Vale do Aço metropolitan area
Encyclopedia
The Vale do Aço Metropolitan Region (Região Metropolitana do Vale do Aço, in portuguese) is a metropolitan area in Minas Gerais
, Brazil
, comprising only the four municipalities of Coronel Fabriciano
, Ipatinga
, Santana do Paraíso
and Timóteo
, but have an influence area of 22 other municipalities.
. This region is also known as "a Região de Siderurgia" (Ironcasting Region), as it holds a great number of iron and steel processing companies along the course of the Rio Doce and its tributary, the Rio Piracicaba
.
The industrialization was possible after the construction of the Estrada de Ferro Vitória Minas, a large railway that crossed almost untouched forest regions in the 1920s, to connect the Metropolitan Area of Vitória to Belo Horizonte
. Soon after the conclusion of the railway, the ironcasting Belgo-Mineira started its activity in Coronel Fabriciano, buying local timber for charcoal production, using the it as fuel for its factories.
In 1944 Acesita
, now called ArcelorMittal Timóteo, is installed in nowadays Timóteo. Acesita produces special steel, mainly the stainless steel
. In 1948 the municipiality of Coronel Fabriciano is emancipated, including in its domains the area of nowadays Timóteo and Ipatinga.
In 1956 Usiminas
is installed in the region of Ipatinga. In 1964 both Ipatinga and Timóteo are separated from Coronel Fabriciano.
In 1973 Cenibra is installed in Belo Oriente, a municipality located in Vale do aço's influence area.
The metropolitan area was officially defined in 1998 and has a population of 430,700 (IBGE
estimate 2005).
and Usiminas
, both iron-casting. Cenibra, a pulp
factory in Belo Oriente
, is also large. There are several other minor industries, some of them heavily connected with the major ones, as suppliers or costumers of its products.
The region has a large eucalyptus monoculture, that was initially used to make charcoal for iron-casting. Lately, imported mineral charcoal was adopted in Usiminas and Acesita, so the eucalyptus is now mainly used to supply the pulp factory of Cenibra as raw material.
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...
, 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...
, comprising only the four municipalities of Coronel Fabriciano
Coronel Fabriciano
Coronel Fabriciano is a Brazilian city of the Vale do Aço metropolitan area in the State of Minas Gerais....
, Ipatinga
Ipatinga
Ipatinga is a city and municipality located in eastern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The city was founded in 1962 and covers a total area of 166.5 km². Its population is 240,338 . It is part of the Vale do Aço Metropolitan Area .Ipatinga is located at the site where the Piracicaba River flows into...
, Santana do Paraíso
Santana do Paraíso
Santana do Paraíso is a Brazilian municipality situated in the state of Minas Gerais which was founded in 1992. It forms part of the Vale do Aço metropolitan area. Its estimated population in 2004 was of 20.760 inhabitants....
and Timóteo
Timóteo
Timóteo is a Brazilian city in the state of Minas Gerais, located by the Piracicaba River. The population as of 2006 was 81,219 inhabitants. the city belongs to the metropolitan area of the Steel Valley . It is the hometown of Acesita, a steel factory specialized in the production of stainless...
, but have an influence area of 22 other municipalities.
History
The name means Steel Valley in PortuguesePortuguese 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...
. This region is also known as "a Região de Siderurgia" (Ironcasting Region), as it holds a great number of iron and steel processing companies along the course of the Rio Doce and its tributary, the Rio Piracicaba
Piracicaba River (Minas Gerais)
The Piracicaba River is a river of Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil.-See also:* ] map]* Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....
.
The industrialization was possible after the construction of the Estrada de Ferro Vitória Minas, a large railway that crossed almost untouched forest regions in the 1920s, to connect the Metropolitan Area of Vitória to 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...
. Soon after the conclusion of the railway, the ironcasting Belgo-Mineira started its activity in Coronel Fabriciano, buying local timber for charcoal production, using the it as fuel for its factories.
In 1944 Acesita
Acesita
Aperam, before known as ArcelorMittal Inox Brasil or, formerly known as Acesita, is a biggest Brazilian manufacturer of specialty steels. Headquartered in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, the company is a supplier of stainless, silicon and special carbon steels...
, now called ArcelorMittal Timóteo, is installed in nowadays Timóteo. Acesita produces special steel, mainly the stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
. In 1948 the municipiality of Coronel Fabriciano is emancipated, including in its domains the area of nowadays Timóteo and Ipatinga.
In 1956 Usiminas
Usiminas
Usiminas is a large producer of steel in the Americas, with major steel mills in Brazil with a total capacity of 9.5 million metric tons of steel per year. The company accounts for 28 % of total steel output in Brazil. Usiminas has an installed capacity of producing 9.5 million tons of crude...
is installed in the region of Ipatinga. In 1964 both Ipatinga and Timóteo are separated from Coronel Fabriciano.
In 1973 Cenibra is installed in Belo Oriente, a municipality located in Vale do aço's influence area.
The metropolitan area was officially defined in 1998 and has a population of 430,700 (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...
estimate 2005).
Municipialities
There is oficially no main city in the Metropolitan Area of Vale do Aço. However, Ipatinga is much larger than the other cities, with about 240,000 inhabitants. The second largest city is Coronel Fabriciano, with about 105,000 inhabitants, followed by Timóteo, that has 80,000.| Municipiality | Area (km²) | Population(2008) | PIB (2005) | HDI (2000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipatinga Ipatinga Ipatinga is a city and municipality located in eastern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The city was founded in 1962 and covers a total area of 166.5 km². Its population is 240,338 . It is part of the Vale do Aço Metropolitan Area .Ipatinga is located at the site where the Piracicaba River flows into... |
166 | 241.720 | 4.422.997.000 | 0,806 |
| Coronel Fabriciano Coronel Fabriciano Coronel Fabriciano is a Brazilian city of the Vale do Aço metropolitan area in the State of Minas Gerais.... |
221 | 104.415 | 451.426.000 | 0,789 |
| Timóteo Timóteo Timóteo is a Brazilian city in the state of Minas Gerais, located by the Piracicaba River. The population as of 2006 was 81,219 inhabitants. the city belongs to the metropolitan area of the Steel Valley . It is the hometown of Acesita, a steel factory specialized in the production of stainless... |
145 | 79.813 | 1.942.089.000 | 0,831 |
| Santana do Paraíso Santana do Paraíso Santana do Paraíso is a Brazilian municipality situated in the state of Minas Gerais which was founded in 1992. It forms part of the Vale do Aço metropolitan area. Its estimated population in 2004 was of 20.760 inhabitants.... |
276 | 24.105 | 108.346.000 | 0,712 |
| Total | 808 | 449.340 | 6.824.858.000 | 0,803 |
Industrial Activity
The largest industries of the region are ArcelorMittal TimóteoAcesita
Aperam, before known as ArcelorMittal Inox Brasil or, formerly known as Acesita, is a biggest Brazilian manufacturer of specialty steels. Headquartered in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, the company is a supplier of stainless, silicon and special carbon steels...
and Usiminas
Usiminas
Usiminas is a large producer of steel in the Americas, with major steel mills in Brazil with a total capacity of 9.5 million metric tons of steel per year. The company accounts for 28 % of total steel output in Brazil. Usiminas has an installed capacity of producing 9.5 million tons of crude...
, both iron-casting. Cenibra, a pulp
Pulp (paper)
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
factory in Belo Oriente
Belo Oriente
Belo Oriente is a town and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil.-References:...
, is also large. There are several other minor industries, some of them heavily connected with the major ones, as suppliers or costumers of its products.
The region has a large eucalyptus monoculture, that was initially used to make charcoal for iron-casting. Lately, imported mineral charcoal was adopted in Usiminas and Acesita, so the eucalyptus is now mainly used to supply the pulp factory of Cenibra as raw material.