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EncyclopediaMinas GeraisMinas Gerais (mē'nus zhurīs') [key][Port.,=various mines], state (1996 pop. 16,660,691), 226,707 sq mi (587,171 sq km), E Brazil. The capital is Belo Horizonte. Minas Gerais continues to produce more than half of Brazil's mineral wealth. Gold was discovered at the end of the 17th cent. and was mined extensively. The state has long led the country in iron-ore mining and steel production. In the mid-1990s, Minas Gerais, with its low land and labor costs and inexpensive power, experienced the highest industrial growth in South America, making its economy in Brazil second only to São Paulo. Numerous expansion programs have been pursued in the automobile, mining, and manufacturing sectors. Agriculture and livestock also are important to the state's economy. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. More on Minas Gerais from Infoplease:
- Minas Gerais: meaning and definitions - Minas Gerais: Definition and Pronunciation
- Suggestions for spelling of encyclopedia/minas gerais - The Infoplease spelling checker combines spelling help with our dictionary and thesaurus
- Juscelino Kubitschek - Kubitschek, Juscelino Kubitschek, Juscelino , 1902–76, president of Brazil (1956–61). A ...
- Rio Grande, river, Brazil - Rio Grande Rio Grande, name of several rivers of Brazil. The largest rises in S Minas Gerais state, ...
- Governador Valadares - Governador Valadares Governador Valadares , city (1996 pop. 231,077), Minas Gerais state, SE ...
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