Belo Horizonte - City of Brazil

Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Belo Horizonte has a population of almost 3 million, reaching over 5.5 million in the official Metropolitan Area.

Belo Horizonte is the distribution and processing center of a rich agricultural and mining region and the nucleus of a burgeoning industrial complex. Its chief manufactures are steel, steel products, automobiles, and textiles. Gold, manganese, and gem stones of the surrounding region are processed in the city.

Belo Horizonte offers interesting leisure areas, theatres boasting an intense artistic-cultural production, good and varied cuisine, exquisite handcrafts available on the markets and specialised shops, and maintains a traditional characteristic: the typical regional hospitality. Economic development has been proceeding through the professionalisation of many different tourism segments, above all the areas of events and business.

Belo Horizonte's climate can be classified as Tropical of altitude, with yearly average temperature between 9°C and 35°C . The Köppen climate classification of the region is Cwa . As a city located in the southern Hemisphere, Belo Horizonte's spring starts in September, its summer in December, its autumn in March, and its winter in June. Belo Horizonte is located about 300 km distant from the sea.

The coldest month is generally July, with a lowest recorded temperature and the hottest month is usually January, with a highest recorded temperature .

There can be problems related with low air humidity during August. The 852 m elevation of Belo Horizonte helps a little in cooling the city, suppressing high maximum air temperatures experienced in nearby cities at lower altitudes.

Portuguese is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But English and Spanish are part of the official high school curriculum.

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais is a public university located in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The students are admitted through yearly exams called vestibular.

The current rector of UFMG is Prof. Ronaldo Tadeu Pena. Famous past students include former Brazilian president Juscelino Kubitschek writer, medical doctor and diplomat João Guimarães Rosa, plastic surgeon Ivo Pitanguy, poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade and pop singers Samuel Rosa and Fernanda Takai.

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

Another innovative artistic group is Uakti. They create their own musical instruments using materials like PVC, wood, metals and glass. The origin of their name is based in a myth by the Tukano Indians, and reflects the indigenous feeling present in their works. Many important rock groups were founded in Belo Horizonte, being among them Jota Quest, Pato Fu, Skank, 14 Bis, Sepultura and Tianastácia.

The regional food and the "Cachaça", international drink from the State of Minas Gerais are the most top rated of this city.

Belo Horizonte has plenty of significant cultural landmarks, many of them situated in the Pampulha district, where there are very wonderful examples of Brazilian contemporary architecture. These include one of the largest soccer stadiums in the world, the Mineirão stadium, and the São Francisco de Assis Church, widely known as Igreja da Pampulha, designed by famous Brazilian Modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. In Pampulha there is also the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais campus, whose buildings themselves are important contributions to the city's architecture. Other remarkable Pampulha buildings include the Mesbla and Niemeyer buildings, in addition to the headquarters of corporations such as Usiminas, Seculus, and Telemig Celular.

Near downtown, in Lourdes neighborhood, locates the Lourdes Basilica, a beautiful building in the Gothic style and the Nossa Senhora de Fátima Church, in Santo Agostinho neighborhood, situated in Carlos Chagas Square, both referred to as the Assembléia Church and the Assembléia Square due to their proximity to the state's legislative assembly.

Praça do Papa (Plaza of the Pope) is another important landmark is, located at a high point just south of the downtown area, with its spectacular view of the entire city.