Juiz de Fora
Encyclopedia
Industry, Trade, and Culture
Juiz de Fora is the second most important industrial center in the state of Minas GeraisMinas 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...
, despite being the fourth largest in terms of population. It was once the state's largest city, position which was held up until the beginning of the 20th century (it held the second position until the 1990s). There are important steel mills and automotive factories (Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
being the most famous) in the city, along with several textile factories.
The city is also an important trade center, with considerable area of influence, being considered the capital of the Zona da Mata
Zona da Mata (Minas Gerais)
Zona da Mata is a mesoregion of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, situated in the southeastern part of the state, along the border of the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo...
region of the state. It has three shopping malls, several hyper-marts and a myriad of small shops that sell clothes and attract customers from a wide area around the city.
The massive presence of immigrants - especially from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
- throughout its history has given the city a cosmopolitan spirit and diverse cuisine. Walking down Avenida Rio Branco, (a broad and straight avenue several kilometers long) one can find typical German, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese and Indian restaurants, as well as traditional Brazilian and vegetarian cuisine.
Juiz de Fora is an important regional cultural center, the only town in south-east Minas Gerais (one of the few outside the state's capital city metropolitan complex) to have permanently functional cinemas, theatres, music venues and light entertainment. There is a nationally important museum (Museu Mariano Procópio) and a Philharmonic Orchestra (Orquestra Filarmônica Pró-Musica). The city also hosts a yearly classical music festival, the Festival Internacional de Música Brasileira Colonial e Música Antiga (International Festival of Brazilian Colonial Music and Early Music). It is home to the "Meninos Cantores da Academia
Meninos Cantores da Academia
Meninos Cantores da Academia is a Brazilian choir that was founded on July 11, 1953 by the priest José Maria Wisniewski of the SVD. Wisniewski had the intention of keeping the 500-year-old European tradition of boys' choirs alive in Brazil...
" the second oldest choir in this category in Brazil. Cultural life is also boosted by a Federal University and several private-owned colleges; making it a popular destination for students. Some of the courses at the Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
The Federal University of Juiz de Fora is one of the leading universities in Brazil. It was established in 1960 by an act of Brazilian former President Juscelino Kubitscheck. At that time, different colleges functioning in the city of Juiz de Fora were officially integrated by the Government to...
are reputedly among the best in Brazil.
The cultural life of Juiz de Fora is marked by great eclecticism, which can be seen in its architecture. Art Nouveau buildings dating from the first decade of the 20th century are intermingled with those in Art Déco style from the mid-20th century, as well as the architectural art works by Niemeyer.
Important roads:
- BR-040, linking JF to north-south cities in the middle part of the states of Minas GeraisMinas GeraisMinas 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 de JaneiroRio de Janeiro (state)Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
, such as Belo HorizonteBelo HorizonteBelo 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...
, CongonhasCongonhasCongonhas is a historical Brazilian city located in the state of Minas Gerais. It is situated south from Belo Horizonte, the capital of state of Minas Gerais, by the highway BR-040...
, Conselheiro LafaieteConselheiro LafaieteConselheiro Lafaiete is a city of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is situated 96 km south from Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, in one of the most important economic areas of Brazil. The population was 113.019 inhabitants, in 2006. It's one of the most populated cities of MG.-See...
, BarbacenaBarbacenaBarbacena is a city and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. As of 2006, the municipality had 124,601 inhabitants. The total area of the municipality is 788 km²....
, Santos Dumont, Sete LagoasSete LagoasSete Lagoas is a city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The municipal area is 537 km² while the population was 217,506 in 2007.-Location:...
, Três RiosTrês RiosTrês Rios is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. As of 2007 its population was 72,848 and its area is 325 km².As of 2009, the mayor of Três Rios is Vinicius Farah.-Sports:...
, PetrópolisPetrópolisPetrópolis , also known as The Imperial City of Brazil, is a town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, about 65 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro....
, Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and BrasíliaBrasíliaBrasília 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...
. - BR-267, linking JF to east-west cities in the southern part of Minas GeraisMinas GeraisMinas 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...
, such as Leopoldina, BicasBicasBicas is a Brazilian city in the state of Minas Gerais. As of 2004 its population is estimated to be 13.590 inhabitants.Initially a breakpoint for salesmen in the 18th century, Bicas obtained its independence from the city of Guarará in 1923...
, Lima Duarte, Bom Jardim de MinasBom Jardim de MinasBom Jardim de Minas is a city of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.The name means Good Gardens of Minas.It is situated in the southern part of Minas Gerais and in the middle of the Mantiqueira Hills, at 1,200 meters high, which gives the city a mild climate.The only paved road that reaches Bom...
and CaxambuCaxambuCaxambu is a Brazilian city in Minas Gerais. Its population in 2004 was estimated at 23,482.Located at the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Caxambu is renowned by its spa, which has twelve sources of mineral water flowing, 24 hours a day....
.
Important railroads:
- MRS-Logística.
Airports:
The city and region is served by two airports:
- Francisco Álvares de Assis AirportJuiz de Fora AirportFrancisco Álvares de Assis Airport , also called Serrinha Airport after the neighborhood where it is located, is the main airport serving Juiz de Fora, Brazil.It is operated by .-History:...
located in the neighborhood of Serrinha 6 km away. - Zona da Mata Regional AirportZona da Mata Regional AirportZona da Mata Regional Airport is an airport serving Juiz de Fora, Brazil and the region of Zona da Mata, located in the adjoining municipality of Rio Novo, Minas Gerais.It is operated by .-History:...
located in the adjoining municipality of GoianáGoianáGoianá is a town and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil.The municipality is the site of Zona da Mata Regional Airport, which serves the whole Zona da Mata region.-References:...
35 km away;
History
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Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
to the gold rush area of 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 region was covered with dense forest (thus its name since, "Zona da Mata", Forest Zone). Despite the opening of the new route, the area remained largely uninhabited, and most of its scarce settling was centered around the road itself. The first permanent inhabitants of the municipality were merchants and farmers who supplied the travelers's needs on the long road from the harbor to the gold region and vice-versa.
Further development would only take place after the decline of gold mining in the central zone of 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 capital previously invested in the mines was now invested in coffee plantations, and the region of Zona da Mata
Zona da Mata (Minas Gerais)
Zona da Mata is a mesoregion of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, situated in the southeastern part of the state, along the border of the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo...
became a fertile ground to invest. The position of the village then called Santo Antônio do Paraibuna
Paraibuna
Paraibuna is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2004 is 18,096 and the area is 811.76 km². The elevation is 635 m...
was favorable due to the road connection with the capital of the country and its harbour.
In 1850, the small village was officially elevated to city status. Progress increased with the building of the modern União e Indústria (Union and Industry) road in 1861 to replace the Caminho Novo, its name reflecting the newfound wealth of the city, for industry replaced coffee-related agriculture as its economic heart. Five years later a new railroad line reached the city and in 1889 the first hydroelectric powerplant of Latin America was built on the Paraibuna river, on the outskirts of the city, along União Indústria.
As both foreign and domestic capital fueled the industry boom, the city became a major center (it then became the largest urban area of the state). It was such so that in the first decade of the 20th century, Juiz de Fora was among the main textile and industrial centers in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and in 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...
particularly, the city's wealth was second to few centers (such as 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...
and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
). As the coffee rush frontier moved southweswards, it reached the state of São Paulo and its immensely fertile plateaus. As the State became the richest in the federation, industry flourished, as had happened to Juiz de Fora itself. The city of Juiz de Fora saw itself, then, as the only major industrial center in a state that was being much surpassed by 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 industrial output and worse still, much of the wealth generated by the state (a large bulk by Juiz de Fora itself) was being used in the building of the new 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...
(replacing Ouro Preto
Ouro Preto
-History:Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto was originally called Vila Rica, or "rich village," the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century under Portuguese rule....
, at the center of the gold region), founded by the end of the 19th century and intended to be the largest of the state, following the Brazilian and Latin-American tradition of centralization. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 30's worsened the city's decadence, which would only be overcome four decades later. By the 1940s, the city had lost its nation-wide influence, due to the continued growth of Belo Horizonte and the loss of industry.
The city's decay can be seen in the figures for its population, which remained stagnant from the early 1930s to the late 1960s. By the mid-1970s, the city started to experience new growth, which continues to this day. This new era began with the stabilizing of a federal university (UFJF) in the city and the decision by the Brazilian military junta, (1964–1985) to promote the city as a major military center. This sparked a phenomenon rarely experienced by post-industrial towns: the industrial rebirth of the city, this time following Brazilian industrialization itself, based on heavy-industry, such as steel and engineering.
Recently, the city seems to be experiencing a new era in its history, again following a boom in Brazilian economy, and is reinventing itself as a major center for services (such as telecommunications, with an important call center) and education (following the federal university, private colleges have been established in the city).
Today Juiz de Fora is an important commercial center for the surrounding region and is the core of an unofficial metropolitan area of more than 1 million inhabitants.
Demography
The population, which was 238,510 in 1970 with 7.6% living in rural areas is estimated to be 513,619 in 2005 with less than 1 percent living in rural areas. At this growth rate the population is estimated to pass 570,000 by 2010.The population of Juiz de Fora since the first census, in 1872:
1872 - 18,800
1890 - 22,600
1920 - 118,500
1940 - 118,400
1950 - 111,300
1960 - 125,000
1970 - 238,500
1980 - 305,800
1991 - 385,100
1996 - 424,000
2000 - 456,400
2002 - 471,693
2005 - 501,153
2006 - 509,109
2007 - 513,348
2008 - 520,612
Famous People From Juiz de Fora
- Geraldo Majella Agnelo (cardinal and papabilePapabilePapabile is an unofficial Italian term first coined by Vaticanologists and now used internationally in many languages to describe a cardinal of whom it is thought likely or possible that he will be elected pope. A literal English translation would be "popeable" or "one who might become pope".In...
) in the recent conclave - Itamar FrancoItamar FrancoItamar Augusto Cautiero Franco was a Brazilian politician and the President of Brazil from December 29, 1992, to January 1, 1995. During his long political career, Franco was also a Senator, Mayor, Ambassador, Governor and Vice President...
(former Brazilian President and former mayor of the city) - Fernando GabeiraFernando GabeiraFernando Paulo Nagle Gabeira is a Brazilian politician, author and journalist. He has been a federal deputy for the State of Rio de Janeiro since 1995....
(writer, reporter, congressman) - Bernardo Mascarenhas (entrepreneur and builder of the Marmelos Zero Power PlantMarmelos Zero Power PlantThe Marmelos Zero Power Plant is a decommissioned hydroelectric power plant on the Paraibuna River in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Inaugurated in 1889, plant was the first major hydroelectric power plant constructed in South America, specifically for public use. It was purchased by CEMIG in...
, the first hydroelectric station in Latin America, located in Juiz de Fora) - Murilo MendesMurilo MendesMurilo Mendes was an exponent of Modernist poetry in Brazil. He lived in Europe twice and died in Lisbon. His greatest connection in Europe though was to Rome...
(poet) - Pedro NavaPedro NavaPedro Nava may refer to:*Pedro Nava , Brazilian writer*Pedro Nava , California State Assemblyman...
(writer and journalist) - Hélio Costa (journalist and politician)
- Giovane GávioGiovane GavioGiovane Farinazzo Gavio is a retired Brazilian volleyball coach and former player, who was a member of the Brazil men's national volleyball team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain by defeating The Netherlands in the final.Playing as an outside hitter, Gavio...
(former Brazilian volleyball player) - Natália GuimarãesNatália GuimarãesNatália Guimarães is a former Miss Universe Brazil. She won the title on April 14, 2007 beating out over 26 other contestants from states and the Federal District, Brasília....
(Miss Universe Brazil 2007) - Fabricio Melo (Syracuse men's basketball player)
- Ana CarolinaAna CarolinaAna Carolina Sousa is a Brazilian singer, composer, and musician.-Career:Carolina has a contralto vocal range. Her musical influence comes from the crib, her grandmother used to sing on the radio, and her great aunt and uncle played percussion, piano, cello, and violin...
(Singer)
Sport
Juiz de Fora is home of Tupi Football ClubTupi Football Club
Tupi Football Club, usually known simply as Tupi, is a traditional Brazilian football club from Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state. They won the Série D once.-History:On May 16, 1912, Antônio Maria Júnior and four other people founded Tupi Football Club....
. Tupi is the 1932 runner-up champion of the Minas Gerais State Cup, and has won several city championships. Tupi won the 2001 Minas Gerais Module II First Division Championship, was 3rd place in Campeonato Mineiro 2008 and 2008 Taça Minas Gerais. It is widely regarded as one of the most important teams of the state, despite lacking national prestige.