Araguari

Infobox City
official_name = Araguari
website = [http://www.araguari.mg.gov.br/ Araguari]
nickname = Cidade Sorriso (ENG: Smile City)
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption =

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mapsize =
map_caption = Location in Minas Gerais
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_type2 = State
subdivision_name = Brazil
subdivision_name1 = Southeast
subdivision_name2 = Minas Gerais
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Marcos Alvin (PSC)
established_title = Founded
established_date = 1888
established_title2 =
established_date2 =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 2730.632
area_total_sq_mi = 1054.3
area_land_km2 =
area_land_sq_mi =
area_water_km2 =
area_water_sq_mi =
area_water_percent =
area_urban_km2 =
area_urban_sq_mi =
area_metro_km2 =
area_metro_sq_mi =
population_as_of = 2007
population_note =
population_footnotes =cite web|url = http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/populacao/estimativa2006/POP_2006_DOU.pdf | title = Estimativas das Populações Residentes, em 01.07.2006, Segundo os Municípios | language = in Portuguese | publisher = IBGE | accessdate = 2006-09-01]
population_total = 106403
population_metro =
population_urban =
population_density_km2 = 40.2
population_density_sq_mi = 104.1
timezone = UTC-3
utc_offset = -3
timezone_DST = UTC-2
utc_offset_DST = -2
latd= 18
latm= 38
lats= 56
latNS= S
longd= 48
longm= 11
longs= 13
longEW= W
elevation_m = 1013
elevation_ft = 3323
footnotes = Araguari is a city and municipality in northwestern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. It is located in the northern Triângulo Mineiro region, on the Jordão River, a tributary of the Paranaíba River, at an elevation between 940 and 1,087 meters.The municipality of Araguari has an area of 2,774 km², with 54 km² in the urban zone and 2,675 km² in the rural zone. The population in 2007 was 106,403, making it the third most important city in the Triângulo Mineiro, after Uberlândia and Uberaba.

Rivers

Rivers that water the municipality are: Rio Araguari, Ribeirão das Araras, Corrego Grande, Ribeirão Jordão, and Ribeirão Piçarrão. The Paranaíba in the north forms the boundary with the state of Goiás. There are many waterfalls and rapids (128 according to one source)giving the area a great potential in tourism.

Climate

The year is divided into two periods, the rainy season from November to April and the dry season from May to October. Because of the elevation (more than 1,000 meters above sea level) temperatures are pleasant with few extremes although humidity can be high in the rainy season.
*Annual average temperature: 20.7 C
*Maximum annual average: 26.3 C
*Minimum annual average: 16 C
*Annual average rainfall: 1484 mm [ [http://www.araguari.mg.gov.br/ Prefeitura de Araguari] ]

Distances from major cities

*Belo Horizonte 569 km.
*Rio de Janeiro 1,000 km.
*São Paulo 623 km.
*Brasília 397 km. [ [http://www.araguari.mg.gov.br/ Prefeitura de Araguari] ]

Main highways serving the municipality

*BR-050 - São Paulo - Brasilia: allows for south/center-west integration, and connecting with the Belém/Brasília reaches the north of the country.
*MG-223 - Allows for the integration of the region of the Triângulo Mineiro with the capital of the state, Belo Horizonte, connecting with BR-365 and with BR 050.
*MG-413 - It connects Araguari with Goiânia and all the center-west of the country.
*MG-748 - It connects Araguari to BR-365, interconnecting with the north of Minas Gerais as far as Montes Claros. [ [http://www.araguari.mg.gov.br/ Prefeitura de Araguari] ]

Araguari is a major railroad junction and connects with the states of Goiás, Tocantins, and Mato Grosso do Sul.

Demographics

*Total population in 2007: 110,923
*Urban population: 103,001
*Population in 1960: 52,191
*Population in 1970: 63,368
*Population in 1980: 83,523
*Population in 1991: 91,428
*Population in 2000: 101,974 [ [http://www.araguari.mg.gov.br/ Prefeitura de Araguari] ]

The Economy

Araguari's main source of income is from the large herds of cattle raised in the hinterlands, where rice, soybeans, corn (maize), citrus fruits, tomatoes, beans, and manioc are also cultivated. In recent years the region has become one of the most important coffee-growing areas in the country and there is an annual coffee fair. Araguari has 9 financial institutions. There is an industrial park with several industries specializing in metallurgy, agro-industrial products (cold meats and juices) and storage facilities for grains

Occupation of the population by sectors
*Agriculture: 7,280
*Industry: 13,032
*Commerce: 4,451
*Transport, communication, and storage: 2,392
*Other services: 14,107 [ [http://www.araguari.mg.gov.br/ Prefeitura de Araguari] ]

Enterprises
*Total number in 2007: 3,882 units
*Wholesale commerce: 241 units
*Retail commerce: 1,762 units
*Industrial: 468 units employing 5,459 workers in 2005
*Construction: 54 units employing 2,663 workers
*Commerce, vehicle repair, personal and domestic objects: 2,048 units employing 3,773 workers
*Restaurants and hotels: 205 units employing 711 workers
*Transportation, storage, and communications: 268 units employing 1,095 workers
*Real estate, rents, and services to companies: 426 units with 1,138 workers
*Public administration, defense, and social security: 20 units with 1,881 workers
*Education: 57 units with 817 workers
*Other collective, social and personal services: 268 units with 1,246 workers [ [http://www.ibge.gov.br/cidadesat/default.php IBGE Cidades] ]

Farm data for 2006Most of the rural properties have between 01 and 50 hectares. If we add to this group those properties between 51 and 100 hectares then we reach 72% of the total.
*Number of farms: 1,164
*Agricultural area: 154,240
*Area of permanent crops: 52,974 ha.
*Area of perennial crops: 24,936
*Area of natural pasture: 48,749
*Workers related to the producer: 2,459
*Workers not related to the producer: 1,765 [ [http://www.ibge.gov.br/cidadesat/default.php IBGE Cidades] ]

Main permanent crops in planted area in 2006
*Banana: 130 ha.
*Rubber (coagulated latex): 97 ha.
*Coffee: 8,500 ha.
*Coconut: 75 ha.
*Oranges: 20 ha.
*Papaya: 20 ha.
*Passion fruit: 450 ha.
*Hearts of palm: 61 ha. [ [http://www.ibge.gov.br/cidadesat/default.php IBGE Cidades] ]

Main perennial crops in planted area in 2006
*Garlic: 238 ha.
*Rice: 100 ha.
*Beans: 310 ha.
*Manioc: 238 ha.
*Corn: 14,000 ha.
*Soybeans: 17,500 ha.
*Tomatoes: 423 ha.
*Wheat: 156 ha. [ [http://www.ibge.gov.br/cidadesat/default.php IBGE Cidades] ]

Livestock raising in 2006
*Number of cattle: 79,643 head raised by 1,232 producers
*Number of poultry: 1,593.370 head
*Number of swine: 39,033 head [ [http://www.ibge.gov.br/cidadesat/default.php IBGE Cidades] ]

Health and Education

*Infant mortality rate: 22.55 (1998) [ [http://tabnet.datasus.gov.br/cgi/mortinf/municmg.htm MunicipMg] ]
*Literacy rate in 2000: 95.6%
*Hospitals: 4 private and 1 philanthropic with 360 beds
*Public Health centers 15 with 54 doctors 34 dentists, and 9 psychologists (2002)
*Private clinics: 22 with 112 doctors and 115 dentists
*Primary schools: 46 with 16,000 students
*Middle and secondary schools: 16 with 5,397 students
*Higher education: 2 schools with 2,560 students in 2005 offering 6 [ [http://www.araguari.mg.gov.br/ Prefeitura de Araguari] ]
*Municipal Human Development Index: 815 [ [http://www.frigoletto.com.br/GeoEcon/idhmg.htm Frigoletto] ]

Culture

There is a theater with capacity to seat 120 persons. The sports center seats 5,000 spectators. In the urban area there is a tropical forest, the Bosque John Kennedy, with a area of 112,000 square meters.

Tourism

On the northern boundary of the municipality is an immense complex of hydroelectric power stations (Emborcação and Miranda), which form several lakes. In addition to the energy supplied these are great tourist attractions, providing opportunities for fishing and the practice of water sports. [http://www.cemig.com.br/institucional/usinas/2g.asp] and [http://www.cemig.com.br/institucional/usinas/7g.asp] And two more are being built (Capim Branco I and II)

History

Settlement began in the first decades of the nineteenth century. Brejo Alegre was the name of the small village (arraial) composed of some buildings, among them a small chapel, simple houses, a few stores, and a lot of cattle ranches. In 1843 the village was raised to the status of district with the name of Sant’Ana do Rio das Velhas.

In 1882 the district was declared a "vila" (town) and in 1888 it was raised to the category of "cidade" or city, with the new name of Araguari. At this time the town consisted of the Igreja Matriz (Main church) of Senhor Bom Jesus da Cana Verde with its colonial style; the cemetery located behind the church; the houses with tiles but no ceilings, called casas de “telhas ao vento”; and in the center flowed a stream dividing the settlement, one part called Goiás, and the other, Minas. The small commerce consisted of a bakery, a shoe store, two pharmacies and some general stores, called “vendas”.

The great change in the town's situation occurred with the arrival of the railroad, the Cia. Mogiana de Estrada de Ferro, in 1896. In 1906 this railroad, called Estrada de Ferro Goiás, was extended to Goiás, further increasing the growth of the city. [ [http://panoramaaraguari.blogspot.com/2007/07/araguari-em-dados-e-fotos.html Araguari em dados e fotos] ]

References

External links (in Portuguese)

* [http://www.listapratica.com/index.asp?strNomCidade=Araguari-MG lista telefonica de Araguari]
* [http://www.araguarionline.com/ Site with useful information]