Goiás
Encyclopedia
Goiás is a state of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás (formerly, Goyaz) comes from the name of an indigenous community. The original word seems to have been guaiá, a compound of gua e iá, meaning "the same person" or "people of the same origin." Neighboring states are (from north clockwise) Tocantins
Tocantins (state)
Tocantins is one of the states of Brazil. . The state was formed in 1988 out of the northern part of Goiás, and construction began on the capital, Palmas, in 1989, in contrast to most of the other cities in the state which date back to the Portuguese colonial period...

, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...

, Minas Gerais
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...

, the Federal District
Brazilian Federal District
The Federal District is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Located in a region called Planalto Central, or Central Plateau, the Federal District is divided in 29 administrative regions. Brasilia - place where the three branches of the Federal Government are located - is the main...

, Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul is one of the states of Brazil.Neighboring Brazilian states are Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay and Bolivia to the west. The economy of the state is largely based on agriculture and cattle-raising...

 and Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...

.

The most central of the Brazilian states and the most populous of the region, Goiás is characterized by a landscape of chapadões
Chapada
A chapada is a plateau found in the Brazilian Highlands. The chapadas, which are usually described as mountain ranges, are capped by horizontal strata of sandstone and show the original surface, which has been worn away by the rivers, leaving here and there broad flat-topped ridges between river...

(plateaus). In the height of the drought season, from June to September, the lack of rain makes the level of the Araguaia River
Araguaia River
The Araguaia River or, in Portuguese, Rio Araguaia is one of the major rivers of Brazil, and the principal tributary of the Tocantins. It has a total length of approximately 2,627 km. Araguaia means "river of macaws" in the Tupi language....

 go down and exposes almost 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of beaches, making it the main attraction of the State. At the Emas National Park
Emas National Park
The Emas National Park |Rhea]] National Park") is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Sitein the states of Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil.-Description:...

 in the municipality of Mineiros
Mineiros
Mineiros is a city in the southwest of the state of Goiás, Brazil. Mineiros is the westernmost city in Goiás and a great producer of cattle, soybeans, and corn....

, it is possible to observe the typical fauna and flora from the region. At the Chapada dos Veadeiros
Chapada dos Veadeiros
Chapada dos Veadeiros is located in the state of Goias, in the Central West region of Brazil. It is a geographical area filled with breath taking mountains, rivers, and waterfalls. The area is known for the national park of Chapada dos Veadeiros. The national park was created in 1961, it has been...

 the attractions are the canyons, valleys, rapids and waterfalls. Other attractions are the historical city of Goiás (or Old Goiás), 132 km (82 mi) from Goiânia
Goiânia
-Climate:The city has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average temperature of . There's a wet season, from October to April, and a dry one, from May to September. Annual rainfall is around 1,520 mm....

, established in the beginning of 18th Century, and Caldas Novas
Caldas Novas
Caldas Novas is a Brazilian city and municipality in the state of Goiás. It is considered by many to be the largest hydro-thermal resort in the world.-Location:...

, with its hot water wells attracting more than one million tourists per year.

Geography

Goiás lies wholly within the Brazilian Highlands, which are located in the center of the country. It occupies a large plateau, the vast almost level surface of which stands between 750 and 900 m above sea level and forms the divide between three of Brazil's largest river systems: to the south Goiás is drained by the Paranaíba River
Paranaíba River
The Paranaíba River is a Brazilian river whose source lies in the state of Minas Gerais in the Mata da Corda mountains, municipality of Rio Paranaíba, at an altitude of 1,148 meters; on the other face of this mountain chain are the sources of the Abaeté river, tributary of the São Francisco River...

, a tributary of the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...

; to the east it is drained by tributaries of the São Francisco River
São Francisco River
The São Francisco is a river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil...

; and northward the state is drained by the Araguaia River
Araguaia River
The Araguaia River or, in Portuguese, Rio Araguaia is one of the major rivers of Brazil, and the principal tributary of the Tocantins. It has a total length of approximately 2,627 km. Araguaia means "river of macaws" in the Tupi language....

 and the Tocantins River
Tocantins River
The Tocantins is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means "toucan's beak" . It runs from south to north for about 2,640 km. It is not really a branch of the Amazon River, although usually so considered, since its waters flow into the...

 and their tributaries. Other major rivers in the state are the Meia Ponte
Meia Ponte River
The Meia Ponte River is one of the most important rivers in the state of Goiás, Brazil. Its source lies 60 km north of the city of Goiânia and it flows through that city in a southern direction joining the Paranaíba river just downriver of Cachoeira Dourada Dam. The Paranaíba River marks the...

, Aporé, São Marcos, Corumbá River
Corumbá
Corumbá is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 425 km northwest of Campo Grande, the state's capital. It has a population of approximately 96,000 inhabitants, and its economy is based mainly on agriculture, animal husbandry, mineral extraction, and tourism, being the...

, Claro, Paranã, Maranhão
Maranhão River
-References:*...

, Paranã
Paranã River
The Paranã River is located in Goiás state, Brazil. It divides two regions - the Northeast and north-central Goiás. It is formed by tributaries that descend the Serra Geral, the mountains that divide eastern Goiás and Bahia. One of the most important tributaries is the Crixás, which has its...

 and Preto
Preto River (Paracatu River)
-References:*...

. None of these rivers is navigable except for short distances by small craft.

The state's highest point is Pouso Alto, at 1676 metres (5,498.7 ft) above sea level, in the Chapada dos Veadeiros.

Goiás is covered with a woodland savanna known in Brazil as campo cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...

, although there are still tropical forests along the rivers. This cerrado has been seriously diminished in recent years due to cattle raising and soybean farming with great loss of animal life and forest cover. The climate of the plateau is tropical. Average monthly temperatures vary from 26 °C (78.8 °F) in the warmest month to 22 °C (71.6 °F) in the coldest. The year is divided into a rainy season (October–March) and a dry season (April–September). Average annual rainfall is about 1700 millimetres (66.9 in), but this varies due to elevation and microclimate.

The Great Central West Region, consisting of the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...

, Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul is one of the states of Brazil.Neighboring Brazilian states are Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay and Bolivia to the west. The economy of the state is largely based on agriculture and cattle-raising...

, and the Brazilian Federal District
Brazilian Federal District
The Federal District is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Located in a region called Planalto Central, or Central Plateau, the Federal District is divided in 29 administrative regions. Brasilia - place where the three branches of the Federal Government are located - is the main...

, is among the fastest-growing regions of Brazil. The population of Goiás state tripled in size in the period from 1950 to 1980 and is still growing very quickly. However, outside the Federal District and the Goiânia metropolitan region (with a population of over a million) most of Goiás is very thinly populated. The chief concentration of settlement is in the southeast, in the area of Goiânia
Goiânia
-Climate:The city has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average temperature of . There's a wet season, from October to April, and a dry one, from May to September. Annual rainfall is around 1,520 mm....

 (Goiânia and Aparecida de Goiânia
Aparecida de Goiânia
Aparecida de Goiânia is a city and municipality in central Goiás, Brazil. It is the second largest city in the state and a bustling industrial center.-Location:...

), across the border from Minas Gerais
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...

, (Catalão
Catalão
Catalão is a small city and municipality located in the south of the state of Goiás, in Brazil. It is a large producer of grains, cattle, and phosphates and has a John Deere and Mitsubishi factory.-Demographics:*Population density: 17.85 inhab/km²...

, Rio Verde
Rio Verde
Rio Verde can mean the following:-Brazil:* Rio Verde, Goiás* Lucas do Rio Verde* Conceição do Rio Verde* Rio Verde de Mato Grosso-Brazil:29 rivers including:* Verde River...

, Jataí
Jataí
Jataí is a municipality in southern Goiás state, Brazil. Its population was 88,048 in a total area of 7,174.2 km². Jataí is a major producer of agricultural products, including soybeans, rice, and corn. It has the largest herd of cattle in the state and is a large producer of poultry and...

, and Caldas Novas
Caldas Novas
Caldas Novas is a Brazilian city and municipality in the state of Goiás. It is considered by many to be the largest hydro-thermal resort in the world.-Location:...

), and around the Federal District (Formosa
Formosa, Goiás
Formosa is a city and municipality located in the state of Goiás, Brazil, approximately 80 kilometers east of Brasília. The population was 90,247 in a total area of 5,806.89 km² . Formosa is known for its waterfalls and natural beauty...

, Planaltina de Goiás
Planaltina de Goiás
Planaltina is a city located in the center of the state of Goiás, Brazil. Planaltina is often referred to as Planaltina de Goiás, but in official documents it is called Planaltina.-Location and Geography:...

, and Luziânia
Luziânia
Luziânia is a city and municipality in the state of Goiás, Brazil. This fast-growing city is a great producer of agricultural products including soybeans and beans.-Location:Luziânia is located 68 km...

).

History

The first European exploration of this interior part of Brazil was carried out by expeditions from São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

 in the 17th century. Gold was discovered in the gravel of a tributary of the Araguaia River by the bandeirante Bartolomeu Bueno da Silva (the Anhanguera) in 1682. The settlement he founded there, called Santa Anna, became the colonial town of Goiás Velho, the former state capital. In 1744 the large inland area, much of it still unexplored by Europeans, was made a captaincy general, and in 1822 it became a province of the empire of Brazil. It became a state in 1889. The Brazilian constitution of 1891 specified that the nation's capital should be moved to the Brazilian Highlands (Planalto Central), and in 1956 Goiás was selected as the site for the federal district and capital city, Brasília
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...

. The seat of the federal government was officially moved to Brasília in 1960.

Goiânia
Goiânia
-Climate:The city has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average temperature of . There's a wet season, from October to April, and a dry one, from May to September. Annual rainfall is around 1,520 mm....

, the largest city and capital was planned in 1933 to replace the old, inaccessible former state capital of Goiás, 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) northwest. In 1937 the state government moved there, and in 1942 the official inauguration was held. Goiânia is now one of the fastest growing cities in Brazil and is regularly voted one of the most livable cities in the country.

Due to the immense territory of the state, which was over 600000 square kilometre, communications were obviously very difficult. The northern part of the state began to feel abandoned by the southern government and began a movement for separation. Local political leaders, many of whom were large landowners and were eager to gain important positions such as governor or senator and financial gain with the construction of a new capital, also encouraged the movement. In 1989 the northern half of Goiás became a separate state called Tocantins
Tocantins (state)
Tocantins is one of the states of Brazil. . The state was formed in 1988 out of the northern part of Goiás, and construction began on the capital, Palmas, in 1989, in contrast to most of the other cities in the state which date back to the Portuguese colonial period...

.

Demographics

According to the IBGE
IBGE
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics or IBGE , is the agency responsible for statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil...

 of 2010, there were 6,004,045 people residing in the state. The population density was 16.9 inh./km².

Urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....

: 88.6% (2006); Population growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....

: 2.5% (1991–2000); House
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...

s: 1,749,000 (2006).

The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 3,076,000 Brown (Multiracial) people (52.41%), 2,433,000 White
White Brazilian
White Brazilians make up 48.4% of Brazil's population, or around 92 million people, according to the IBGE's 2008 PNAD . Whites are present in the entire territory of Brazil, although the main concentrations are found in the South and Southeastern parts of the country...

 people (41.45%), 329,000 Black
Afro-Brazilian
In Brazil, the term "preto" is one of the five categories used by the Brazilian Census, along with "branco" , "pardo" , "amarelo" and "indígena"...

 people (5.60%), 16,000 Asian
Asian Brazilian
An Asian Brazilian is is a Brazilian citizen of full or partial Asian ancestry, who remains culturally connected to Asia, or an Asian-born person permanently residing in Brazil. Brazil received many immigrants from Asia, both from Middle East and East Asia...

 people (0.26%), 15,000 Amerindian
Indigenous peoples in Brazil
The Indigenous peoples in Brazil comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to the European invasion around 1500...

 people (0.25%).

According to an autosomal DNA study from 2008, the ancestral composition of Goiás is 83,70% European, 13,30% African and 3,0% Native American.

Economy

The service sector is the largest component of GDP at 43.9%, followed by the industrial sector at 35.4%. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 represents 20.7%, of GDP (2004). Goiás exports: soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...

 49.2%, meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...

 of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

 10.5%, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

 9.1%, others meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...

s 7.5%, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

 7.4%, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...

 4% (2002).

Share of the Brazilian economy: 2.4% (2005).

Goiás is a leader in the country in crop raising. The number of cows was estimated in 2000 to be around 18 million, four for every inhabitant. Possibly only Minas Gerais
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...

 and Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...

 have more cattle. Agriculture as a total represented 21% of the GDP of the state, with great production of sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...

, soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...

s, corn, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...

, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

, manioc and beans.

Minerals are also important with the state being a major producer of nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...

, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

, niobium
Niobium
Niobium or columbium , is a chemical element with the symbol Nb and atomic number 41. It's a soft, grey, ductile transition metal, which is often found in the pyrochlore mineral, the main commercial source for niobium, and columbite...

, phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...

 and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...

.

The strongest growing area in the state has been in industry and commerce. Goiânia
Goiânia
-Climate:The city has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average temperature of . There's a wet season, from October to April, and a dry one, from May to September. Annual rainfall is around 1,520 mm....

 and Aparecida de Goiânia
Aparecida de Goiânia
Aparecida de Goiânia is a city and municipality in central Goiás, Brazil. It is the second largest city in the state and a bustling industrial center.-Location:...

 have become centers of food-processing industries, Anápolis
Anápolis
Anápolis is the third largest city in the State of Goiás in Brazil. It lies in the center of a rich agricultural region and has become a leader in food processing and pharmaceutical plants.-Location and population:...

 of pharmaceutical factories. Rio Verde
Rio Verde
Rio Verde can mean the following:-Brazil:* Rio Verde, Goiás* Lucas do Rio Verde* Conceição do Rio Verde* Rio Verde de Mato Grosso-Brazil:29 rivers including:* Verde River...

, in the southwest, is one of the fastest growing small cities with many new industries locating in the area and Catalão
Catalão
Catalão is a small city and municipality located in the south of the state of Goiás, in Brazil. It is a large producer of grains, cattle, and phosphates and has a John Deere and Mitsubishi factory.-Demographics:*Population density: 17.85 inhab/km²...

 is a metal-mechanical and chemical polo.

Economic indicators

  • Agriculture (in tons): sugarcane (9.251.798), soybeans (3.420.653), corn (3.414.601), tomato (759.009), rice (352.135), cotton (278.363), manioc (255.639), beans (200.977)--(1999).
  • Livestock (in head): fowl (80.000.000 est.), cattle (18.000.000 est.), pigs (1.000.000 est.) --(1999).
  • Minerals: titanium-ilmenite (1.624 t), nickel (52.302 t), manganese (23.242 t), cobalt (484 t), iron (199 brute tons), niobium-pirocloride (54.953 t), gold (4.512.882 grams), silver (211.917)--(1998).
  • Industry: food, metallurgy, extraction of non-metallic minerals.

Statistics

  • Vehicles: 1,610,972 (March/2007);
  • Mobile phone
    Mobile phone
    A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...

    s: 3.6 million (April/2007); Telephone
    Telephone
    The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...

    s: 1.3 million (April/2007)
  • Cities: 246 (2007).

Education

Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

 is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 are part of the official high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 curriculum.

Educational institutions


National Airport

Modernization work will soon get under way at Santa Genoveva Airport
Santa Genoveva Airport
Santa Genoveva/Goiânia Airport is the airport serving Goiânia, Brazil.It is operated by Infraero.-History:The airport was inaugurated in 1955 although operations started a few years earlier...

 in the northeast side of Goiânia. With nominal yearly capacity of 600,000 passengers, in 2004 it received 950,000. With its new terminal, it will be able to handle up to 2 million users a year.

Highways

Highways in the Brazilian Highway System
Brazilian Highway System
The Brazilian Highway System is the highway system of Brazil, the fourth largest in the World. As of 2010, the system consists of almost 2 million kilometers of roads, of which approximately 200,000 km are paved.As it is in the United States, Canada or most countries in Europe, larger/wider...

 include BR-020
BR-020
BR-020 is a federal highway of Brazil. The 2038 kilometre road connects Fortaleza to Ceará....

, BR-040
BR-040
BR-040 is a federal highway of Brazil. The 1178.7 kilometre road connects Brasilia to Rio de Janeiro....

, BR-050
BR-050
BR-050 is a federal highway of Brazil. The 1025.3 kilometre road connects Brasília to Santos....

, BR-060
BR-060
BR-060 is a federal highway of Brazil. The 1459 kilometre road connects Brasilia to Bela Vista, on the Paraguayan border....

, BR-070
BR-070
BR-070 is a federal highway of Brazil. The 1317.7 kilometre road connects Brasilia to Porto Corixó, Cáceres, Mato Grosso....

, BR-080
BR-080
BR-080 is a federal highway of Brazil. The 3250 kilometre road connects Brasilia to Uruaçu in Goiás....

, Rodovia Transbrasiliana
Rodovia Transbrasiliana
Rodovia Transbrasiliana is a federal highway in Brazil .It crosses Brazil in the North-South direction, starting in Marabá, state of Pará and ending in Aceguá, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul...

 (BR-153), BR-158
BR-158
BR-158 is a federal highway of Brazil. One of the longest highways in the country, the 3946.2 kilometre road connects Altamira, Pará to Santana do Livramento on the Uruguayan border where it joins Route 5 ....

, BR-251, BR-364, BR-414, BR-452; additionally, over 60 state highways run through the state.

Ecological issues

To conciliate the expansion of agroindustry and cattle raising with the preservation of the cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...

, one of the richest regions in the world in biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

, is one of the main challenges of Goiás. At the same time that it has the third largest cattle herd of the country and occupies first place in grain production, the state faces serious environmental damage.

The expansion of cattle raising especially has caused damage to the cerrado. The native forest has been for the most part destroyed and the permanent reserves gradually cut down to give way to cattle and farming. In the region of the sources of the Araguaia River there are areas of erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...

 caused by cutting down the trees in order to create pastures. This has produced voçorocas -- sudden subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...

 of land. Some measure up to 1.5 km. long, 100 meters wide, and 30 meters deep.

These problems, together with the loss of river banks, are causing Goiás to face a serious crisis in water supply, which is exacerbated by the long dry season. Cities like Goiânia
Goiânia
-Climate:The city has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average temperature of . There's a wet season, from October to April, and a dry one, from May to September. Annual rainfall is around 1,520 mm....

, Anápolis, and Luziânia are especially vulnerable, especially since they dump their raw sewage into the rivers that pass through them or nearby.

Air pollution from smoke due to intentionally set fires are also a major problem, especially during the dry season. Fire has been a way of life for ranchers and land-owners for many decades, burning grass and vegetation to clear their property for various reasons. While the same result could be achieved by using hand tools or tractors to clear the land, fire is a cheaper, easier and highly efficient method. Recently, a law was passed banning intentional burning, however, it's not enforced by local law enforcement, and thus intentional burning continues. During the early part of the dry season, local fire departments don't recognize these fires as a life or safety hazard and thus do not respond to extinguish them. Commonly these fires burn through empty lots with low intensity next to and around homes and businesses, bumping the walls and property lines and jumping from lot to lot and across roads. However, most buildings are constructed of brick or masonry, and there is no threat of the structures catching fire when flames impinge on them. As the dry season continues and grasses cure and vegetation dries out, fires become very large in scale and are more intense.

Another problem lies in the locals' habit to burn trash as a method of sanitation removal. Because of the new laws, most burn their trash at night in an attempt to be discreet.

Main sights

  • Chapada dos Veadeiros


It is an ecological national park famous for the diversity of its landscape and the richness of its fauna and flora.
  • City of Goiás


A nationally famous World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

, the city is notable for its historical importance.
  • Parque Nacional das Emas


The Emas National Park is another World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

 in Goiás.
  • Pirenópolis


Pirenópolis is a picturesque city in the interior of the State of Goiás, famous for its many natural beauties, preserved colonial homes
Colonial Brazil
In the history of Brazil, Colonial Brazil, officially the Viceroyalty of Brazil comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to kingdom alongside Portugal as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.During the over 300 years...

 and steep stone streets.

Cities


The 15 most populous cities as estimated in 2008 by IGBE:
  • Goiânia
    Goiânia
    -Climate:The city has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average temperature of . There's a wet season, from October to April, and a dry one, from May to September. Annual rainfall is around 1,520 mm....

      (1.265.394)
  • Aparecida de Goiânia
    Aparecida de Goiânia
    Aparecida de Goiânia is a city and municipality in central Goiás, Brazil. It is the second largest city in the state and a bustling industrial center.-Location:...

      (494.919)
  • Anápolis
    Anápolis
    Anápolis is the third largest city in the State of Goiás in Brazil. It lies in the center of a rich agricultural region and has become a leader in food processing and pharmaceutical plants.-Location and population:...

      (331.329)
  • Luziânia
    Luziânia
    Luziânia is a city and municipality in the state of Goiás, Brazil. This fast-growing city is a great producer of agricultural products including soybeans and beans.-Location:Luziânia is located 68 km...

      (203.800)
  • Rio Verde
    Rio Verde, Goiás
    Rio Verde is a city and municipality in the Brazilian state of Goiás. It is a fast-growing center and is the largest producer of grains in the state.-Location:...

      (158.818)
  • Águas Lindas de Goiás
    Águas Lindas de Goiás
    Águas Lindas de Goiás is a city and municipality located in central Goiás, Brazil. It is the fifth largest city in the state and one of the fastest growing cities in Brazil.-Location:...

     (139.804)
  • Valparaíso de Goiás
    Valparaíso de Goiás
    Valparaíso de Goiás is a city and municipality in east-central Goiás state, Brazil. It is a suburb of Brasília.-Location:Valparaíso is located on the plateau known as Planalto Central, southwest of Brasília and is part of the greater Brasília area known as the Entorno de Brasília...

      (120.878)
  • Trindade
    Trindade, Goiás
    Trindade is a city and municipality in Goiás state, Brazil. It is famous for the religious celebrations held there in July and is now the third most important pilgrimage site in Brazil....

      (102.870)
  • Planaltina de Goiás
    Planaltina de Goiás
    Planaltina is a city located in the center of the state of Goiás, Brazil. Planaltina is often referred to as Planaltina de Goiás, but in official documents it is called Planaltina.-Location and Geography:...

      (94.717)
  • Novo Gama
    Novo Gama
    Novo Gama is a city and municipality in eastern Goiás state, Brazil. It is part of the greater Brasília metropolitan area. In 2007 the population was 83,599 inhabitants.-Location:...

      (93.081)
  • Formosa
    Formosa, Goiás
    Formosa is a city and municipality located in the state of Goiás, Brazil, approximately 80 kilometers east of Brasília. The population was 90,247 in a total area of 5,806.89 km² . Formosa is known for its waterfalls and natural beauty...

      (90.247)
  • Itumbiara
    Itumbiara
    Itumbiara is a small city and municipality in the extreme south of the state of Goiás, Brazil. The population was 100,000 in a total area of 2,461,3 km²...

      (85.724)
  • Jataí
    Jataí
    Jataí is a municipality in southern Goiás state, Brazil. Its population was 88,048 in a total area of 7,174.2 km². Jataí is a major producer of agricultural products, including soybeans, rice, and corn. It has the largest herd of cattle in the state and is a large producer of poultry and...

      (76.100)
  • Senador Canedo
    Senador Canedo
    Senador Canedo is a city and municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil. It is the center of the petrochemical industry for the state.-Location:Senador Canedo is crossed by two state highways, GOs 020 and 010...

      (71.399)
  • Catalão
    Catalão
    Catalão is a small city and municipality located in the south of the state of Goiás, in Brazil. It is a large producer of grains, cattle, and phosphates and has a John Deere and Mitsubishi factory.-Demographics:*Population density: 17.85 inhab/km²...

      (70.574)


See City population of Goiás for table showing population from 1991 to 2005 in the 37 largest cities.

Cities with touristical interest







NamePopulation
Caldas Novas
Caldas Novas
Caldas Novas is a Brazilian city and municipality in the state of Goiás. It is considered by many to be the largest hydro-thermal resort in the world.-Location:...

65,637
Cristalina
Cristalina
Cristalina is a small city located in the southeast of the state of Goiás, Brazil.-Location:Cristalina is located directly south of the federal capital, Brasília, and is connected to that city by BR-040...

39,867
Ipameri
Ipameri
Ipameri is a small city and municipality in southeastern Goiás state, in Brazil. The population was 23,114 in a total area of 4,368.6 km² . It is a major producer of soybeans, corn, and livestock.-Location and connections:...

22,600
Pirenópolis
Pirenópolis
Pirenópolis is a town located in the Brazilian state of Goiás. It is well known for its waterfalls and colonial architecture, and a popular festival involving mounted horses called Festa do Divino Espírito Santo which takes place 45 days after Easter....

21,241
Goiás
Goiás, Goiás
Goiás is a small city and municipality in the state of Goiás in Brazil. The population was 24,072 in a total area of 3,108 km² . It is the former capital of the state and preserves much of its colonial heritage...

14,173
Paraúna
Paraúna
Paraúna is a small town and municipality in southwestern Goiás state, Brazil. It has strange rock formations and is a large producer of cotton and soybeans.-Location:...

10,900
Corumbá de Goiás
Corumbá de Goiás
Corumbá de Goiás is a small town and municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil. It is one of the oldest cities in the state and still preserves vestiges of its colonial heritage...

9,915
Aruanã
Aruanã
Aruanã is a small town and municipality in north-western Goiás state, Brazil. It has a total area of 3,050.3 km², with a population of 6,476 in 2007. Aruanã is a tourist spot on the Araguaia River and is a major producer of cattle.-Location:...

5,212>

Flag

The green bars in the flag symbolize the spring and the yellow bars gold. The blue rectangle in the topleft corner symbolizes the sky, with the five stars forming the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....

 of the Southern Cross
Crux
Crux is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations, but is one of the most distinctive. Its name is Latin for cross, and it is dominated by a cross-shaped asterism that is commonly known as the Southern Cross.-Visibility:...

. The flag was adopted on July 30, 1919. It is a toned down version of the original Republican flag of Brazil
Flag of Brazil
The national flag of Brazil is a blue disc depicting a starry sky spanned by a curved band inscribed with the national motto, within a yellow rhombus, on a green field. Brazil officially adopted this design for its national flag on November 19, 1889, replacing the flag of the second Empire of Brazil...

, in itself not original.

Notable people

  • Amado Batista, singer;
  • Antônio Poteiro, painter & sculpter
  • Augusta Faro, writer
    Writer
    A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

    ;
  • Bernardo Élis, writer
    Writer
    A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

    ;
  • Carolina Ferraz
    Carolina Ferraz
    Maria Carolina Álvares Ferraz, or simply Carolina Ferraz, is a Brazilian dancer, actress, TV presenter and model.-TV roles:* 2011 - O Astro as Amanda* 2011 - Amor em quatro atos as Maria...

    , actress;
  • Cláudia Liz, model;
  • Cléber Gouveia, painter;
  • Cora Coralina
    Cora Coralina
    Cora Coralina was a Brazilian writer and poetess. She was born August 20, 1889, and died in the city of Goiânia on April 10, 1985. She published her first book after her husband died in 1965...

    , poet
    Poet
    A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

    ;
  • Demósteles Torres, politician;
  • Goiandira do Couto, artist;
  • Henrique Meirelles
    Henrique Meirelles
    Henrique de Campos Meirelles is the former president of Banco Central do Brasil, Brazil's central bank. In 2002 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil's congressional lower house, as a Goiás-state PSDB party congressman...

    , president of Banco Central do Brasil;
  • Herbert Moraes, international correspondent, Middle East
  • Ingrid Guimarães, actress;
  • Iris Rezende, politician
    Politician
    A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

    ;
  • José Joaquim da Veiga Valle, sculptor;
  • José J. Veiga, writer;
  • Leandro and Leonardo, popular musicians;
  • Lília Teles, Journalist;
  • Léo Jaime
    Léo Jaime
    Leonardo Jaime , widely known by stage name Leo Jaime, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter. Jaime was a part of the original formation of the carioca rockabilly group called "João Penca & Seus Miquinhos Amestrados". He left the group to pursue a solo career...

    , singer e songwriter
    Songwriter
    A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

    ;
  • Marconi Perillo
    Marconi Perillo
    -References:...

    , governor;
  • Maguito Vilela, politician;
  • Nana Gouvêa, adult model
    Fetish model
    A fetish model is a model who models fetish clothing or devices that augment his or her body in a fetish manner or in fetishistic situations, though he or she may not work exclusively in that form of modeling....

    ;
  • Siron Franco
    Siron Franco
    Gessiron Alves de Franco, known as Siron Franco Brazilian painter, designer and sculptor, Siron Franco was born in Goiás Velho, GO, on July 26, 1947....

    , Painter
    Painting
    Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

    ;
  • Túlio Maravilha, soccer player;
  • Wanessa Camargo
    Wanessa Camargo
    Wanessa Godói Camargo Buaiz , or simply as Wanessa, a Brazilian pop singer-songwriter...

    , singer;
  • Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano
    Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano
    Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano are Brazil's most famous sertanejo/country duo and brothers. They were born in Pirenópolis, Goiás. Zezé is the artistic name for Mirosmar José de Camargo and Luciano the artistic name for Welson David de Camargo....

    , singers;

External links

Official Website Historical Cities of Goiás Map State of Goiás
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