Nova Lima 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 ...

of about 87,000 people, whose downtown is located about 20 kilometers south of Belo Horizonte, the capital of the south-eastern Brazilian state of

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

Mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

is one of the main economical activities of the city, including the extraction of Iron Ore and

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

. The most famous mine in the city is Morro Velho (Old Hill), a gold mine of depth.

History

Historically, the city was known as ''Campos de Congonhas'', ''Congonhas de Sabará'' and until 1923 as ''Villa Nova de Lima''.

Location

The city belongs to the mesoregion Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte and to the microregion of Belo Horizonte. The city is home to several mines, including the Morro Velho, Mostardas, and Rio de Peixe mines. A number of

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...

s are extracted from these and other sites in and around the city, including gold. The St. John Del Rey Mining Company was founded by British interests in 1834 for the extraction of gold and also caused the settlement of some 150 families from

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

which led to the establishment of the

Anglican Church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

in town. The municipality contains the Mata do Jambreiro Private Natural Heritage Reserve, a protected area operated by the State Forestry Institute in partnership with the MBR mining company. It contains part of the

Serra do Rola-Moça State Park The Serra do Rola-Moça State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual da Serra do Rola-Moça) is a state park in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It protects a rugged area in the transition zone between cerrado and Atlantic Forest. Springs in the park are imp ...

, created in 1994. It also contains a small part of the

Serra do Gandarela National Park Serra do Gandarela National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional da Serra do Gandarela) is a national park in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It protects a mountainous region holding a remnant of Atlantic Forest that is an important source of water for th ...

, created in 2014.

Sports

The city is home to the

Villa Nova Atlético Clube Villa Nova Atlético Clube, commonly known as Villa Nova, is a Brazilian professional association football club based in Nova Lima, Minas Gerais. The team plays in Série D, the fourth tier of the Brazilian football league system, as well as i ...

, the second-oldest football club of Minas Gerais still active. The club was a major force from the 1930s until the early 1950s and won in that period five state championships. It is still a regular participant in the first division of Minas Gerais. From the late 1920s until the end of the 1930s the Sport Club Retiro also took part in the state championship. With José Perácio in 1938 and Luiz Carlos Ferreira "Luizinho" in 1982 two players born in Nova Lima represented Brazil in World Cups.

Images

Novo Lima (MG) - St John Del Rey Mining Co - 1869.jpg , St John Del Rey Mining Co., ca. 1868–69 Nova Lima (MG) - Teatro Municipal.jpg , Teatro Municipal Nova Lima (MG) - Matriz do Pilar at night.jpg , Matriz do Pilar Nova Lima (MG) - Praça Principal.jpg , Main Square Nova Lima (MG) - Hospital Nossa Senhora de Lourdes.jpg , Hospital Nossa Senhora de Lourdes Nova Lima (MG) - Bairro dos Ingleses.jpg , Quarter of the English Nova Lima (MG) - Bicame.jpg , Bicame, aqueduct for gold-washing

References

; Municipalities in Minas Gerais {{MinasGerais-geo-stub

History

Location

Sports

Images

See also

References