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Três Marias is a Brazilian municipality΄ in northwestern
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 2020 the population was 32,716 in a total area of 2,763 km2.IBGE 2020
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Climate

The
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...
is tropical semi-humid, with an annual average
temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...
of , and an average annual maximum of ; average annual minimum: ; average annual rainfall: . The altitude varies between .Prefeitura municipal


Location

Três Marias is located at the north end of one of the largest
reservoirs A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including control ...
in Brazil—the
Represa Três Marias Folsom State Prison (FSP) is a California State Prison in Folsom, California, U.S., approximately northeast of the state capital of Sacramento. It is one of 34 adult institutions operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabil ...
—and is close to the
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
which controls water entering the
São Francisco river The São Francisco River (, ) is a large river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon, the Paraná and t ...
. The city lies on the important federal highway BR-040, which links
Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...
to
Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
. Neighboring municipalities are:
Buritizeiro Buritizeiro is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2020 was 28,121 inhabitants in a total area of 7,226 km². It is a major producer of cattle and grains. Location Buritizeiro belongs to th ...
,
Lassance Lassance is a Brazilian municipality located in the north of the state of Minas Gerais. In 2020 the population was 6,503 in a total area of 3,213 km². It became a municipality in 1953.
, (N),
Felixlândia Felixlândia is a Brazilian municipality located in the northeast of the state of Minas Gerais. Its population was 15,433 living in a total area of . The city belongs to the statistical mesoregion of Central Mineira and to the statistical micror ...
(S), Corinto (E) Morada Nova and
São Gonçalo do Abaeté São Gonçalo do Abaeté is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Its population in 2020 was 8,459 inhabitants in a total area of 2,687 km2. It is a large producer of cattle and grains. São Gonçalo do Abaet ...
(W)


Três Marias Statistical Micro-region

Três Marias is also a statistical microregion including the following municipalities:
Abaeté Abaeté is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In 2020, the population was 23,250 in a total area of 1,816 square kilometers. It became a municipality in 1870. Location Abaeté belongs to the statistical micro-regio ...
,
Biquinhas Biquinhas is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. , the population was 2,498 in a total area of 457 square kilometers. It became a municipality in 1962. Location Biquinhas belongs to the statistical micro-region o ...
, Cedro do Abaeté,
Morada Nova de Minas Morada Nova de Minas is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2020 the population was 8,910 in a total area of 2,085 km2. It became a municipality in 1943. Location Morada Nova de Minas belongs to the sta ...
, Paineiras, Pompeu, and Três Marias. In 2011 the population was 28,315 inhabitants in a total area of 2.683,0 km2. The population density was 10,55 inhabitants/km2 (2000)Citybrazil


Economic activities

The economy is based on agriculture, cattle raising, tourism, light industry and the informal economy. The GDP in 2005 was R$839 million, of which 515 million was generated by industry—namely, the hydroelectric plant of Três Marias. There were 03 banks. The number of automobiles for the municipality was 3,708 (2007), one for every 7 inhabitants. In 2006 the largest employer was public administration with around 1,200 workers. In the rural area there were 420 establishments on 113,000 hectares. More than half of the area was natural pasture. 1,500 persons were occupied in agriculture. 74 of the farms had tractors, a ratio of one in six. The cattle herd had 28,000 head. The main crops were rice, sugarcane, corn, and soybeans. In general terms the agricultural production was modest for a municipality of such a large area.


Health and education

In 2005 there were 19 clinics (14 public and 05 private) and 01 hospital (private) with 50 beds. The nearest cities with advanced health care were
Patos de Minas Patos de Minas is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Geography According to the modern (2017) geographic classification by Brazil's National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the city is the main municipality in ...
, 170 km, and
Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...
, 276 km. There were 15 pre-primary schools (10 public and 05 private), 24 primary schools (19 public and 05 private), and 04 middle schools (02 public and 02 private). There was a branch of one public institute of higher learning.


Origin of the name

There are several versions of stories that explain the name of the city. There are those who affirm, based on
astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
, that it is because of the three
star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
s belonging to the
constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...
Orion, and that are permanently visible in this region. Another possible source of the name are the three
waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
s that once existed where the reservoir would eventually be built. But the most popular explanation refers to three sisters who lived on the right bank of the river. This version talks of a couple who lived on the bank of the river who had
triplets A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...
, a rare case even today. The story goes that their birth was a topic of subject of much discussion, with its fame spreading throughout the region. They were three beautiful girls all called Maria. But the waterfall where the couple lived with their three daughters began to be called the Waterfall of the Three Marias, which disappeared after the building of the dam. The legend adds that the three Marias died by drowning in the river. However, as there is no documentary evidence in any registrar to prove its veracity, the tale remains
anecdotal Anecdotal evidence is evidence based only on personal observation, collected in a casual or non-systematic manner. The term is sometimes used in a legal context to describe certain kinds of testimony which are uncorroborated by objective, independ ...
. The less poetic, official name of the
hydroelectric station Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
is "Bernardo Mascarenhas".


The lake and dam of Tres Marias

The lake of Tres Marias began with the damming of the
São Francisco River The São Francisco River (, ) is a large river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon, the Paraná and t ...
, formed by the construction of one of the largest earth dams in the world. The objectives were to control the flow of water of the river in the periodical floods and improve navigability; the use of
hydroelectric power Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
and the development of industry and irrigation. Begun in 1957, this great project was finished in January 1961, almost a world record in this type of construction. The dam is long with a height of . Its plant produces 396,000 KW of power. The lake, known as the "Sweet Sea of Minas", has 21 billion cubic ms of water, a surface area of (8.7 times greater than
Guanabara Bay Guanabara Bay ( pt, Baía de Guanabara, ) is an oceanic bay located in Southeast Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. On its western shore lie the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias, and on its eastern shore the cities of Niterói and ...
), and provides water to 8
municipalities 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 ...
; one of the many islands formed in the lake is an ecological station; the Estação Ecologica de Pirapitinga. The speed of construction was due to the commitment of President
Juscelino Kubitschek Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (; 12 September 1902 – 22 August 1976), also known by his initials JK, was a prominent Brazilian politician who served as the 21st president of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. His term was marked by economic prosp ...
, who also completed the bridge over the São Francisco river, the BR 040 highway, and the new
federal capital A federal capital is a political entity, often a municipality or capital city, that serves as the seat of the federal government. A federal capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the offices and meeting places of its respective gov ...
. The construction of the dam was carried out in two shifts, using approximately 10,000 workers.


See also

*
List of municipalities in Minas Gerais This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais (MG), located in the Southeast Region of Brazil. Minas Gerais is divided into 853 municipalities, which are grouped into 66 microregions, which are grouped into 12 mesoregions. ...


References


External links


Official site of Três MariasStudy about fish nutrition
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tres Marias Municipalities in Minas Gerais