Araxá

Araxá ( ) is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located approximately 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of the state capital Belo Horizonte, with an area of , and designated as the urban perimeter. As of 2022 Census, the population is 111,691. It serves as the main city of the Immediate Geographic Region of Araxá, which includes 8 municipalities and as of 2017, spans an area of 9,473.902 square kilometers¹ (3,659.27 square miles) with a population of 176,736 inhabitants.

Araxá ( ) is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located approximately 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of the state capital Belo Horizonte, with an area of , and designated as the urban perimeter. As of 2022 Census, the population is 111,691. It serves as the main city of the Immediate Geographic Region of Araxá, which includes 8 municipalities and as of 2017, spans an area of 9,473.902 square kilometers (3,659.27 square miles) with a population of 176,736 inhabitants.

Geography

Araxa is bordered by the neighboring municipalities of Perdizes to the north and northwest, Ibiá to the east, Tapira to the south, and Sacramento to the southwest. The elevation of the city center is . The highest point in the municipality is Serrra da Bocaina at , and the lowest point is the Capivara river at . In 2004 the annual average temperature was , and the annual rainfall was .

Climate

Araxá experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw) with warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons. The city experiences a wet season from November to April. The dry season extends from May to September, and experiences cooler temperatures than the wet season.

Demographics

At the start of the 21st century, the municipality's population was 78,997 in 2000 and increased to 93,071 by 2010. According to the 2022 Brazilian census, the population grew to 111,691, marking an increase of approximately 19.9%.

Transport

Araxá is served by Romeu Zema Airport (IATA: AAX, ICAO: SBAX), located 4 km from the city center. The city's railway station was inaugurated in 1926 by Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas (EFOM). The branch line now serves for only cargo transport and connects the city with the municipalities of Ibiá and Uberaba. Passenger rail services were discontinued in 1979. The municipality is connected by federal and state highways: BR 262 – Belo Horizonte/Vitória/Corumbá MG 428 – Rifaina/Franca BR 452 – Uberlândia/Tupaciguara

Economic activities

The economy is based on tourism, services, mining, industry, and some agriculture. Araxá is famous in Brazil for its spa with medicinal mud and mineral waters. One of Brazil's most emblematic hotels, the Grande Hotel, is the center of attraction. Opened in 1944 by governor Benedito Valadares and President Vargas, the Hotel initiated an era of splendor to Araxá and the inland region of the state. It was the stage for huge social, political and cultural events. Overall, the city's hotel sector has 24 establishments offering 2,708 beds (2004). One of Brazil's most famous soap operas, Dona Beija, loosely based on the life of a legendary historic character of the city, was filmed here. In addition to tourism, the city has a niobium mine. That metal is used in special steels and alloys for jet engine components, rocket sub-assemblies, and heat-resisting and combustion equipment. Reserves are about 460 million tons, sufficient to satisfy current world demand for about 500 years. The largest enterprise in this sector is CBMM—Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração. Araxá is also a major producer of phosphate concentrate, essential for the production of fertilizers. The most important company in this sector is Vale Fertilizantes S.A., which was acquired by The Mosaic Company in 2018, and operates the largest single superphosphate production plant in Brazil. In 2005, Araxá recorded a GDP of 1.439 billion Brazilian reais, generated almost equally by the services and industry sectors. During the same period, the workforce included 2,865 employees¹ in industry, 1,478 in construction, 7,636 in commerce, 1,296 in restaurants and hotels, and 2,691 in public administration. The municipality contained 405 rural properties covering a total of 68,000 hectares (170,000 acres). Approximately 1,500 individuals were employed in agriculture. The livestock population comprised 65,000 head of cattle, primarily used for dairy production, with an estimated daily output of 500,000 litres (130,000 US gallons) in 2004. In addition, there was significant production of poultry and swine, and 22 producers of cachaça were registered in 2004. The main agricultural crops included coffee, corn, and soybeans. As of 2021, Araxá reported a GDP of 8.951 billion Brazilian reais, ranking 163rd in Brazil and a GDP per capita of R$ 82.570,25.

Health and education

In the health sector there were 17 health clinics and 4 hospitals with 244 beds (2005). There were also 6 clinical analysis laboratories and 34 pharmacies. Two of the hospitals were private, and two were philanthropic. The educational needs of 10,500 students¹ were met by 33 primary schools, 11 middle schools, and 40 pre-primary schools. In higher education, there were two institutions: Centro Universitário Planalto de Araxá, and, Universidade do Triângulo Mineiro (UNIT). In 2004, the healthcare statistics indicated a ratio of one doctor for every 598 inhabitants¹ and an availability of 3.5 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants. The infant mortality rate stood at 8.70 deaths per 1,000 live births in the same year, significantly lower than both the state and national averages. For comparison, the infant mortality rate was recorded at 20.80 deaths per 1,000 live births in the year 2000. Municipal Human Development Index: 0.799 (2000) State ranking: 40 out of 853 municipalities as of 2000 National ranking: 579 out of 5,138 municipalities as of 2000 Literacy rate: 93% Life expectancy: 70 (average of males and females) In 2023, Araxá ranked 3rd in Minas Gerais and 38th in Brazil for access to education. In the same year, there were 38 schools in the city serving 13,487 elementary school students and 14 schools educating 4,182 high school students.

See also

List of municipalities in Minas Gerais

References

External links

Official government site

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378462975 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.