Arenápolis is a
Brazilian municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the state of
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso ( – ) is one of the states of Brazil, the List of Brazilian states by area, third largest by area, located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible ...
. It is situated at a latitude of 14°27'01" south and a longitude of 56°50'46" west, at an altitude of 247 meters, making it the closest city to the
South American
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
continental
pole of inaccessibility
In geography, a pole of inaccessibility is the farthest (or most difficult to reach) location in a given landmass, sea, or other topographical feature, starting from a given boundary, relative to a given criterion. A geographical criterion of i ...
. The estimated population in 2021 was 9,399 inhabitants, covering an area of 417.337 km².
The municipality originated from diamond mining in abundant gravel, leading hundreds of people since the 18th century to settle along the banks of the Ribeirão Areias river, populating what was initially known as the village of Areias. This village later gained independence and was renamed Arenápolis for a more resonant name while still referencing its origins related to the Ribeirão Areias river.
History
Diamond Mining
The mining activity in the Ribeirão Areias area, which inspired the municipality's name, is as ancient as the historical development of
Diamantino
Diamantino is a municipality in Mato Grosso state in Brazil. It has a population of 22,178 and is near Diamantino River. It is above sea-level, and sits at the foot of the Mato Grosso plateau. Its history dates from 1730 as a gold mining settle ...
, dating back to the 18th century.
The actual formation of the city began in 1936 when miners explored the right bank of the Santana River, below its confluence with Ribeirão Areias, discovering formations favorable for diamond mining. Around 1940, the first diamonds were panned along the banks of Areias. This discovery attracted more miners to the area.
See also
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List of municipalities in Mato Grosso
This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Mato Grosso (MT), located in the Central-West Region of Brazil. Mato Grosso is divided into 142 municipalities, which are grouped into 22 microregions, which are grouped into 5 mesoregions.
...
References
Municipalities in Mato Grosso
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