São Lourenço (''Saint Lawrence'') is a Brazilian

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 ...

and

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. H ...

in the southern part of the 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 ...

, in the Southeast of the country. It is one of the smallest Brazilian municipalities, with only 57.2 km² (22.1 sq. mi), and is located at an equal distance - approximately 3.5h - from two major cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. São Lourenço has a yearly mean temperature of 18 °C. In the winter the lows can reach 0 °C, sometimes with heavy frost. The region has occasionally been affected by flooding; the most severe occurred in 1940, 1986, 1990 and 2000. In January 2000, heavy storms caused the waters of Rio Verde to rise more than 4.5m, leaving parts of the city underwater, including the city centre and the municipal park where the mineral water fountains are located.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

is the main economic activity of the city although it has also become the regional hub for shopping, medical care, and banking. The city is served by Comte. Luiz Carlos de Oliveira Airport. Throughout the year, several events take place in Sao Lourenço. They include the International Choir Festival,

Cachaça ''Cachaça'' () is a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Also known as ''pinga'', ''caninha'', and other names, it is the most popular spirit among distilled alcoholic beverages in Brazil.Cavalcante, Messias Soares. Todos os no ...

Festival - cachaça is a hard liquor distilled from sugar cane juice, Winter Festival, Street Carnaval, Orchid Exhibits, Megacycle (a motorcyclists gathering), Vintage/Classic Cars Expo, a Hot Air Balloonists gathering, as well as several conferences of large Brazilian organizations. In the beginning of August, the city celebrates its patron saint, Saint Lawrence, with a ten-day festival that includes live music, traditional food, and fireworks.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Lourenco, Minas Gerais Municipalities in Minas Gerais Springs of Brazil