Minas Gerais Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

State of Minas Gerais

Flag	Coat of arms

Motto(s):

Libertas Quae Sera Tamen (Latin)
"Freedom albeit Late"

Location of State of Minas Gerais in Brazil

Country

Brazil

Capital and Largest City

Belo Horizonte

Area

• Total

586,528.29 km² (226,459.84 sq mi)

Area rank

4th

Population

(2012)

• Total

19,855,332

• Rank

2nd

• Density

33.8523006/km² (87.6770561/sq mi)

• Density rank

14th

Demonym(s)

Mineiro

GDP

• Year

2006 estimate

• Total

R$ 214,814,000,000 (3rd)

• Per capita

R$ 11,028 (10th)

HDI

• Year

2005

• Category

0.800 – high (9th)

Time zone

UTC-3 (BRT)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-2 (BRST)

Postal Code

30000-000 to 39990-000

ISO 3166 code

BR-MG

Website

mg.gov.br

Minas Gerais is a large state in Brazil. It is home to many people, having the second largest population in the country. It also has the fourth largest area among Brazilian states. The capital city is Belo Horizonte, located near the center of the state.

The name "Minas Gerais" means "General mines" in Portuguese. This name comes from its history. The state was first settled by people looking for valuable resources like gold, gemstones, and diamonds.

Where is Minas Gerais?
Important Cities
Images for kids
See also

Where is Minas Gerais?

Minas Gerais is located in the southeastern part of Brazil. It shares its borders with several other states:

To the north, it borders Bahia and Goiás.
To the far west, it touches Mato Grosso do Sul.
To the south, it borders São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
To the east, it borders Espírito Santo.

It also has a small border with the Brazilian Federal District.

Important Cities

Minas Gerais has more cities than any other state in Brazil. Out of over 5,500 cities in Brazil, Minas Gerais has more than 850 of them!

Some of the most important cities in the state include:

Belo Horizonte - This is the capital city.
Contagem
Betim
Juiz de Fora
Montes Claros
Uberlândia - This is the largest city in the state after Belo Horizonte.
Ouro Preto - This city is famous for its history and beautiful old buildings.

States of Brazil
Acre \| Alagoas \| Amapá \| Amazonas \| Bahia \| Ceará \| Espírito Santo \| Goiás \| Maranhão \| Mato Grosso \| Mato Grosso do Sul \| Minas Gerais \| Pará \| Paraíba \| Paraná \| Pernambuco \| Piauí \| Rio de Janeiro \| Rio Grande do Norte \| Rio Grande do Sul \| Rondônia \| Roraima \| Santa Catarina \| São Paulo \| Sergipe \| Tocantins
Federal District: Brazilian Federal District