure where city buses or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. A bus station is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can st ...
, was inaugurated on 3 October 1980.


Culture

The Municipal Secretariat of Culture oversees cultural activities in Montes Claros, aiming to develop and implement cultural policies through programs, projects, and activities. Affiliated with the Mayor's Office, it operates as part of the municipality's indirect administration, with administrative and financial autonomy ensured by budgetary allocations, its own assets, revenue application, and contracts with other institutions.


Arts and crafts

According to the municipality, Montes Claros currently lacks dedicated performance venues, except for theater spaces such as the one at Colégio Imaculada Conceição. The Montes Claros Cultural Center, opened in February 2010, houses a library focused on regional themes, a bookstore managed by the UFMG Press, and an office of the Foundation for Research Development (Fundep). Institutions such as the Lorenzo Fernandez State Music Conservatory and the Faculty of Artistic Education at the State University of Montes Claros (UNIMONTES) support the performing arts, offering courses, staging performances, and advocating for a dedicated performance venue. A major event is the Montes Claros Film Festival, held annually in May since 2010, showcasing films by Brazilian directors, including those from northern Minas Gerais, through exhibitions such as "Digital Norte Mineira," "Children's Films," and "Competitive Shorts and Features." Notable figures in the local arts scene include
Beto Guedes Alberto de Castro Guedes (born August 13, 1951) is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Biography Beto Guedes has been playing in bands since he was a teenager. When he was 18 years old he took part in the V Singers International Fest ...
, a guitarist, singer, and composer;
Cyro dos Anjos Cyro Versiani dos Anjos (October 5, 1906 – August 4, 1994) was a Brazilian journalist, and writer. He was born in Montes Claros, in the state of Minas Gerais. In 1923, he went to Belo Horizonte, where he studied law at Federal University of ...
, a chronicler, novelist, essayist, and memoirist;
Tião Carreiro Tiao may refer to: People * Diao or Tiao, a Chinese surname * Xie Tiao (464-499), Chinese poet * Tião (basketball) (1925-unknown), full name Sebastião Amorim Gimenez, Brazilian basketball player * Tião Macalé (1926-1993), Brazilian comedian * ...
, a sertanejo singer; and
Darcy Ribeiro Darcy Ribeiro (October 26, 1922 – February 17, 1997) was a Brazilian anthropologist, historian, sociologist, author and politician. His ideas have influenced several scholars of Brazilian and Latin American studies. As Minister of Educati ...
, an anthropologist, politician, and writer.
Handicraft A handicraft is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid material ...
s are a vibrant form of cultural expression in Montes Claros. Throughout the city, unique artisanal products are crafted using regional
raw material A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials/Intermediate goods that are feedstock for future finished ...
s, reflecting local culture and lifestyles. Various groups unite artisans, providing spaces for creating, displaying, and selling handmade goods, typically at fairs, exhibitions, or shops. Prominent in this field is the artist
Yara Tupynambá Yara Tupynambá Gordilho Santos (born April 2, 1932, in Montes Claros, Brazil) is a Brazilian visual artist. Tupynambá began her career studying under the Brazilian artists Alberto Guignard and Oswaldo Goeldi. Later in life, her studies brough ...
.


Tourism and events

Montes Claros boasts numerous tourist attractions, including the Milton Prates Municipal Park, a large green space housing the Municipal Zoo; Sapucaia Park, located in the Ibituruna Mountain Range, a forested reserve ideal for extreme sports; the Guimarães Rosa Park, established by Municipal Law No. 793 on 7 August 1989, one of the largest green areas in the urban perimeter; Lapa Encantada, featuring waterfalls and 1 km of underground rivers; Engenho Cave, open for visitation; the Lapa Grande Complex, home to a 3-km cave among the largest in Minas Gerais, containing fossilized animal remains; and landmarks such as the Our Lady of Aparecida Cathedral, standing at 65.08 meters, the Matrix Church, and the Morrinhos Church. The city also has 164 cataloged archaeological sites, with the Lapa Grande Speleological Complex standing out for its archaeological significance, featuring rare volcanic
speleothems A speleothem (; ) is a geological formation made by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety of forms, depend ...
. To boost local socioeconomic development, the Montes Claros municipality, often in partnership with local businesses, invests in festivals and events. These attractions draw visitors from other cities, which requires improved infrastructure and professionalization of the sector. This benefits both tourists and residents. Events occur year-round, including the
Pequi ''Caryocar brasiliense'', known as () or souari nut, is an edible fruit popular in some areas of Brazil, especially in Central-West Region, Brazil, Centerwestern Brazil. Taxonomy The pequi tree grows up to 10 m (30 ft) tall. It is ...
Festival in January; Carnamontes in February or March; the International
Folk Dance A folk dance is a dance that reflects the life of the people of a certain country or region. Not all ethnic dances are folk dances. For example, Ritual, ritual dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances ...
Festival in May; June Festivals in June or July; the Agricultural Exposition at João Alencar Athayde Park in July; the August Festivals (Catopês); the National Industry, Commerce, and Services Fair (FENICS) in August; and the Psiu Poético National Poetry Salon in October.


Sports

As in much of Brazil,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
is the most popular sport in Montes Claros. The city is home to several clubs, including Montes Claros Futebol Clube, founded on 28 August 1990; Funorte Esporte Clube, established on 4 May 2007; Associação Atlética Cassimiro de Abreu, founded on 28 May 1948; and Associação Desportiva Ateneu, created on 1 May 1947. Football stadiums include João Rebello Stadium, with a capacity of 4,550; José Maria de Melo Stadium, holding 3,346; Dr. Rubens Durães Peres Stadium, with 1,000 seats; Ivani Martins Pereira Stadium, also with 1,000 seats; and various smaller fields throughout the city. Montes Claros also excels in other sports, such as volleyball. The FUNADEM Montes Claros, Foundation for Educational Development of Montes Claros (FUNADEM), established in 2009, gained national recognition by winning the International Volleyball Circuit, a friendly event held in the city in 2009 with teams from other countries. The city has five sports arenas, the largest being the Presidente Tancredo Neves Sports Complex, with a capacity of 12,000; six public spaces designated for walking tracks; and 15 social clubs.


Holidays

Montes Claros observes three municipal holidays, eight national holidays, and three optional holidays. The municipal holidays are Feast of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, celebrated on the Thursday following the Sunday of the Trinity, Holy Trinity; the anniversary of the city's emancipation on 3 July; and Black Awareness Day on 20 November.Holiday established by Municipal Law 3.897, of 27 December 2007. According to Federal Law No. 9,093, enacted on September 12, 1995, municipalities may designate up to four municipal holidays, including Good Friday.


Notable people

* Kamilla Cardoso, basketball player * Barbara Fialho, model * Ronildo Pereira de Freitas (born 1977), football player * André Muniz, MMA fighter * Nikão, football player * Odair, football player * Hugo Ragelli, football player * Anne Shibuya, curler *
Yara Tupynambá Yara Tupynambá Gordilho Santos (born April 2, 1932, in Montes Claros, Brazil) is a Brazilian visual artist. Tupynambá began her career studying under the Brazilian artists Alberto Guignard and Oswaldo Goeldi. Later in life, her studies brough ...
(born 1932), artist


See also

* List of municipalities in Minas Gerais


References


Bibliography

* AZEVEDO, Mariângela Praes. ''Pelos Caminhos do Vieira''. Available at . Accessed on 1 April 2008. * OLIVEIRA & RODRIGUES. ''Formação Social e Econômica do Norte de Minas''. Montes Claros: Editora UNIMONTES. 2000. * PAULA, Hermes. ''Montes Claros, sua história e sua gente''. 1957. * PEREIRA e OLIVEIRA. ''A invenção do 03 de julho''. UNIMONTES CIENTÍFICA. http://www.ruc.unimontes.br/index.php/unicientifica/article/view/57 * VIANNA, Urbino. ''Monografia Histórica, Geográfica e Descriptiva de Montes Claros''. 1916.


External links


City Hall of Montes Claros websiteGovernment of the State of Minas Gerais websiteCitybrazil
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montes Claros Municipalities in Minas Gerais