Pará de Minas is a Brazilian municipality located in 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 ...

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 ...

, in the Southeast Region of Brazil. It is part of the metropolitan belt of

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 ...

and is situated west of the

state capital Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital city, capital cities. National capitals *List of national capitals *List of national capitals by latitude *List of national capitals by population *List of national capitals by area *List of ...

, approximately away in the Central region of Minas Gerais. The municipality covers an

area Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...

of , with within the

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 ...

. Its

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

was estimated at inhabitants in 2024. The municipality's average annual temperature is 21.8 °C (71.2 °F), and its original vegetation is predominantly Atlantic Forest. With 95% of the population residing in the urban area, the city had 50 healthcare facilities in 2009. Its

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) is 0.725, classified as high compared to the national average. The exploration of the area that is now Pará de Minas began in the second half of the 17th century, following the establishment of a rest stop for ''

bandeirantes ''Bandeirantes'' (; ; singular: ''bandeirante'') were settlers in colonial Brazil who participated in expeditions to expand the colony's borders and subjugate Indigenous peoples in Brazil, indigenous peoples during the early modern period. T ...

'' traveling to and from the mines of

Pitangui Pitangui is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the states of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Minas Gerais References

Municipalities ...

, some of whom settled in the area. The construction of the Our Lady of Mercy Chapel in the 18th century marks the establishment of the settlement, which developed over decades through

subsistence agriculture Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow crops on smallholdings to meet the needs of themselves and their families. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements. Planting decisions occu ...

. It was elevated to district status in 1846 and achieved municipal emancipation in 1859. Throughout the 20th century, the

textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of textiles: yarn, cloth and clothing. Industry process Cotton manufacturing Cotton is the world's most important natural fibre. In the year 2007, th ...

steel industry Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high elastic modulus, yield strength, fracture strength and low raw material cost, steel is one of the ...

, and

agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...

gained prominence, establishing Pará de Minas as a key regional hub for

pig farming Pig farming, pork farming, pig production or hog farming is the raising and breeding of domestic pigs as livestock, and is a branch of animal husbandry. Pigs are farmed principally for food (e.g. pork: bacon, ham, gammon (meat), gammon) and l ...

and

poultry farming Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion c ...

. Events such as the city's

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

(ParáFolia), the Pará de Minas

Cavalcade A cavalcade is a procession or parade on horseback, or a mass distance ride by a company of riders. Sometimes the focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display and the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. ...

, and the Fest Frango (State Chicken and Pork Fair) are among the main attractions of Pará de Minas, alongside cultural programs at the House of Culture, Cine Café, and the Geraldina Campos de Almeida Municipal Theater. Within the urban area, Bariri Park offers spaces for walking, relaxation, and children's recreation. On the Santa Cruz Ridge, the Christ the Redeemer monument of Pará de Minas, inspired by the Christ the Redeemer in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, has become one of the municipality's most iconic landmarks.

History

Origins

Before the arrival of the first European explorers, most of the territory of present-day Minas Gerais was inhabited by

indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

speaking languages of the Macro-Jê linguistic family. The area of present-day Pará de Minas was likely visited around 1555 by

expeditions Expedition may refer to: * An exploration, journey, or voyage undertaken by a group of people especially for discovery and scientific research Places * Expedition Island, a park in Green River, Wyoming, US * Expedition Range, a mountain range ...

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 ...

, but significant exploration only began in the late 17th century by

Paulista Paulista is a municipality in Pernambuco, Brazil, with a population of 334,376 as of 2020. It has the highest Human Development Index (HDI) of the Recife metropolitan area. It is the birthplace of footballer Rivaldo and is also famous for its be ...

''bandeirantes'' searching for gold and indigenous people to enslave. Notable expeditions included those led by

Fernão Dias Pais Fernão is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 1,727 (2020 est.) in an area of 101 km2. The elevation is 558 m. Media In telecommunications, the city was served by Telecomunicações de São Paulo. In July 1 ...

and

Borba Gato Manuel de Borba Gato (São Paulo, 1649 – Sabará, 1734) was a bandeirante in the Captaincy of São Vicente. He began his career with his father-in-law Fernão Dias Pais. When he died in 1718 he held the office of ''Juiz ordinário'' of the ...

, who opened paths along the

Pará River The Pará River (), also called Parauaú River, Jacaré Grande River, Marajó River Channel, Macacos River Channel, Santa Maria River Channel and Bocas Bay, is a watercourse and immense estuarine complex that functions as a canal between the ...

. The discovery of gold in

Municipalities ...

led to the opening of a road connecting the mines to São Paulo. Along the Paciência Stream, a rest stop was established for travelers, but the fertile lands prompted some to settle, forming a small community. In 1710, Borba Gato received a large portion of the land from Antônio de Albuquerque Coelho de Carvalho, governor of the then Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas de Ouro, where ''sesmarias'' were established. Manuel Batista, nicknamed Pato Fofo, built a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy, inaugurated on 2 July 1772. Due to his nickname, the place became known as Arraial do Patafofo. Initially, the local economy revolved around supplying provisions to expeditions heading to the Pitangui mines, and the settlement's growth was tied to the consumer market for agricultural products from the neighboring city. Until the early 19th century, the village consisted mainly of farms producing goods, with much of the economy based on

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 ...

derivatives, and small-scale textile industries began to emerge. By 1826, the population was approximately residents, when livestock farming was introduced. In 1860, an inventory recorded 165 registered properties, with 36.94% engaged in cattle farming and 36.39% in horse breeding. In January 1885, the first major healthcare facility, the Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Pará Hospital, was inaugurated, and in 1893, the first nighttime lighting system, initially using lamps, was implemented.

Administrative development

Under provincial law no. 312, dated 8 April 1846, the district named Arraial do Patafufo was created, subordinate to the municipality of

Municipalities ...

, following the establishment of the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

. Provincial law no. 386, dated 9 October 1848, established the town, which was abolished twice. The first abolition occurred under provincial law no. 472, dated 31 May 1850, and it was reestablished by provincial law no. 882, dated 8 June 1858, officially established on 20 September 1859 as Vila do Pará and the Parish of Our Lady of Mercy of Pará, as per the aforementioned law. Under provincial law no. 1889, dated 15 July 1872, the town was abolished again and annexed to Pitangui as a district, only to be reestablished by provincial law no. 2,081, dated 23 December 1874, and reestablished on 25 March 1875. The name Pará, meaning a large and fast-flowing river, was changed to Pará de Minas by state law no. 806, dated 22 September 1921, to distinguish it from the state of

Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...

. Under provincial law no. 2,416, dated 5 November 1877, the town was elevated to city status, and by provincial law no. 3,141, dated 18 October 1883, the districts of Santo Antônio do Rio São João Acima and São Joaquim de Bicas were created. In the following decades, the districts of Mateus Leme, São Gonçalo do Pará, and São José da Varginha (state law no. 2, dated 14 September 1891) and Florestal (state law no. 556, dated 30 August 1911) were established. Santo Antônio do Rio São João Acima was renamed Igaratinga by state law no. 843, dated 7 September 1923, and São Joaquim de Bicas was renamed Igarapé by state law no. 1,002, dated 30 July 1931. By state decree-law no. 148, dated 17 December 1938, Mateus Leme and Igarapé were separated to form the new municipality of

Mateus Leme Mateus Leme is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte and to the microregion of Belo Horizonte. As of 2020, the estimated population was 31,364. See als ...

, and by state law no. 1,039, dated 12 December 1953, the district of Carioca was created from lands detached from Igaratinga. State law no. 2,764, dated 30 December 1962, created the districts of Ascensão and Córrego de Barro, while

Florestal Florestal is a city in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The city belongs to the mesoregion Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte and to the microregion of Belo Horizonte. Geography Climate See also * List of municipalities in Minas Gerais This is a list of ...

Igaratinga Igaratinga is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Minas Gerais This is a list of the municipalities in the States of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais (MG) ...

, and

São José da Varginha São José da Varginha is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Minas Gerais This is a list of the municipalities in the States of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais, Minas ...

were elevated to municipality status. State law no. 8,285, dated 8 October 1982, established the district of Torneiros. Law no. 4,416, dated 16 September 2004, created the district of Tavares de Minas. Currently, the districts are Ascensão, Carioca, Córrego do Barro, Tavares de Minas, and Torneiros, in addition to the seat district.

20th century and recent history

The church around which the settlement emerged was demolished in 1953. A second Mother Church was inaugurated on 1 January 1901 but was demolished on 21 April 1971 to make way for the expansion of Padre José Pereira Coelho Square, popularly known as Matriz Square. On 9 April 1972, a new church, the Our Lady of Mercy Mother Church, was inaugurated. In 1908, the National Paraense Company, the first major

in the municipality, was established and operated using

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 ...

. Early in the 20th century, the Paracatu Railway arrived, and the city's railway station was inaugurated in 1912. Between the 1910s and 1920s, the Torquato de Almeida School—the only school in the area until 1945—the House of Culture, and a new building for the Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Pará Hospital were established, alongside other urban infrastructure developments, including the first electricity distribution network in 1917 and garbage collection services in 1924. The

sector gained momentum in 1927 with the opening of the first factory for

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...

ice Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...

, and

pasteurization In food processing, pasteurization (American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), also pasteurisation) is a process of food preservation in which packaged foods (e.g., milk and fruit juices) are treated wi ...

, strengthened by the Inconfidência Plant of Pará de Minas in 1937, later managed by the Minas Gerais Agricultural Company (CAMIG). In 1949, the first Regional Agroindustrial Exhibition of Pará de Minas was held, and in 1951, the Pará de Minas Spinning and Weaving Company was founded, with the population reaching inhabitants by 1955. In 1959, the Alterosa Steelworks, Paraense Steel Plant (Usipa), and Pará de Minas Telephone Company were established, pioneering the extractive and steel sectors in the city. In 1980, Pará de Minas accounted for approximately 85% of the value of mineral extraction, 61% of industrial production, and 52% of service provision in the west-central region of Minas Gerais. The railway line serving the city was deactivated in 1988, overshadowed by the availability of highways. Agriculture's share in the municipal economy declined, becoming closely tied to agribusiness, which, along with the textile industry, accounted for about 70% of municipal revenue by the early 21st century. The introduction of

established Pará de Minas as the largest producer in its microregion, alongside improvements in infrastructure and the environment, such as the completion of a sewage treatment plant in 2007.

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 ...

(IBGE), the municipality's area is , with in the

and the remaining 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 ...

. It is located at 19°51'37" 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 44°36'30" 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 ...

and is west of the

, forming part of the metropolitan belt of

along with 16 other cities. Its neighboring municipalities are

to the north; Onça de Pitangui to the northeast;

Conceição do Pará Conceição do Pará is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Minas Gerais This is a list of the municipalities in the States of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais, Minas Ge ...

to the east;

to the southwest;

and

Itaúna Itaúna is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais. It is located in the Iron Quadrangle (''Quadrilátero Ferrífero''), within the Metropolitan Belt, 80 km from Belo Horizonte in the Central-West region of Minas. It borders Itatiai ...

to the south;

to the east; and Esmeraldas to the northeast. According to the regional division in effect since 2017, established by the IBGE, the municipality belongs to the

Intermediate Geographic Region of Divinópolis The Intermediate Geographic Region of Divinópolis (code 3113) is one of the 13 intermediate Intermediate and Immediate Geographic Regions, geographic regions in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and one of the 134 of Brazil, created by the Nat ...

and the Immediate Geographic Region of Pará de Minas. Previously, under the division into microregions and mesoregions, it was part of the Pará de Minas microregion, which was included in the Metropolitan mesoregion of Belo Horizonte.

Topography, geomorphology, and hydrography

The terrain of Pará de Minas is predominantly undulating. Approximately 60% of the municipal territory is covered by rolling hills, about 20% consists of mountainous terrain, and the remaining 20% is flat. The highest elevation is at Serra da Piteira, reaching , while the lowest is at the mouth of the Paciência Stream, at , with the city center at . The soil is rich in

agalmatolite Pagodite or agalmatolite is a variety of pyrophyllite used by Chinese artisans for carvings in pagodas and similar objects. Usually soft and sometimes soapy, it can be a greyish green or greyish yellow colour.< ...

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...

, and

flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

, with a predominance of

gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...

rocks. Along the rivers, the terrain is more sharply rejuvenated, featuring high gneiss escarpments and rocky outcrops. The drainage network displays a distinct rectangular pattern, with deeply incised watercourses, visible in aerial photographs. Alluvial deposits are significantly repositioned and elevated relative to the watercourses. The mountainous terrain is primarily composed of

quartzites Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectoni ...

and hydrothermalites, which are resistant to

weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals (as well as wood and artificial materials) through contact with water, atmospheric gases, sunlight, and biological organisms. It occurs '' in situ'' (on-site, with little or no move ...

, corresponding to the Andaime and Piteira ridges. On the flattened ridge tops, consolidated

laterite Laterite is a soil type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by intensive and prolo ...

crusts of

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58 Cidade vista a uma altitude de 1200 metros da Serra das Torres

Cidade vista a uma altitude de 1200 metros da Serra das Torres

The territory is drained by several small watercourses, primarily the Olhos d'Água and Paciência streams and the Água Limpa creek, which are part of the São Francisco River basin and the

sub-basin. As previously mentioned, the city was established along the Paciência Stream, following the creation of a rest stop for ''

'' heading to

Municipalities ...

, and today it serves as a water supply source for the city. Some sections of the stream suffer from litter, debris, siltation, and water pollution from domestic sewage, although much of its urban course is channelized. However, the city is located in a region with limited water resources, leading to water rationing during prolonged dry periods.

Climate

The climate of Pará de Minas is classified by the IBGE as

monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

(type Cwa according to the

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

system), with an average annual temperature of , featuring dry and 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 temperatures. The warmest month, February, has an average temperature of , with an average maximum of and a minimum of . The coldest month, June, averages , with maximum and minimum averages of and , respectively.

Autumn Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemisphe ...

and

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

are transitional seasons. The average annual precipitation is , with August being the driest month, receiving only . December, the wettest month, averages . In recent years, hot and dry days during winter have become increasingly common, often exceeding , particularly between July and September. For example, in August 2013, rainfall in the Pará de Minas region was . During the dry season and prolonged

Indian summers ''Indian Summers'' is a British drama television series that began airing on Channel 4 on 15 February 2015. The show details the events of summers spent at Simla (the summer capital of British India), in the foothills of the Himalayas, by a gro ...

in the rainy season,

wildfires 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 ...

in hills and thickets are common, especially in rural areas, contributing to

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

and the release of pollutants into the

atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...

, further degrading

air quality Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

. According to the Mineral Resources Research Company (CPRM), between 1941 and 1963, the highest daily rainfall recorded in Pará de Minas was , observed on 29 February 1960. According to the

National Institute for Space Research The National Institute for Space Research (, INPE) is a research unit of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazil), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, the main goals of which are fostering scientific r ...

(INPE), the municipality ranks 516th in lightning occurrences in Minas Gerais, with an annual average of 3.1342

lightning Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...

strikes per square kilometer.

Hail Hail is a form of solid Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailsto ...

storms are infrequent, but significant events occurred on 29 October 2011 and 23 January 2014.

Ecology and environment

The native

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plants and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular Taxon, taxa, life forms, structure, Spatial ecology, spatial extent, or any other specific Botany, botanic ...

belongs to the Atlantic Forest domain in transition with 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 ...

. In 2011, remaining Atlantic Forest reserves covered , or 9.5% of the total municipal area, and in 2009, the Cerrado covered (12.52% of the municipal area), reforestation with

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

plantations occupied (0.48%), fields covered (0.57%), watercourses covered (0.3%), and urbanized areas spanned (4.0%). Regarding land use, approximately of Pará de Minas are used for crops, and another are used for pastures, primarily for livestock.

Wildfires 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 ...

are a recurring issue throughout the municipality, which occur mainly during dry months when vegetation is more susceptible to fire, affecting air quality already compromised by industrial pollution in the region, and soil quality. During the rainy season, flooding causes significant damage in lower, densely populated areas, and landslides affect residences. These issues are often due to constructions on hillsides and high-risk areas, as well as litter and sewage dumped into streams and rivers, with the city being one of the largest contributors to pollution in the

basin, according to the Minas Gerais Institute for Water Management (IGAM). Amid reforested and deforested areas, some biodiversity remains in undisturbed patches, such as the ecological preservation area (EPA) between Pará de Minas and

. The Santa Cruz Ridge, located near the urban area, hosts the Christ the Redeemer monument, established in 1963, marking the environmental heritage site. The city occasionally undertakes

tree planting Tree planting is the process of transplanting tree seedlings, generally for forestry, land reclamation, or landscaping purposes. It differs from the transplantation of larger trees in arboriculture and from the lower-cost but slower and les ...

projects in main squares, streets, and avenues to mitigate environmental pollution impacts.

Demography

In 2010, the population of the municipality was recorded by the

(IBGE) as inhabitants. According to the 2010 census, inhabitants were male, and were female. The same census reported inhabitants living in the

and in the

. According to the 2022 census, the municipal population was inhabitants. Of the total population in 2010, inhabitants (22.41%) were under 15 years old, inhabitants (70.34%) were aged 15 to 64, and people (7.23%) were over 65, with a

life expectancy Human life expectancy is a statistical measure of the estimate of the average remaining years of life at a given age. The most commonly used measure is ''life expectancy at birth'' (LEB, or in demographic notation ''e''0, where '' ...

at birth of 75.9 years and a total

fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that are born to a woman over her lifetime, if they were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through their lifetime, and they were t ...

of 1.6 children per woman. The IBGE classifies Pará de Minas as an A zone center, meaning the city exerts significant influence over nearby municipalities, including

, Maravilhas, Onça de Pitangui,

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 ...

, and

Poverty, development, and inequality

From 2000 to 2010, the proportion of people with a per capita household income of up to half the minimum wage decreased by 70.6%. In 2010, 96% of the population lived above the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, 3.3% were at the poverty line, and 0.7% were below it. The

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 ...

, which measures

social inequality Social inequality occurs when resources within a society are distributed unevenly, often as a result of inequitable allocation practices that create distinct unequal patterns based on socially defined categories of people. Differences in acce ...

, was 0.435, where 1.00 is the worst and 0.00 is the best. The wealthiest 20% of the population accounted for 49.5% of the city's total income, 8.7 times higher than the 5.7% share of the poorest 20%. According to the IBGE, in 2010, the only subnormal agglomeration in Pará de Minas was Vila Nossa Senhora Aparecida, also known as Morro Santa Cruz, located at the city's entrance along

BR-262 BR-262 is an east-west highway connecting the Brazilian states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. The highway runs from Vitória state capital of Espírito Santo to the Bolivian border at Corumbá, Mato Grosso ...

, with 638 residents in 174 permanent private households. The

(HDI-M) of Pará de Minas is considered high by the

United Nations Development Programme 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 ...

(UNDP), with a value of 0.725 (the 1154th highest in Brazil). The city has most indicators at or above the national average, according to the UNDP. The education index is 0.628, the longevity index is 0.848, and the income index is 0.715. The city ranks 45th among the most developed municipalities in Brazil, according to the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) in 2012, considering education, health, income, and safety.

Religion

The majority of Pará de Minas residents identify as Catholic, though the city is home to dozens of different Protestant denominations, as well as practitioners of

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Spiritism Spiritism may refer to: Religion * Espiritismo, a Latin American and Caribbean belief that evolved and less evolved spirits can affect health, luck and other aspects of human life * Kardecist spiritism, a new religious movement established in ...

, and other faiths. There are also notable Jewish, Mormon, and Afro-Brazilian religious communities. According to the 2010 IBGE census, the population of Pará de Minas 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 ...

(83.74%),

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 ...

(10.69%), people with no religion (2.09%), 757 Spiritists (0.9%), 47

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

(0.06%), and the remaining 2.52% are divided among other religions. ; Roman Catholic Church

Catholicism 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 ...

has been present in Pará de Minas since the first settlers arrived, with the construction of the Our Lady of Mercy Chapel in the early 18th century, ordered by Manuel Batista, also known as Pato Fofo, marking the establishment of the settlement that was formalized as a district with the creation of the

on 8 April 1846. According to the current division by 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 ...

, the municipality is part of the Diocese of Divinópolis, created on 11 July 1958, which, as of May 2014, included 53 parishes across 25 cities, six of which were in Pará de Minas: Our Lady of Mercy, Our Lady Help of Christians, Saint Anthony, Saint Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, and Saint Peter. The parishes of Pará de Minas are under the

Deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

of Our Lady of Mercy, which also includes the municipalities of

, and

. The Our Lady of Mercy Chapel was replaced by the Our Lady of Mercy Mother Church in 1901, which was demolished 20 years later and replaced by a new temple in 1972. Since then, the current Our Lady of Mercy Mother Church has been one of the city's main architectural landmarks. ; Protestant Churches The city is home to a variety of Protestant or Reformed denominations, including the

Christian Congregation in Brazil The Christian Congregation in Brazil () was founded in Brazil by the Italian-American missionary Luigi Francescon (1866–1964), as part of the larger Christian Congregation (Pentecostal), Christian Congregation movement. History Louis Frances ...

, Maranatha Christian Church,

Foursquare Church The Foursquare Church is an international Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1923 by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. It lies within the evangelical tradition. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California, United States. H ...

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 ...

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

Anglican Episcopal Church The Anglican Episcopal Church (AEC) was a Continuing Anglican Movement, Continuing Anglican church consisting of parishes in Arizona, Alaska, and Florida served by a presiding bishop and several other clergy. The AEC was founded at St. George's Ang ...

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 ...

Assemblies 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 ...

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 ...

, Blessing Cathedral,

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 ...

, International Grace of God Church, God Is Love Pentecostal Church,

Brazil for Christ Pentecostal Church The Brazil for Christ Pentecostal Church ( Portuguese: ''Igreja Pentecostal O Brasil para Cristo'') is a Pentecostal denomination founded in Brazil in the 1950s. Early history This denomination was founded by Manoel de Mello (1929–1990), a co ...

, among others. Among Protestant groups, 5.61% of the population follows Pentecostal evangelical churches, 1.76% mission-based evangelical churches, and 3.33% non-specific evangelical churches. There are also Christians from other Reformed denominations, such as

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

(representing 1.20% of residents) and members of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

, also known as the Mormon Church (0.02% of the population).

Ethnicity and migration

The first settlers in what was then Arraial do Patafofo, during the 18th century, were mostly ''

'' from the state of

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

. However, the customs and social organization at the time reflected African and Portuguese influences from the colonial period. For instance, women were typically dedicated to household tasks and, later, small commercial activities, while men handled agricultural work. The city saw a significant influx of immigrants during the 20th century, drawn by its development, including Chinese, Japanese, American, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Argentine communities. In 2010, the population of Pará de Minas was composed of whites (54.82%), blacks (5.88%), 855 Asians (1.02%), mixed-race (38.24%), 37 indigenous (0.04%), and one undeclared. Regarding

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of birth, were born in the

Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...

(97.81%), 147 in the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

(0.17%), 776 in the

Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...

(0.92%), 333 in the Central-West (0.40%), and 134 in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

(0.16%). inhabitants were born in Minas Gerais (96.45%), of which were born in Pará de Minas (67.90%). Among the residents born in other states,

had the highest representation with 805 people (0.96%), followed by

with 424 residents (0.50%), and

with 178 residents (0.21%).

Politics and administration

Municipal administration is carried out by the

Executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

and

Legislative 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 ...

branches. The Executive is led by the mayor, supported by a cabinet of secretaries. The current mayor is Inácio Franco of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

(PL), elected in the 2024 municipal elections with 60.05% of valid votes and sworn in on 1 January 2025, alongside Luiz Lima as

vice-mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor and assistant mayor) is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many local governments. Duties and functions Many elected deputy mayors are members of the loca ...

. The Legislative branch consists of 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 ...

, composed of 17 councilors. The current President of the Chamber of Councilors is Délio Alves. The chamber is responsible for drafting and voting on fundamental laws for administration and the Executive, particularly the participatory budget (Budget Guidelines Law). Among notable figures from Pará de Minas in state and national politics is Benedito Valadares, who served as a

federal deputy A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-national ...

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

, and

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of Minas Gerais. In addition to the Legislative process and the work of the secretariats, several municipal councils are active, including those for children's and adolescents' rights (created in 1992), guardianship (2009), elderly rights (2004), persons with disabilities (2011), and women's policies (2010). Pará de Minas is governed by its

organic law An organic law is a law, or system of laws, that form the foundation of a government, corporation or any other organization's body of rules. A constitution is a particular form of organic law. By country France Under Article 46 of the Constitutio ...

, enacted on 21 March 1990, and hosts a ''

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

'' of the state judiciary, of second grade, covering the municipalities of

, Onça de Pitangui,

, São Gonçalo do Pará, and

. As of October 2024, the municipality had voters, according to the

Superior Electoral Court The Superior Electoral Court (, TSE) is the highest body of the Brazilian Election Justice, Brazilian Electoral Justice, which also comprises one Regional Electoral Court (Brazil), Regional Electoral Court (, TRE) in each of the 26 states and th ...

(TSE), representing 0.391% of the Minas Gerais electorate.

Economy

In the

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) of Pará de Minas, agriculture, linked to agribusiness, and 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 ...

stand out. According to 2021 IBGE data, the municipal GDP was , ranking as the 31st largest GDP in the state. In 2021, were from taxes on products net of subsidies at current prices, and the per capita GDP was . In 2010, 71.91% of the population over 18 was economically active, with an unemployment rate of 4.49%. Wages and other remunerations totaled , with an average monthly wage of 2.0

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 ...

. There were local units and active companies. According to the IBGE, 55.49% of households survived on less than one minimum wage per month per resident ( households), 35.90% had one to three minimum wages per person ( households), 4.48% earned three to five wages ( households), 2.83% had incomes above five minimum wages (720 households), and 1.31% had no income (334 households).

Primary sector

In 2021, the gross value added from agriculture and livestock to the city's GDP was R$128,982,280. In 2010, 8.08% of the municipality's economically active population was employed in this sector. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 2012, the municipality had a livestock inventory consisting of 44,496

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 ...

, 605

buffalo Buffalo most commonly refers to: * True buffalo or Bubalina, a subtribe of wild cattle, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo * Bison, a genus of wild cattle, including the American buffalo * Buffalo, New York, a city in the n ...

, 14

donkey 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 ...

s, 134

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, 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 ...

s, 1,386

horse 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 mi ...

s, 117

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...

s, 242

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 ...

, 123,958

pig 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 ...

s, and 12,740,806

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 220,136 hens and 12,520,670

rooster 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 ...

s, broilers, and chicks. In the same year, the city produced 19,189,000 litres of milk from 10,149

cow 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 ...

s and 2,750,000 dozen eggs from hens. Pará de Minas is recognized as a regional hub for agriculture,

, and

. Occasionally, the Francisco Olivé Diniz Exhibition Park hosts local and statewide events to promote agricultural production, with the largest being the Fest Frango (State Chicken and Pig Fair). Livestock farming has been a cornerstone of the local economy since the 19th century and gained prominence in the 20th century with the establishment of the first agro-industries and cooperatives. Poultry farming was introduced in the 1970s, followed by pig farming in the 1990s, both of which saw significant growth at the start of the 2000s. In temporary crop production, the main products are

(6,400 tonnes produced across 80 hectares),

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

es (3,290 tonnes across 47 hectares), and

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 ...

(2,175 tonnes across 145 hectares), in addition to

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of ...

bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

s, and

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

. In permanent crop production, notable outputs include

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

s (360 tonnes across 24 hectares),

oranges The orange, also called sweet orange to distinguish it from the bitter orange (''Citrus × aurantium''), is the fruit of a tree in the family Rutaceae. Botanically, this is the hybrid ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', between the pomelo (''Citrus m ...

(187 tonnes across 45 hectares), and

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...

(160 tonnes across 80 hectares), alongside smaller-scale production of

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

and

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis'', commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to the region of southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its ...

. Coffee cultivation was introduced in the 1970s by Frenchman George Collin, who achieved successive harvests, though much of his land was later converted into a rubber plantation. In the 1910s, there was an attempt to establish Pará de Minas as a major latex producer, but the endeavor was largely unsuccessful. Sugarcane, maize, and rice have been cultivated since the 19th century, primarily for subsistence farming. However,

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

was the first crop grown on a large scale to meet the demands of the textile industry. The decline of textile factories, replaced by agro-industries, and the rise of polyester production from

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

led to the end of the cotton cycle in the city.

Secondary sector

In 2021, R$1,134,222,022 of the municipal GDP came from the gross value added by industry (secondary sector). Much of the city's industrial output is tied to agribusiness and agro-industries, a sector present since the early 20th century, initially linked to livestock farming and later bolstered by the introduction of pig and poultry farming. The textile industry was the first to gain prominence in Pará de Minas, emerging in the 1900s and serving as the municipality's primary source of income until agro-industries became dominant. In the 1950s, industries producing

pig iron Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate good used by the iron industry in the production of steel. It is developed by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with si ...

, foundry products, and ceramics were introduced, reaching their peak in the 1980s. Notably, Alterosa Steel Mill, one of Brazil's largest pig iron producers, operates two industrial units in the municipality. The Western Minas Farmers' Cooperative (COGRAN), established in 1980, had 240 members by March 2014, producing an average of about 3 million poultry birds per month in Pará de Minas alone, and 12 million when including neighboring municipalities. A significant portion of Pará de Minas' secondary sector output originates from its two

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 ...

s. The first spans 247,379.00 m² and is divided into 70 plots, hosting approximately 45 operational companies. The second, covering 62,657.00 m² and subdivided into 12 plots, is located along the

highway and includes a complex belonging to Itambé Laticínios. In 2012, according to IBGE, 8,517 m³ of timber was extracted for firewood. In 2010, statistics showed that 0.47% of Pará de Minas' workforce was employed in the extractive industry, while 20.43% worked in manufacturing.

Tertiary sector

In 2010, 8.55% of the employed population worked in construction, 0.79% in public utilities, 16.32% in commerce, and 38.79% in services. In 2011, R$883,756 of the municipal GDP was attributed to the gross value added by the tertiary sector. A significant portion of this value comes from commerce, with sectors including clothing stores, shoe shops, supermarkets, bakeries, butcher shops, pharmacies, florists, furniture stores, electronics shops, and banks. The São Francisco Commercial Center is one of the region's main hubs for popular commerce and the largest outside the city center, located in the São Francisco neighborhood and inaugurated on 17 September 2005. The city center is a major commercial hub in the region. In addition to large stores such as Hering Store, and

Lojas Americanas Lojas Americanas is a Brazilian retail chain founded in 1929 in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, by the Austrian-Brazilian Max Landesmann and Americans John Lee, Glen Matson, James Marshall and Batson Borger. Currently, the company has 1, ...

, it hosts small and medium-sized businesses based in the municipality or region. As in the rest of the country, 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 ...

. The Pará de Minas Business Association (ASCIPAM) represents the industrial and commercial sectors of the city. According to IBGE, in 2012, six financial institution branches operated in Pará de Minas. Pará de Minas has one shopping mall, Fabrika Mall, which houses major stores such as

Bob's Bob's () is a Brazilian fast food chain, founded in 1952 by the American Brazilian tennis champion Bob Falkenburg, Wimbledon tournament winner in 1948. The first store was opened in the Copacabana neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. It is the fi ...

and

O Boticário O Boticário () is a Brazilian cosmetics company. It has 4,070 stores in Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, Guyana, Bolivia, Peru, United States, Paraguay, Japan, France, Angola, Colombia and United Arab Emirates. History O Boticário was created in 1977 ...

Infrastructure

Healthcare

In 2009, Pará de Minas had 50 healthcare facilities, with 25 private and 25 municipal public institutions, including hospitals,

emergency department 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 (medicine), ...

health center A healthcare center, health center, or community health center is one of a network of clinics staffed by a group of general practitioners and nurses providing healthcare services to people in a certain area. Typical services covered are family pr ...

s, and

dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the Human tooth, teeth, gums, and Human mouth, mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, dis ...

services. These facilities provided 121 hospitalization beds. In 2012, 98.9% of children under one year of age had up-to-date vaccination records. In 2011, 1,109 live births were recorded, with an

infant mortality Infant mortality is the death of an infant before the infant's first birthday. The occurrence of infant mortality in a population can be described by the infant mortality rate (IMR), which is the number of deaths of infants under one year of age ...

rate of nine deaths per 1,000 live births for children under five. In 2010, 5.43% of women aged 10 to 17 had children, with 0.23% of them aged 10 to 14, and the activity rate in this age group was 4.95%. In 2012, 90.2% of children under two were weighed by the Family Health Program, with 0.4% found to be malnourished. The Municipal Health Department, directly linked to the city government, oversees the maintenance and operation of the Unified Health System (SUS) and develops policies, programs, and projects to promote municipal health. Key services include the Family Health Program (PSF), Primary Healthcare Units (UBS), Urgent Care Units (UPAs), and the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU). Additional services include the zoonosis control center, responsible for managing animal-transmitted diseases, and the health surveillance division, which includes epidemiological and sanitary surveillance sections. The Our Lady of Conception Hospital, the city's oldest and main hospital, was founded in 1885, rebuilt in a new building in 1915, and reinaugurated in 1929.

Education

In education, the average Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) score for public schools in Pará de Minas in 2011 was 5.3 (on a scale from 1 to 10). Fifth-grade students scored 6.4, while ninth-grade students scored 4.3, compared to a national public school average of 4.0. In 2010, 0.93% of children aged 7 to 14 were not enrolled in primary education. The completion rate for youths aged 15 to 17 was 38.9%, and the

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 for youths and adolescents aged 18 to 24 was 99.2%. The age-grade distortion rate in primary education—students older than the recommended age—was 6.7% for early years and 27.6% for later years, while in secondary education, it reached 32.2%. Among residents aged 18 or older, 50.46% had completed

primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...

, 31.78% had completed

secondary education Secondary education is the education level following primary education and preceding tertiary education. Level 2 or ''lower secondary education'' (less commonly ''junior secondary education'') is considered the second and final phase of basic e ...

, and the population had an average of 9.38 expected years of schooling. In 2010, according to census sample data, 25,348 residents attended

daycare Child care, also known as day care, is the care and supervision of one or more children, typically ranging from three months to 18 years old. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(ren), childcare typica ...

s and/or schools. Of these, 926 were in daycare, 2,487 in preschool, 1,868 in literacy classes, 427 in adult literacy programs, 11,382 in primary education, 3,848 in secondary education, 942 in adult primary education, 993 in adult secondary education, 137 in higher education specialization, 2,321 in undergraduate programs, six in

master’s degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practi ...

programs, and 12 in

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

programs. A total of 58,867 people did not attend educational institutions, with 5,017 never having attended and 53,850 having attended at some point. In 2012, the city recorded 18,218 enrollments in educational institutions, with 39 primary schools (17 state, 17 municipal, and five private) and 13 secondary schools (10 state and three private). The Municipal Education Department aims to coordinate and provide administrative and pedagogical support to the Pará de Minas school system. Programs include the Education for Youth and Adults (EJA), a free education network for adults who have not completed primary education, and the Association of Parents and Friends of the Exceptional (APAE), where students with physical disabilities are taught by specialized teachers. For

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

, the city hosts campuses of the Faculdade de Pará de Minas (FAPAM) and the Universidade Vale do Rio Verde (UninCor).

Public safety and crime

Public safety in Pará de Minas is managed by several organizations. The Municipal Civil Defense Coordination Office (COMDEC) handles preventive, assistance, recovery, and rescue actions in public risk situations. The

Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...

, a state force, is responsible for ostensive policing, bank, environmental, prison, school, and event security, as well as community engagement initiatives. Pará de Minas is home to the 19th Independent Military Police Company. The Civil Police focuses on investigating and addressing crimes and infractions. State and municipal authorities have undertaken various efforts to improve city safety, such as expanding and modernizing the fleet of police vehicles. However, challenges persist, with crimes such as

theft Theft (, cognate to ) is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shor ...

armed robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...

, and

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, ...

remaining prevalent in various parts of the city, alongside a rising

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. In 2011, the homicide rate was 10.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, ranking 109th in the state and 1,152nd nationally. The traffic accident mortality rate was 18.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, placing 96th in the state and 889th nationally. Between 2006 and 2008, 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 was 7.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, ranking 211th in the state and 2,040th nationally.

Housing and services

In 2010, Pará de Minas had 25,480 households, including 24,214 houses, 48 houses in villages or condominiums, 1,187 apartments, and 31 tenement or slum dwellings. Of the total households, 19,137 were owned, with 17,193 fully paid and 1,944 under acquisition; 4,746 were

rented Renting, also known as hiring or letting, is an agreement where a payment is made Rentier capitalism, for the use of a good, service or property owned by another over a fixed period of time. To maintain such an agreement, a rental agreement ...

; 1,542 were loaned, with 563 provided by employers and 979 through other means; and 55 were occupied in other ways. Electricity is supplied 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 ...

, which serves much of Minas Gerais. In 2003, there were 27,365 consumers, with 184,629,129

kWh A kilowatt-hour (unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a non-SI unit of energy equal to 3.6 megajoules (MJ) in SI units, which is the energy delivered by one kilowatt of power for one hour. Kilowatt-hours are a common b ...

of energy consumed. In 2010, according to IBGE, 25,459 households (99.91% of the total) had access to the electrical network. Water supply and sewage collection are managed by Águas de Pará de Minas, a subsidiary of Águas do Brasil. In 2008, there were 24,968 consumer units, with an average of 15,160 m³ of treated water distributed daily. The contract with the Minas Gerais Sanitation Company (Copasa), the former service provider, expired in October 2009. Due to prolonged droughts, the city faced water rationing between 2013 and 2014. The concessionaire had warned of water scarcity issues since the 1990s, and a preliminary project to draw water from 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 ...

at Córrego do Barro was proposed, but the contract renewal was rejected by the municipal administration in December 2012. In 2014, a state of public emergency was declared due to worsening water shortages, prompting Mayor Antônio Júlio de Faria to hire Seremco, a company from

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Southern Brazil. The city's population was 1,773,718 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the larg ...

, to identify the best water extraction point. On 13 May 2014, the Municipal Sanitation Plan was approved. The water shortage led to the cancellation of traditional events, such as the 2014 Chicken and Pig Festival, resulting in an estimated loss of R$2 million in revenue and 100,000 tourists. Consequently, the municipal government opened a bidding process for water service providers to submit investment projects. Three companies participated in the bidding, and in February 2015, the city announced that Águas do Brasil, part of the Queiroz Galvão group, won the contract for 35 years. According to IBGE, in 2010, 23,687 households (92.96% of the total) were connected to the

water supply network A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following: # A drainage basin (see water purification – sour ...

. Most of the water distributed to the population comes from the Paciência stream, which is treated at the city's

water treatment plant Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it appropriate for a specific end-use. The end use may be drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation or many other uses, inc ...

and distributed directly to lower and nearby areas. For peripheral and higher areas, several boosters and elevated reservoirs have been installed. Additional water extraction points exist at the Paivas stream and between the Paiol and Militão streams, near the MG-431 highway. Depollution and canalization works on the Paciência stream, started in 2001, were completed in 2009. According to IBGE, 25,403 households (99.69% of the total) had exclusive-use bathrooms. Copasa's sewage collection service covers over 93% of the population, with collected waste treated at a station opened in 2007 and discharged into the Paciência stream. In the municipality's districts and villages such as Trindade, Matinha, Caetano Preto, Córrego das Pedras, and Meireles, smaller treatment plants are managed by the city government. Domestic waste is collected daily and sent to the municipal

landfill A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...

, officially opened on 2 April 2012, receiving an average of 80 tonnes daily in August 2013.

Waste sorting Waste sorting is the process by which waste is separated into different elements. Waste sorting can occur manually at the household and collected through curbside collection schemes, or automatically separated in materials recovery facilities ...

is handled by the Association of Recyclable Material Collectors (ASCAMP), with materials transported to their facility by ASCAMP or city-owned trucks.

Communications

Pará de Minas offers

dial-up Internet Dial-up Internet access is a form of Internet access that uses the facilities of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to establish a connection to an Internet service provider (ISP) by dialing a telephone number on a conventional telepho ...

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 ...

) services through paid providers, with

fiber-optic Internet Fiber-optic communication is a form of optical communication for data communication, transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of infrared or visible light through an optical fiber. The light is a form of carrier wav ...

available in much of the city at speeds up to 10 gigabytes per second. Local

fixed-line telephone 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 ...

services are provided by

Algar Telecom Algar Telecom is a Brazilian telecommunications company present in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and in the Federal District as well. The company is ...

. The area code ( DDD) for Pará de Minas is 037, and 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 ...

ranges from 35660-001 to 35664-999. On 1 September 2008, the city gained

number portability Telephone number portability can refer to: *Mobile number portability - telephone number portability for mobile phone users. *Local number portability - telephone number portability for landline users. *Toll-free number portability Toll-free numbe ...

, allowing users to switch operators without changing their phone numbers, along with other municipalities sharing the same DDD. The city receives several

free-to-air television Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the FTA receiver, appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring ...

channels in

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter ...

, including Globo Minas (affiliated with

Rede Globo TV Globo (stylized as tvglobo; , ), formerly known as Rede Globo de Televisão (; shortened to Rede Globo) or simply known as Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965 ...

Band Minas TV Bandeirantes Minas (channel 7, also known as Band Minas) is a Brazilian television station based in Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais, carrying Rede Bandeirantes Rede Bandeirantes (, ''Bandeirantes Network''), or simp ...

(

Rede Bandeirantes Rede Bandeirantes (, ''Bandeirantes Network''), or simply known as Band (), is a Brazilian free-to-air television network. It began broadcasting on May 13, 1967 on VHF channel 13 in São Paulo. Its founder was businessman :pt:João Saad, Jo ...

), TV Alterosa ( SBT), and RecordTV Minas (

Rede Record Record (stylized in uppercase; ), formerly known as Rede Record and RecordTV, is a Brazilian free-to-air television network. It is currently the second largest commercial TV station in Brazil, and the 28th largest in the 2012 world ranking. In ...

). It is also home to TV Cidade and TV Integração (TVI), which retransmits Rede Minas signals. Major local newspapers include Gazeta Paraminense and Jornal Diário. Notable radio stations include Stilo FM, Rádio Santa Cruz, Espacial FM, and Total FM.

Transportation

The arrival of the Paracatu Railway, built in the early 20th century and later incorporated into the Oeste de Minas Railway, marked the first connection between Pará de Minas and other regions of Minas Gerais. The city's

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

was inaugurated on 22 March 1912 and operated until the early 1980s. In 1987, the railway branch passing through the city was closed due to urban expansion, and the station building was converted into a cinema in 1998. The decline of rail transport in Brazil resulted from the rise of highways and airports, with rail infrastructure deprioritized in favor of road construction between the 1950s and 1960s. By road, the municipality is served by federal highways BR-352, which starts in Pará de Minas and ends in

Goiânia Goiânia ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian federative units of Brazil, state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West Region and the 10th-larges ...

, and

, which begins in Vitória,

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attracti ...

, passes through cities such as

Uberaba Uberaba () is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Highlands at an elevation of 823 metres (2,700 ft) above sea level on the Uberaba River, and is situated 418 kilometres (260 mi) from the state c ...

, and

Campo Grande Campo Grande (, ) is a city in the Central-West Region, Brazil, central and western Regions of Brazil, region of Brazil, Capital city, capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Historically a Fortification, stronghold of Separatism, separatists ...

, and ends at the

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

border in

Corumbá Corumbá () is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 425 km northwest of Campo Grande, the state's capital. It has a population of approximately 112,000 inhabitants, and its economy is based mainly on agriculture, ani ...

Mato Grosso do Sul Mato Grosso do Sul ( ) is one of Federative units of Brazil, Brazil's 27 federal units, located in the southern part of the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West Region, bordering five Brazilian states: Mato Grosso (to the north), Goiás and ...

, serving as the main link to the state capital. State highways include MG-431, connecting Pará de Minas to

and Papagaios, and MG-060, running from Belo Horizonte to

São Gonçalo do Abaeté São Gonçalo do Abaeté is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2020 was 8,459 inhabitants in a total area of 2,687 km2. It is a large producer of cattle and grains. São Gonçalo do Abaet ...

at its junction with BR-365.Google Maps
Accessed on 10 May 2014. The city's

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 ...

, Antônio Epaminondas Marinho, was inaugurated in September 2007, featuring a commercial center with 12 stores, 12 ticket counters, and 12 boarding platforms, offering daily departures to various destinations within and beyond the state. The city also has a small airport, Arnaud Marinho Municipal Airport, with a 1,140-meter asphalt runway. In 2012, the municipal vehicle fleet totaled 49,553, including 22,128 cars, 2,175 trucks, 335 tractor-trucks, 3,833 pickups, 948 vans, 164 minibuses, 14,910 motorcycles, 3,591 scooters, 221 buses, 11 wheeled tractors, 129 utility vehicles, and 1,108 other vehicle types. Turi manages public transportation in Pará de Minas, operating 31 bus lines within the municipality as of February 2014. The growing number of vehicles in recent years has led to increasingly slow traffic, particularly in the city center, and finding parking spaces on main commercial streets has become challenging, impacting local commerce.

Culture

The Municipal Department of Culture and Education oversees cultural activities in Pará de Minas, aiming to plan and implement cultural policies through programs, projects, and activities that promote cultural development. Subordinate to the department are operational bodies, including the Professor Melo Cançado Public Library, the Raimundo Nogueira de Faria Municipal Arts and Crafts School (Sica), the Geraldo Martins Municipal Music School, the Mário Luiz Silva Public Archive, and the Pará de Minas Historical, Documentary, Photographic, and Sound Museum (MUSPAM). The Municipal Department of Sports, Leisure, and Tourism was separated from the culture department on 1 April 2013, taking responsibility for those sectors. Notable artists from Pará de Minas who have achieved national or international recognition include composer, singer, and actor Benjamin de Oliveira, known as Brazil's first Black clown; visual artist, illustrator, and

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

artist Mário Silésio, who created numerous panels in public buildings in Belo Horizonte; and actress Cida Mendes, known for playing Concessa in the program ''A Turma do Didi''.

Performing arts and crafts

In 2002, the federal government allocated funds to build a theater in the city, which previously lacked one. The Geraldina Campos de Almeida Municipal Theater was inaugurated on 3 December 2012, featuring advanced lighting technology, accessibility for people with disabilities, and a capacity of 213 seats, located behind the House of Culture. The House of Culture, established in the 1910s, is set to receive investments for renovations and improved theater access by September 2015.

Handicrafts 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 ...

are a vibrant form of cultural expression in Pará de Minas, with the main activities, according to IBGE, including

embroidery Embroidery is the art of decorating Textile, fabric or other materials using a Sewing needle, needle to stitch Yarn, thread or yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of Textile arts, textile art, with origins dating back thousands of years across ...

, and works made from

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

and

vegetable fibers Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including flowers, fruits, ...

. The Municipal Arts and Crafts School (SICA) hosts exhibitions and offers courses and workshops in visual, performing, and expressive arts for residents aged four and up. The Geraldo Martins Municipal Music School, also known as Geraldinho do Cavaquinho School, provides musical training, with some performances open to the public. Both schools are maintained in partnership with the Municipal Department of Culture and Education. The Professor Melo Cançado Public Library holds the city’s largest literary collection, receiving 550 new books and audiovisual materials in March 2014. The Pedro Nestor Literary Center, built in the early 20th century, hosted artistic and literary events such as concerts, lectures, conferences, and dances but was deactivated in the 1980s. Plans for its reopening, potentially for use by the municipal Academy of Letters, are under consideration. The Academy, with 21 seats, was founded on 1 December 1997. The Pará de Minas Historical, Documentary, Photographic, and Sound Museum (MUSPAM), founded on 10 February 1984 and reinaugurated on 10 November 1988 and 28 March 2014, is housed in one of the city’s oldest buildings, originally built for Manuel Baptista, known as "Patafufo," a city founder. It is the main place where the city's memories are kept, with a collection largely composed of donated photos, documents, and materials from the city government and local Catholic parishes.

Leisure, tourism, and events

The former railway station, deactivated in the 1980s, has housed the Cine-Pub since 1998, previously known as Cine Café until 2006. The venue features an art gallery and a small bar with live performances. In February 2013, it was closed due to inadequate fire prevention measures and the end of the lease with Cinematográfica União, which had managed it since 2006. It was transferred to local entrepreneurs and reopened in March 2014. Located in Torquato de Almeida Square, a cultural hub according to the city government, the square can host events of various sizes. The city center is home to numerous bars and restaurants that enliven Pará de Minas’

nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, ...

. The city government encourages investment in festivals and events, often in partnership with local businesses, to boost socioeconomic development. These events attract visitors from other cities, necessitating improved infrastructure, professionalizing the sector, and increasing economic activity, benefiting both tourists and residents. In addition to the projects and initiatives focused on the performing arts sector mentioned earlier, several notable events in Pará de Minas deserve recognition. These include the city's

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

, known as Pará Folia, featuring dances to the rhythm of carnival marches, parades with the municipality's carnival blocks, musical performances with electric trios, and Pará Folia Kids (for children); the Pará de Minas Cavalcade, which involves a parade of riders and amazons from various municipalities in Minas Gerais through the city's main streets, heading toward the Francisco Olivé Diniz Exhibition Park, followed by country music performances; the Band Gathering, where musical bands from within or outside the municipality perform in open-air concerts, processions, and civic parades; the June festivals, held at clubs, Catholic communities, and schools, featuring '' quadrilha'' performances, musical shows, and stalls with traditional foods; the Fest Frango (State Chicken and Swine Fair), a statewide event aimed at promoting poultry and swine production, with consecutive days of exhibitions, lectures for farmers, and musical performances; and the

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...

celebrations at the turn of the year. The Verde - Bandeirantes Trail Tourist Circuit, which includes Pará de Minas along with other municipalities in the region, was established on 23 March 1999 to promote cultural activities and tourism in these areas, officially recognized by the Minas Gerais government on 20 June 2005. Among the city's tourist attractions are: the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, inaugurated on 1 February 1959, decorated with the artistry of master craftsman João Viegas and located next to a natural water spring; Maria Capanema House, built in the 19th century along the Pitangui road, with its original architecture preserved; the Christ the Redeemer statue, accessible via a staircase of 608 steps and fourteen landings, constructed between 1958 and 1963, designed by Joaquim Xavier Villaça, inspired by a replica of the Christ the Redeemer statue in

; the Serra de Santa Cruz, where the Christ statue is located, serving as the municipality's main ecological reserve; and Bariri Park, a green area in the city center, ideal for relaxation, walks, and leisure activities. The Our Lady of Grace Church, built between 1947 and 1958, stands out for its

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

architectural styles, making it the oldest religious temple in Pará de Minas.

Sports

The city is home to teams in various sports, which occasionally achieve prominence by winning regional, state, or even national titles, including

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

, and

futsal Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...

. Extreme sports, such as

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the ea ...

, and

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

, are also popular, particularly among the younger population. Bariri Park features a walking track, a skateboarding area, and multi-sport courts used for basketball, volleyball,

beach volleyball Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two to four players each on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side o ...

, futsal,

peteca Peteca () is a traditional sport in Brazil, played with a "hand shuttlecock" from indigenous origins and reputed to be as old as the country itself. The same name is given to the shuttlecock-object itself. Objectives The objective of the game ...

dodgeball Dodgeball is a team sports, team sport in which players on two opposing teams try to throw balls and hit opponents while avoiding being hit themselves. The objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them w ...

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

, and

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

. The Ovídio de Abreu Stadium is the main

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 ...

stadium in Pará de Minas, with a capacity of approximately people. The most successful football team in the city is Paraense Esporte Clube, founded on 15 May 1936, which has competed in several editions of the

Campeonato Mineiro The Campeonato Mineiro is the top-flight professional state football league in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It is run by the Minas Gerais Football Federation (FMF). The history of Campeonato Mineiro can be divided into two parts: bef ...

, in both its main division and youth categories. Football has been a part of Pará de Minas since the early 20th century, when people played with makeshift balls made of socks in the streets. Later, workers responsible for the construction of the Paracatu Railway introduced leather balls for recreation. The Mello Sobrinho Foot-Ball Club, founded in 1923 and dissolved shortly after, was the city's first team, succeeded by the Americano Futebol Clube, which existed from 1924 to 1931 and paved the way for the establishment of other teams, particularly between the 1940s and 1960s. In 1976, the Pará de Minas Sports League was created to organize football championships and events in the city and region, with the Paraminense Amateur Football Championship held annually since 1977. In 2011, plans were proposed for the construction of a training center for

FC Porto Futebol Clube do Porto, Order of Prince Henry, MHIH, Order of Merit (Portugal), OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional association footbal ...

in the city, supported by the state government for civil works, with renovations planned for the Ovídio de Abreu Stadium and completion expected by 2018, generating approximately 800 direct and indirect jobs. After several delays,

earthworks Earthworks may refer to: Construction *Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour *Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil *Earthworks (military), mi ...

began in September 2012 on a 980,000 m² site, but in April 2013, the city government announced the termination of the contract due to a lack of communication from the responsible company, with the land repurposed for another project.

Holidays

In Pará de Minas, there are four municipal

holidays A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...

, established by Law No. 1,327 of 8 February 1967, in addition to eight national holidays and optional holidays. The municipal holidays are:

Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...

, which in 2025 is celebrated on April 18; Corpus Christi, which is observed in the same year on June 19; the day of

Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows (), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are Titles of Mary, names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referr ...

, celebrated on 15 September; and the

Immaculate Conception Day The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 December, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September. It is one of the most important Marian feasts in the l ...

, on 8 December. According to Federal Law No. 9,093 of 12 September 1995, municipalities may have up to four religious municipal holidays, including Good Friday. The city's anniversary, celebrated on 20 September, refers to the date of the first establishment of the then Vila do Pará in 1859, as the municipality was abolished in 1872 and re-emancipated in 1874, with a second (definitive) establishment on 25 March 1876. There is no municipal holiday to commemorate the city's anniversary, though there has been discussion about designating 20 September as one, which would require the elimination of another existing holiday.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Para de Minas Municipalities in Minas Gerais Gold mining in Brazil