Belo Horizonte

Infobox Settlement
name = Belo Horizonte
settlement_type = Municipality
official_name = The Municipality of Belo Horizonte
nickname = "BH," "The Garden City"
motto = "There is no place better than BH"


imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Belo Horizonte

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mapsize = 250px

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map_caption = Location in the State of Minas Gerais
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_type2 = State
subdivision_name = flag|Brazil
subdivision_name1 = Southeast
subdivision_name2 =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Fernando da Mata Pimentel (PT)
established_title = Founded
established_date = 1701
established_title2 = Incorporated (as city)
established_date2 = December 12, 1897
area_magnitude = 1 E8
area_total_km2 = 330.9
area_total_sq_mi = 127.7
elevation_m = 852.19
elevation_ft = 2796
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 = 9459.1
area_metro_sq_mi = 3652
population_as_of = 2007
population_note =
population_footnotes =
population_total = 2,412,937 (6th)
population_metro = 5397945
population_urban =
population_density_km2 = 7290.8
population_density_sq_mi = 17521
latd= 19
latm= 55
lats= 8.88
latNS= S
longd= 43
longm= 56
longs= 19.2
longEW= W
timezone = BST
utc_offset = -3
timezone_DST = BDT
utc_offset_DST = -2
blank_name = HDI (2000)
blank_info = 0.839 – high
website = [http://www.belohorizonte.mg.gov.br Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais]
footnotes =

Belo Horizonte (Portuguese for "beautiful horizon"IPA|, (IPA2|bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi [This is the pronunciation of the Portuguese variant spoken in the city of Belo Horizonte. Other possible pronunciations in Brazil are IPA2|bɛlu oɾiˈzõtʃi, IPA2|bɛlu oɾiˈzõti and IPA2|bɛlu oɾiˈzõte] ) is the capital of Minas Gerais state, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Belo Horizonte or "Beagá" as it is more familiarly known from the sound of its initials BH in Portuguese; has a population of almost 3 million and over 5 million in the official Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte.

The first settlements in the region occurred in the early 1700s, 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. It is nowadays well known for the contrast between contemporary and classical buildings, being in fact the location of many modern Brazilian architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Complex. In planning it, Brazilian engineers Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho found their inspiration in the town plan of Washington D.C. [ [http://www.v-brazil.com/tourism/minas-gerais/belo-horizonte.html Belo Horizonte in Brazil Travel] ]

In the area surrounding Belo Horizonte there are parks of great natural richness such as Mangabeiras, located six kilometres from the city in the Serra do Curral. This park provides an astonishing view of the capital with an area of 2.35 million m², of which 900 000 m² are native forest. There is also the Mata do Jambeiro nature reserve extending over 912 hectares, with vegetation typical of the Atlantic Forest. In it live more than one hundred species of birds and ten different species of mammals. The city is also a leading cultural center, with more than three universities, a historical museum, numerous libraries, and sports stadiums. Belo is built on several hills and completely surrounded by mountains. [ [http://www.world66.com/southamerica/brazil/belohorizonte About Belo Horizonte] ] The constant rising and falling of the streets sometimes makes navigation a bit tricky, but the wide avenues lined with trees are always easy guidelines.

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. [ [http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sergiok/brasil/belo.html BH city] ]

The city 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.

The Confins International Airport connects Belo Horizonte with many Brazilian cities and also operates international flights. Belo Horizonte is home to the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

Geography

Climate

climate chart
Belo Horizonte
18|28|296
19|28|188
18|28|163
17|27|61
15|26|27
13|25|14
13|24|15
14|26|13
16|27|40
17|27|123
18|27|227
18|27|319
source= [http://weather.uk.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?wealocations=wc:BRXX0033 MSN Weather]
float=left
clear=noneBelo Horizonte's climate can be classified as Tropical of altitude, with yearly average temperature between 9°C (48.2°F) and 35°C (95°F). The Köppen climate classification of the region is Cwa (Tropical on high altitudes, humid/warm summer and a dry/cool winter). 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 (186 mi) distant from the sea.

Even though inter-seasonal differences are not as pronounced as they are in temperate places, and many people believe that, as in much of Brazil, there are just two seasons (a hot and humid one from October to March, and a colder and drier one from April to September), there is a contrast between spring and summer, and between fall and winter.

The coldest month is generally July, with a lowest recorded temperature of 3.1°C (37.6°F). The hottest month is usually January, with a highest recorded temperature of 35.4°C (95.7°F).

There can be problems related with low air humidity during August. The 852 m (2795 ft) elevation of Belo Horizonte helps a little in cooling the city, suppressing high maximum air temperatures experienced in nearby cities at lower altitudes.

Belo Horizonte's climate is mild throughout the year. Temperatures vary between 16°C (60.8°F) and 31°C (87.8°F), the average being 21°C (69.8°F). Winter is dry, and summer is rainy.

History

The metropolis was once a small village, founded by João Leite da Silva Ortiz, a bandeirante explorer from São Paulo. Having found a location with pleasant weather, a nice landscape and good soil for farming, the explorer settled in the region in 1701, leaving a gold hunting expedition. He then established a farm called "Curral d'el Rey", archaic Portuguese for the "King's Corral, which in modern Portuguese would be spelled Curral do Rei." The farm's wealth and success encouraged people from surrounding places to move into the region, and Curral del Rey became a village surrounded by farms.

Another important growth factor of the village were the migrants from the São Francisco river region, who had to pass through Curral d'el Rey in order to reach southern parts of Brazil. Travelers usually visited a small wooden chapel, where they prayed for a safe trip. Due to that, the chapel was named Capela da Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, which means "Chapel of Our Lady of the Good Journey." After the construction of Belo Horizonte, the old baroque chapel was replaced by a neo-gothic church which became the city's cathedral.

The previous capital of Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto, was a symbol of both the monarchic Brazilian Empire and the period when most of Brazilian income was due to mining, and that never pleased the members of the Inconfidência Mineira, republican intellectuals who conspired against the Portuguese dominion of Brazil. In 1889, Brazil became a republic, and it was agreed that a new state capital, in tune with a modern and prosperous Minas Gerais, had to be set.In 1893, due to good climatic and topographic conditions, Curral Del Rey was elected by Minas Gerais governor Afonso Pena from other cities as the spot for the new economical and cultural center of the state, under the new name of "Cidade de Minas," or Minas City.

Aarão Reis, an urbanist from Pará, was then set to design the first planned city of Brazil, and then Cidade de Minas was inaugurated finally in 1897, with many unfinished constructions as the Brazilian Government set a deadline for its completion. Inhabitation of the city was subsidized by the local government, through the concession of free empty lots and funding for building houses. An interesting feature of Belo Horizonte Reis designed was the downtown street plan, featuring a regular array of perpendicular and diagonal streets, named after Brazilian states and Brazilian indigenous tribes.

In 1906, the name was then changed to Belo Horizonte, and at that time the city was experiencing a considerable industrial expansion that increased its commercial and service sectors. From its very beginning, the city's original plan prohibited workers to live inside the urban area which was defined by Avenida do Contorno (a long avenue which goes around the city's central areas), reserved for the public sector functionaries (hence the name of the still trendy neighborhood "Funcionários"), and causing an accelerated occupation outside the city's area well provided with infrastructure since its very beginning. 's original planners didn't count on its population growth afterwards, which proved especially intense in the last twenty years of the 20th century.

In the 1940s, a young Oscar Niemeyer designed the Pampulha Neighborhood to great acclaim, a commission he got thanks to then-mayor, soon-to-be-president Juscelino Kubitschek. These two men are largely responsible for the wide avenues, large lakes, parks and jutting skylines that characterize the city today.

Belo Horizonte is fast becoming a regional center of commerce, Google have their Latin American headquarters here. It continues to be a trendsetter in the arts, particularly where music, literature, architecture and the avant-garde are concerned. There are plans underway to move a complex of government ministries north of the center, onto the road to Confins International Airport, liberating space around beautiful palm-fringed Praça da Liberdade to house the city's symphony orchestra and other arts organizations.

Demographics

According to the IBGE of 2007, there were 4,982,000 people residing in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte. The population density was convert|7290.8|PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi. The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 2,321,612 Pardo (Brown) people (46.6%), 2,117,350 White people (42.5%), 513,000 Black people (10.3%), 29,000 Asian or Amerindian people (0.6%). [cite book|url=ftp://ftp.ibge.gov.br/Indicadores_Sociais/Sintese_de_Indicadores_Sociais_2007/Tabelas|title=Síntese de Indicadores Sociais 2007|publisher=IBGE|location=Belo Horizonte, Brazil|format=PDF|isbn=85-240-3919-1|accessdate=2007-07-18|year=2007|language=Portuguese]

The Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte is the 3rd most populous of Brazil, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The city is the 6th most populous of the country.

During the 18th century, Minas Gerais received many Portuguese immigrants, mainly from Northern Portugal as well as a huge number of slaves from Africa. [citar web|url=http://members.tripod.com/~Historia_Demografica/iddcosta/pdfs-ira/ap03-parte02.pdf|titulo=Algumas Características do Contingente de Cativos em Minas Gerais|autor=Iraci Del Nero da Costa|acessodata=19 de outubro de 2007] [ [http://www.asminasgerais.com.br/?item=CONTEUDO&codConteudoRaiz=88&codConteudoAtual=165 Portuguese immigration] ]

Belo Horizonte has a notable Italian influence, around 30% of the city's population have some Italian origin. [ [http://www.insieme.com.br/portal/conteudo.php?sid=226&cid=1467&parent=0 Italian origin in BH] ] The Italian culture is present in the cuisine, dance, and language. [ [http://www.cmbh.mg.gov.br/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23501&Itemid=367&filter=&nj=1 Italian Culture in BH] ] People of German, Spanish, and Syrian-Lebanese ancestries make up sizeable groups. [ [http://www.luteranos.com.br/101/quem.html German immigration] ] [ [http://www.familyd.net/_libano/libanesesnobrasil_3b.asp Arab immigration] ]

Religion

"Source: IBGE 2000. [ [http://www.sidra.ibge.gov.br/bda/tabela/listabl.asp?z=cd&o=7&i=P&c=2094 Sistema IBGE de Recuperação Automática - SIDRA ] ] "

Economy

Despite its lack of beaches, Belo Horizonte annually receives large numbers of visitors, as it is in the Brazilian main economic axis, exerting influence even on other states. Both multinational and Brazilian companies, like Google and Oi, maintain their headquarters in the city. The service sector plays a very important role in the economy of Belo Horizonte, being responsible for 85% of the city's GDP, with the industry making up for most of the remaining 15%. Belo Horizonte has a developed industrial sector, being traditionally a pole of the Brazilian siderurgical and metallurgical industries, as the state of Minas Gerais has always been very rich in minerals, specifically iron ore.

The main industrial district of the city was set during the 1940s in Contagem, a part of greater Belo Horizonte. Multinational companies like FIAT (which opened its plant in Betim in 1974), Arcelor, and Toshiba have subsidiaries in the region, along with other textile, cosmetic, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, furnishing and refractory companies. Between the companies headquartered in the city we can list siderurgicals Açominas (held by Gerdau, one of the largest multinationals originated in Brazil); Usiminas; Belgo-Mineira (held by Arcelor); Acesita (partially held by Arcelor); mobile communication Telemig Celular; and Telecom Italia Mobile, as well as the NYSE-listed electrical company CEMIG, which is said to have the best transmission quality of Brazil. Leading steel product makers Sumitomo Metals of Japan and Vallourec of France have also recently announced plans to construct an integrated steel works on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte. fuel.

Projects in these fields are likely to expand due to integration between universities, the oil company Petrobras and the Brazilian Government. Over 16% of the Brazilian biotechnological industries are located in Belo Horizonte, with annual revenues of more than US$ 550 million. During the past few years, the city has made investments in "Business-Tourism", by promoting more than 3,000 national or international events yearly. One of the largest events that ever took place in the city, the IDB meeting, occurred in 2005 and attracted people from everywhere in the world.The two most important industrial clusters of the State of Minas Gerais are around the cities of Juiz de Fora and Belo Horizonte. In southern Minas Gerais, near Juiz de Fora, there is a concentration of textile industries, which started to be established in the 19th century. Belo Horizonte and vicinities (Contagem, Betim, Nova Lima, Pedro Leopoldo, Raposo, Rio Acima, Sabará, Santa Luzia e Vespasiano) have a diversified industrial complex; even though minerals processing still have a large importance, there are impportant industries of vehicles, food products, textile, chemicals and others.Several steel producers are established all around the State: Mannesmann, Belgo-Mineira, Acesita, Usiminas; there is an oil refinery in Betim, directly connected by pipes to the producing areas off shore the Rio de Janeiro coast; vehicle makers, like Fiat (in Betim) and Mercedes-Benz (in Juiz de Fora) have plants in Minas Gerais.

For a long time it was marked by the predominance of its industrial sector, but from the 1990s there has been a constant expansion of the service sector economy, particularly in computer science, biotechnology, business tourism, fashion and the making of jewelry. The city is considered to be a strategic leader in the Brazilian economy.

The GDP for the city was R$ 28,386,694,000 (2005). [cite book|url=http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belo_Horizonte|title=GDP|publisher=IBGE|location=Belo Horizonte, Brazil|format=PDF|isbn=85-240-3919-1|accessdate=2007-07-18|year=2005|language=Portuguese]

The per capita income for the city was R$ 11,951 (2005). [cite book|url=http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belo_Horizonte|title=per capita income|publisher=IBGE|location=Belo Horizonte, Brazil|format=PDF|isbn=85-240-3919-1|accessdate=2007-07-18|year=2005|language=Portuguese]

Education

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.

Educational institutions

* Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG);
* [http://www.uemg.br Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais] (UEMG);
* Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC-MG);
* [http://www.una.br Centro Universitário] (UNA);
* [http://www.fumec.br Universidade FUMEC] (FUMEC);
* [http://www.unifenas.br Universidade José do Rosário Vellano] (UNIFENAS);
* [http://www.newtonpaiva.br Centro Universitário Newton Paiva] ;
* [http://www.cefetmg.br Centro Federal de Ensino Tecnológico de Minas Gerais] (CEFET-MG);
* and many others.

Culture

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.

Clube da Esquina is a musical movement that originated in the mid 1960s, and since that time their members have been considered influent in Minas Gerais culture and have important artists such as Tavinho Moura, Wagner Tiso, Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Beto Guedes, Flávio Venturini, Toninho Horta, Márcio Borges, Fernando Brant and 14 Bis, among others. Every two years, the city realizes the FIT BH, The International Theater Festival of Belo Horizonte, which attracts artists from all over Brazil and many parts of the world. In 2006, there was an extreme sports event in Belo Horizonte with a slogan that became very popular in Belo Horizonte: "Eu amo BH radicalmente", or "I love Belo Horizonte radically."

Infrastructure

International Airport

Tancredo Neves/Confins International Airport is located in the municipalities of Lagoa Santa and Confins, 38 km (23 mi) from Belo Horizonte, and was opened in January 1984. It was planned from the start for future expansion in steps to meet growing demand. The airport has one of the lowest rates of shutdown for bad weather in the country. However, the Confins airport was not using much of its capacity until 2005, when it was decided that a large part of the Pampulha Airport flights (which is smaller and located inside Belo Horizonte's urban area) would move to Confins. It was planned from the start for future expansion in steps to meet growing demand.

The first step was undertaken with careful concern for the environment, including monitoring by specialized consultants, since the region has a rich archeological heritage. Among the hundreds of caverns in the region, the one at Lapa Vermelha stands out. Located 2.7 km (1.6 mi) from the airport, the oldest female cranium in the Americans was discovered there, dated at roughly 12 thousand years old. Confins is certified by the ISO 9001 standard, covering ten processes in the administrative, operational, safety/security and maintenance areas. The Tancredo Neves International Airport has both domestic and international flights (to some locations in South America and Europe).

Highways

The city is connected to the rest of Minas Gerais state and the country by a number of roadways. Minas Gerais has the country's largest federal highway network. [cite book|url=http://noticias.terra.com.br/brasil/interna/0,,OI1422832-EI306,00.html|title=Tempo bom e trânsito lento marcam volta de feriado|publisher=Terra|location=Belo Horizonte, Brazil|format=PDF|isbn=85-240-3919-1|accessdate=2007-02-22|year=2007|language=Portuguese]

* BR-040 connects Belo Horizonte to Rio de Janeiro (going south) and Brasília (going northwest). It also links other cities in the state, such as Juiz de Fora, Conselheiro Lafaiete, Santos Dumont, Sete Lagoas, and Paracatu.

* BR-262 begins in Mato Grosso do Sul and ends in Espírito Santo, crossing Minas Gerais from west to east. It links Belo Horizonte to Pará de Minas, Araxá, Manhuaçu, Uberaba, and Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo state.

* BR-381 is an important federal highway. It connects Belo Horizonte to São Paulo.

* MG-010 is a state highway that connects the capital to the Tancredo Neves International Airport, itself located in the municipalities of Confins and Lagoa Santa, which are part of the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte. Starting in 2005, several flights were transferred from the Pampulha Regional Airport to the international airport. To improve access to the international airport, MG-010 is being expanded (effectively duplicating its lanes). [cite book|url=http://www.linhaverde.mg.gov.br/|title=Linha Verde|publisher=Governo do Estado de Minas Gerais|location=Belo Horizonte, Brazil|format=PDF|isbn=85-240-3919-1|accessdate=2007-01-30|year=2007|language=Portuguese]

The city is also served by other minor roads such as state highways MG-020, MG-050, MG-030, and MG-433. There is also an East-West Express Way, which goes from the city to the nearby industrial centers of Contagem and Betim (together having a population of ca. 900,000), and Anel Rodoviário, a kind of "beltway" - indeed it is not circumferential, but connects many highways, such as the federal (BR-ones) so it is not necessary for a large number of cars and trucks to pass through the city center. Many of these roads are in poor condition, but in the last years many revitalization and rebuilding projects have been started.

Distances

*Nova Lima: 22 km (13.6 mi)
*São Sebastião das Águas Claras: 23 km (14.2 mi);
*Sabará: 25 km (15.5 mi);
*Santa Luzia: 26 km (16.1 mi);
*Contagem: 27 km (16.7 mi);
*Ravena: 30 km (18.6 mi);
*Betim: 31 km (19.2 mi);
*Rio Acima: 34 km (21.1 mi);
*Caeté: 46 km (28.5 mi);
*Juatuba: 49 km (30.4 mi);
*Esmeraldas: 50 km (31 mi);
*Brumadinho: 58 km (36 mi);
*Moeda: 60 km (37.2 mi);
*Florestal: 63 km (39.1 mi);
*Sete Lagoas: 76 km (47 mi).

Bus system

The bus system has a large number of bus lines going through all parts in the city, and is administrated by "BHTRANS". Among the upcoming projects are the expansion of the integration between bus lines and the metro.

Metro

Belo Horizonte Metro originated at the end of 1970s, and is one of the oldest urban railways in the country. There is still just one line, with 19 stations, from Vilarinho to Eldorado Station, in Contagem, but it is now insufficient to address the commuting needs of the entire city. Two new lines, from Santa Tereza to Barreiro (a part of this line, from Carlos Prates to Barreiro, is being built), and from Pampulha to Savassi, are being planned. There is also a project for the expansion for the first line, from Vilarinho to Ribeirão das Neves and from Eldorado to Betim.

Tourism and recreation

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.In downtown Belo Horizonte, are located the neo-Gothic Boa Viagem Cathedral, the church of São José, the Praça da Estação (Station Square), which is an old train station that now is also the Museum of Arts and Workmanship, the Municipal Park, the famous Sete de Setembro Square, where an Obelisk built in 1922 marks the one hundred years of Brazilian independence from Portugal.

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.

Next to downtown is the famous Savassi region, known for fine restaurants and as a center of cultural events as well as the best of the city's nightlife. Many landmarks are located there, such as the Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Plaza), and its surrounding buildings, including the Executive Offices of the governor called the Palace of Liberty (Palácio da Liberdade), the first building to be finished during the city's planned development in the late 1890s. Last but not least is the "Rua do Amendoim" (Peanut Street), an example of a gravity hill, where parked automobiles appear to roll uphill, defying gravity. Whether this is an illusion or a magnetic phenomenon is left to the visitor to decide. Though most of the effect seems to have disappeared due to housing development in the area, many people still believe that the street is magic.

Another important landmark is Praça do Papa (Plaza of the Pope), located at a high point just south of the downtown area, with its spectacular view of the entire city. It is named for the July 1, 1980 visit by John Paul II, who held a youth mass there. Afterwards, he stood and remarked over the sea of youthful faces, "Que Belo Horizonte!" or "What a beautiful horizon!" The nearby Parque das Mangabeiras (Mangabeiras Park) boasts extensive wildlife, with an area so huge it has its own internal bus service. It is not uncommon for tourists to see monkeys and other animals, and a few people have even managed to get lost inside its woods.

ports

As in the rest of Brazil, football is the most popular sport among locals. Belo Horizonte has two of the most successful teams in the country, and the city also has one of the biggest football stadiums in the world, the Mineirão, opened in 1965. The older Independência Stadium hosted a legendary victory of the United States World Cup Team 1950 in a 1-0 triumph over England. See England v United States (1950) and [cite book|url=http://www.soccerhall.org/Monthly%20Column/MC.May.2005.htm|title=Soccerhall|publisher=Soccerhall|location=Belo Horizonte, Brazil|format=PDF|isbn=85-240-3919-1|accessdate=2007-07-18|year=2005|language=Portuguese] Atlético Mineiro, which is also called by its nickname and mascot "Galo" (rooster) . Yet, one of the oldest football clubs in the city and was founded in 1908. Atlético Mineiro was the first Brazilian champion, in 1971, and has also won two CONMEBOL Cups (nowadays called Copa Sudamericana) and 39 State Championships. In spite of so much tradition, the team has suffered through very difficult times recently and was relegated to the Brazilian Série B. However, the club won the championship in 2006 and is back to Série A in 2007.

Cruzeiro was founded in 1921 by the members of the local Italian community. Cruzeiro has been one of Brazil´s most victorius clubs in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning 4 National Cups, 1 National League, 2 Copa Libertadores, and 2 Supercopa Libertadores, and is also the winner of Taça Brasil in 1966 and 34 State Championships including "Supercampeonato Mineiro" in 2002. The city is also home to América Mineiro, which has its own playing field, the Independência Stadium. It was a major team in Brazil decades ago, but passed three years striving to leave Brazilian League Série C. Things came worse at the beginning of 2007. The team was relegated to the Módulo II of Campeonato Mineiro and didn't even qualify for playing the Série C, being completely out of Campeonato Brasileiro.

Besides football, Belo Horizonte has one of the largest attendances at volleyball matches in the whole country. Crowds usually go to Mineirinho in order to watch either the Brazil national volleyball team or Minas Tênis Clube matches. Minas Tênis Clube is a sport association with various modalities. Besides Mineirinho, the clubs also plays on its own ground, the modern Telemig Celular Arena. Both its male and female volleyball teams have already won the Brazilian Superleague of Volleyball titles. Belo Horizonte is one of the proposed cities to host games in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.

ister cities

Belo Horizonte's sister cities are:cite web |url=http://www.pbh.gov.br/bh-internacional/bhz-acordos_irmas.htm |title=Mayor's International Council Sister Cities Program |publisher=Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais|accessdate = 2008-08-18]

ee also

*Tancredo Neves International Airport
*Sepultura
*Clube da Esquina
*Pato Fu
*List of municipalities in Minas Gerais
*Liliane Ferrarezi

References

External links

sisterlinks|Belo Horizonte

Official

* [http://portal2.pbh.gov.br/pbh/index.html Official homepage]
* [http://www.estaminas.com.br/ Estado de Minas Gerais Newspaper]

Education

* [http://www.pucminas.br PUC-MG] - the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais
* [http://www.ufmg.br UFMG] - Federal University of Minas Gerais
* [http://www.eabh.com.br/eng/home.html Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte] - (American School of Belo Horizonte)
*it [http://www.fundacaotorino.com.br Escola Internacional Fundação Torino] (School of Torino International Foundation)

Photos

* [http://belohorizonte.nafoto.net/ Images of Belo Horizonte]

Tourism

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* [http://www.what-they-say.com/Belo-Horizonte-1.html Information about Belo Horizonte]
* [http://www.belotur.com.br/por/index.php Maplink - Belo Horizonte Street Guide and Maps]
* [http://www.webbusca.com.br/pagam/guia_belo_horizonte.htm Belo Horizonte Yellow Pages]
* [http://www.idasbrasil.com.br/idasbrasil/cidades/BeloHorizonte/port/cultura.asp Culture in Belo Horizonte]