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Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

Belo Horizonte
Municipality
  • Município de Belo Horizonte
  • Municipality of Belo Horizonte
Top left:Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Top right:Rui Barbosa Square (Praça Rui Barbosa), 2nd:Panorama view of Belo Horizonte, from Mangabeiras area, 3rd:Magalhaes Pinto Stadium, Bottom left:Administrative City President Tancredo Neves, Bottom right:Praça da Liberdade (Belo Horizonte Liberty Square)
Top left:Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Top right:Rui Barbosa Square (Praça Rui Barbosa), 2nd:Panorama view of Belo Horizonte, from Mangabeiras area, 3rd:Magalhaes Pinto Stadium, Bottom left:Administrative City President Tancredo Neves, Bottom right:Praça da Liberdade (Belo Horizonte Liberty Square)
Flag of Belo Horizonte
Flag
Coat of arms of Belo Horizonte
Coat of arms
Nickname(s):
  • BH (pronounced "beagá")
  • The Garden City
  • Belô
Location in Minas Gerais
Location in Minas Gerais
Belo Horizonte is located in Brazil
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 19°55′S 43°56′W / 19.917°S 43.933°W / -19.917; -43.933Coordinates: 19°55′S 43°56′W / 19.917°S 43.933°W / -19.917; -43.933
Country  Brazil
Region Southeast
State Bandeira de Minas Gerais.svg Minas Gerais
Founded 1701
Incorporated (as city) December 12, 1897
Government
 • Mayor Alexandre Kalil (PHS)
Area
 • Municipality 330.9 km2 (127.8 sq mi)
 • Urban 282.3 km2 (109.0 sq mi)
 • Metro 9,459.1 km2 (3,652.2 sq mi)
Elevation 760 m (2,490 ft)
Population (2014)
 • Municipality 2,502,557
 • Rank 6th
 • Metro 5,156,217 (3rd)
Demonym(s) Belo-horizontino
Time zone BRT (UTC−3)
 • Summer (DST) BRST (UTC−2)
Postal Code 30000-000
Area code(s) (+55) 31
Website Belo Horizonte, MG

Belo Horizonte (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˌbɛloɾiˈzõtʃi];Beautiful Horizon) is the sixth largest city in Brazil, the thirteenth largest city in South America and the eighteenth largest city in the Americas. The metropolis is anchor to the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area, ranked as the third most populous metropolitan area in Brazil and the seventeenth most populous in the Americas. Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil's second most populous state. It is the first planned modern city in Brazil.

The region was first settled in the early 18th century, but the city as it is known today was planned and constructed in the 1890s, in order to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas Gerais. The city features a mixture of contemporary and classical buildings, and is home to several modern Brazilian architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Complex. In planning the city, Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban planning of Washington, D.C. The city has employed notable programs in urban revitalization and food security, for which it has been awarded international accolades.

The city is built on several hills and is completely surrounded by mountains. There are several large parks in the immediate surroundings of Belo Horizonte. The Mangabeiras Park (Parque das Mangabeiras), located 6 km (4 mi) south-east from the city centre in the hills of Curral Ridge (Serra do Curral), has a broad view of the city. It has an area of 2.35 km2 (580 acres), of which 0.9 km2 (220 acres) is covered by the native forest. The Jambeiro Woods (Mata do Jambeiro) nature reserve extends over 912 hectares (2,250 acres), with vegetation typical of the Atlantic forest. More than one hundred species of birds inhabit the reserve, as well as ten different species of mammals.


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