Belo Horizonte

Belo Horizonte (lit. "Bonnie Horizon", Portuguese pronunciation: [bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi][1]) is the caipital o an mucklest ceety in the state o Minas Gerais, locatit in the sootheastren region o Brazil. It is the third-lairgest metropolitan aurie in the kintra. Belo Horizonte (or "Beagá", as it is an aa familiarly kent frae the soond o its initials "BH" in Portuguese) haes a population o ower 2.4 million, or amaist 5.4 million in the offeecial Metropolitan Aurie.

Belo Horizonte
The Municipality o Belo Horizonte
Banner o Belo Horizonte
Banner
Official seal of Belo Horizonte
Seal
Eik-name(s): 
BH (read "beagá"), The Garden Ceety, Belzonti (misspellin, caused bi local accent), Belô (as foreigners uisually caw the ceety)
Location of Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is located in Brazil
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 19°55′8.88″S 43°56′19.2″W / 19.9191333°S 43.938667°W / -19.9191333; -43.938667
Kintra Brazil
RegionSootheast
State Minas Gerais
Foondit1701
Incorporatit (as ceety)12 December 1897
Govrenment
 • MayorMarcio Lacerda (PSB)
Area
 • Municipality330.9 km2 (127.7 sq mi)
 • Urban
282.3 km2 (109 sq mi)
 • Metro
9459.1 km2 (3652 sq mi)
Elevation
852.19 m (2796 ft)
Population
 (2010)
 • Municipality2,375,444 (6t)
 • Density7290.8/km2 (17521/sq mi)
 • Metro
5,397,438 (3rd)
 • Demonym
Belorizontino
Time zoneUTC-3 (BST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-2 (BDT)
Postal Code
30000-000
Area code(s)+55 31
WebsiteBelo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

The region wis first settled in the early 18t century, but the ceety as it is kent the day wis planned an constructit in the 1890s, in order tae replace Ouro Preto as the caipital o Minas Gerais. The ceety features a mixture o contemporary an classical buildings, an hosts several modern Brazilian architectural icons, maist notably the Pampulha Complex. In plannin the ceety, Aarão Reis an Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban plannin o Washington, D.C.[2] The ceety haes employed notable programs in urban revitalization an fuid security, for which it haes been awardit internaitional accolades.

The ceety is biggit on several hills an is completely surroondit bi muntains.[3] There are several lairge pairks in the immediate surroondins o Belo Horizonte. The "Parque das Mangabeiras", locatit sax kilometres sooth-east frae the ceety centre in the hills o the Serra do Curral, affords a view ower the ceety. It hase an aurie o 2.35 km2 (580 acres), o which 0.9 km2 (220 acres) is native forest. The "Mata do Jambeiro" nature reserve extends ower 912 hectares (2,250 acres), wi vegetation typical o the Atlantic forest. Mair nor ane hunder species o bird inhabit the reserve, as well as ten different species o mammals.

History

Belo Horizonte's earliest dounsets stem frae a ferm, Currall d'el Rey, which wis biggit in 1701 bi guldletaren João Leite da Silva Ortiz. A veelage wi the surroondin agricultural landscape eventually grew up aroond Currall d'el Rey. The veelage got progressively importance as stopower for migrants heidin tae the soothren pairts o the kintra. In the late 1800s leukit for a new caipital for the state, an decidit in 1893 tae the place whaur Currall d'el Rey law. Next, put in motion the process o biggin Brazil's first planned ceety, which wis kent as Cidade de Minas. The ceety wis inauguratit, if somewha lame, on the 12 Dizember 1897. The name wis chyngit tae Belo Horizonte in 1906.

Internaitional relations

Sister ceeties

Belo Horizonte's sister ceeties are:[4]

Pairtner ceeties

Belo Horizonte haes the follaein pairtner ceeties:

References