Araguapaz is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in northwestern

Goiás Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goiânia. ...

state,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. The population is 7,783 (2020) in a total area of 2,194 km². It is a major producer of cattle.

Location and Municipal Boundaries

Araguapaz is located 268 kilometers northwest of the state capital, Goiânia, in the

Rio Vermelho Microregion The Rio Vermelho Microregion is a geographical region in central Goiás state, Brazil. The most important city is Goiás, also known as Goiás Velho, the only World Heritage Site in the state of Goiás. It takes its name from the Vermelho River, ...

. Connections with

Goiânia Goiânia (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region and the 10th-largest in the country. Its metropolitan area has a population ...

are made by highways GO-070 /

Goianira Goianira is a municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil, located 32 kilometers northwest of the state capital, Goiânia. The population was 45,296 (2020) with a total area of 200.4 km² (10/10/2002). Goianira is becoming a major producer ...

Itaberaí Itaberaí is a municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil. Itaberaí is a large producer of agricultural products including corn, rice, soybeans, tomatoes, and sugarcane. Location Itaberaí is located 92 kilometers north-west of Goiânia on s ...

/ GO-164 / Faina. Highway GO-530 continues northwest for 53 kilometers to

Aruanã Aruanã is a municipality in north-western Goiás state, Brazil. The population is 10,110 (2020 est.) in an area of 3050.31 km2. Aruanã is located on the Araguaia River, 324 km from the state capital, Goiânia, 59 km northwest of A ...

on the

Araguaia River The Araguaia River ( pt, Rio Araguaia , Karajá: ♂ ''Berohokỹ'' eɾohoˈkə̃ ♀ ''Bèrakuhukỹ'' ɛɾakuhuˈkə̃ is one of the major rivers of Brazil though it is almost equal in volume at its confluence with the Tocantins. It has a total ...

. Municipal boundaries: *North: Mozarlândia *South: Faina *East:

Morro Agudo de Goiás Morro Agudo de Goiás is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in northeastern Goiás state, Brazil. Location Monte Agudo de Goiás is located in the north-eastern region of the state near the source of the Rio Tesouras, which flows north into ...

*West:

and

Matrinchã Matrinchã is a municipality in west-central Goiás state, Brazil. Location *Statistical microregion: Rio Vermelho Microregion *Distance to the state capital: 261 km. *Distance to regional center (Goiás Velho): 106 km. *Highway conn ...

It is in the mini-basin of the Rio do Peixe, a tributary of the

. Another important river in the region is the Tesouras.

Demographic and Political Data

*Population density: 3.41 inhabitants/km² (2007) *Population growth rate 2000/2007: 0.33.% *Urban population: 5,218 *Rural population: 2,264 *Eligible voters: 5,676 (12/2007) *City government in 2005: mayor (José Segundo Rezende Júnior), vice-mayor (Margareth Alves Irineu Luciano), and 09 councilmembers

Economic Information

The economy is practically dependent on the raising of cattle, especially fattening for the urban market. More than ninety percent of the landowners are from large urban areas like

and

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

. There were 164,640 cows in 2006, of which 7,100 were milk cows. The main agricultural products were bananas, coconut, hearts of palm, pineapple, rice, manioc, corn (650 hectares), and soybeans. *Financial institution in 2007: Brasdesco S.A.

Health and education

*Health establishments: 03 (2002) *Hospitals: 01 with 07 beds *Infant mortality rate (in 1,000 live births): 1990—31.02; 2000—21.09 *Schools: 09 with 2,036 students *Higher education: none reporting *Literacy rate: 1991—67.8; 2000—78.6 *MHDI: 0.729 *State ranking: 148 (out of 242 municipalities) *National ranking: 2,453 (out of 5,507 municipalities)

History

Until the 1960s the region was uninhabited. In 1961 Dolzane de Paulo Bastos, from Orizona, Goiás, entered the area with his companions and settled along the banks of the Córrego Cambuí, in a region called Cavalo Queimado. Dolzane and his group offered lots to anyone willing to build a house, and soon other pioneers arrived. By 1962 there were 11 huts made of palm fronds and a dirt road—really a cow path—to the capital

, 120 kilometers away. By 1963 the settlement was raised to a district with the name Cavalo Queimado. Later the name was changed to São Joaquim do Araguaia, and later to Araguapaz, due to its proximity to the Rio Araguaia and the Córrego Isabel Paes. In 1970 the town began to grow with the construction of a road linking Goiás and São Miguel do Araguaia. This road was known as the Estrada dos Bois (the highway of the cows). Later a road was opened from Araguapaz to

, opening up possibilities of tourism. In 1982 Araguapaz was elevated to a municipality.

References