Almenara, Minas Gerais
Encyclopedia
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
. Situated on the Jequitinhonha River
Jequitinhonha River
thumb|Source of the river in [[Serro]]|rightThe Jequitinhonha River is a river that flows mainly through the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its source lies near Diamantina in the Serra do Espinhaço at an elevation of 1,200 m, after which it flows northward and then east-northeastward across the...
it is the largest town in that river valley. Its 2007 population was estimated at 36,907 and the municipal area was 2,301 km².
It was founded on 13 January 1938. In 1981 the city was made the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Almenara
Roman Catholic Diocese of Almenara
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Almenara is a diocese located in the city of Almenara, Minas Gerais, in the Ecclesiastical province of Diamantina in Brazil.-History:...
.
The elevation is 248 meters. The postal code is 39900-000. The distance to the state capital, Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
, is 744 kilometers. Almenara is also the center of a statistical microregion of the same name. Municipalities belonging to this microregion are: Bandeira
Bandeira, Minas Gerais
Bandeira is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. Its population as of 2007 was estimated to be 5,337 people living in a total area of 484 km². The city belongs to the mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara....
, Divisópolis
Divisópolis
Divisópolis is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais.The population as of 2007 was estimated to be 7,852 people living in a total area of 566 km². The city belongs to the mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara. Divisópolis is...
, Felisburgo
Felisburgo
Felisburgo is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais.The population as of 2007 was estimated to be 6,687 people living in a total area of 594 km². The city belongs to the mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara. Divisópolis is located...
, Jacinto
Jacinto, Minas Gerais
Jacinto is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara. As of 2007 the population was 12,422 in a total area of 1,391 km²....
, Jequitinhonha
Jequitinhonha
Jequitinhonha is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais.The population as of 2007 was estimated to be 23,982 people living in a total area of 3,518 km². The city belongs to the mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara. ...
, Joaíma
Joaíma
Joaíma is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais.The population as of 2007 was estimated to be 14,881 people living in a total area of 1,668 km². The city belongs to the mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara.Joaíma is located...
, Jordânia
Jordânia
Jordânia is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara. As of 2007 the population was 10,751 in a total area of 549 km²....
, Mata Verde
Mata Verde
Mata Verde is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. As of 2007 the population was 7,458 and the area was 230.The city belongs to the mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara. The elevation is 865. It became a municipality in 1993. It is located on...
, Monte Formoso
Monte Formoso
Monte Formoso is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the IBGE statistical mesoregion of Jequitinhonha and to the microregion of Almenara. As of 2007 the population was 4,709 in an area of 384 km²...
, Palmópolis
Palmópolis
Palmópolis is a municipality in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2007 was 7,041 inhabitants in a total area of 436 km²....
, Rio do Prado
Rio do Prado
Rio do Prado is a municipality in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2007 was 4,489 inhabitants in a total area of 479 km²....
, Rubim
Rubim
Rubim is a municipality in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2007 was 9,561 inhabitants in a total area of 969 km²....
, Salto da Divisa
Salto da Divisa
Salto da Divisa is a municipality in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2008 was 7,127 inhabitants in a total area of 943.647 km². It is the easternmost municipality of Minas Gerais...
, Santa Maria do Salto
Santa Maria do Salto
Santa Maria do Salto is a municipality in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2007 was 5,724 inhabitants in a total area of 442 km²....
, and Santo Antônio do Jacinto
Santo Antônio do Jacinto
Santo Antônio do Jacinto is a town in the northeastern part of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Its coordinates are 16.617/16°32'2" S and the longitude is 40.175/40°10'33" W. It has 13,182 inhabitants and the area is 497.437 km²...
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The main economic activity is cattle raising with over 89,000 head of cattle counted in 2006. Agriculture is important with the main crops being coffee, coconuts, banana, corn, and sugarcane. There were 4 banking agencies in 2006. There were 2 private hospitals with 180 beds (2005). In the rural area there were 983 farms in 2006. More than 3,000 people depended on agriculture for a living. Only 33 farms had tractors, which was a ratio of one tractor for 30 farms.
The river beach of Almenara was once considered one of the most beautiful in the country. Today, with mining in the tributaries of the Jequitinhonha its waters are polluted with mercury and oil. Its clean sands have become dark and dirty.
The hill called Morro do Cruzeiro is used for hang gliding. There is also an arched bridge with a span of 300 meters crossing the river. When the river is full some people dive off the bridge.
- Municipal Human Development IndexHuman Development IndexThe Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...
: .668 (2000) - State ranking: 680 out of 853 municipalities as of 2000
- National ranking: 3,496 out of 5,138 municipalities as of 2000
- Degree of urbanization: 78.48% (2000)--the rate for Minas Gerais was 82.0%
- Illiteracy rate: 30.66% (15 years old or older) The rate for Minas Gerais was 11.96%; the rate for Brazil was 13.63%
- Urban area covered by sewage system: 80.80%--the rate for Minas Gerais was 81.39%
- Health centers and hospitals: 13 health centers and 02 hospitals with 172 beds