Almenara, is a municipality in the northeast of the
Brazilian state
The federative units of Brazil () are subnational entities with a certain degree of autonomy (self-government, self-regulation, and self-collection) and endowed with their own government and constitution, which together form the Federative Repu ...
of
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
. Situated on the
Jequitinhonha River it is the largest city in that river valley. Its 2020 population was estimated at 42,143 and the municipal area was 2,301 km². It was founded on 13 January 1938. In 1981 the city was made the seat of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Almenara.
Geography
The elevation is 248 meters. The postal code is 39900-000. The distance to the state capital,
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...
, is 744 kilometers. Almenara is also the center of the
Immediate Geographic Region of Almenara
The Immediate Geographic Region of Almenara, Minas Gerais, Almenara is one of the 7 immediate Intermediate and Immediate Geographic Regions, geographic regions in the Intermediate Geographic Region of Teófilo Otoni, one of the 70 immediate geogra ...
.
The municipality contains a small amount of the
Mata Escura Biological Reserve
The Mata Escura Biological Reserve () is a Biological reserve (Brazil), biological reserve in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
It protects a remnant of Atlantic Forest, and includes a unique mix of vegetation on sandy hilltops.
The reserve overl ...
, created in 2003. The river beach of Almenara was once considered one of the most beautiful in the country. Today, with mining in the tributaries of the Jequitinhonha its waters are polluted with mercury and oil. Its clean sands have become dark and dirty.
The hill called Morro do Cruzeiro is used for hang gliding. There is also an arched bridge with a span of 300 meters crossing the river. When the river is full some people dive off the bridge.
Economy
The main economic activity is cattle raising with over 89,000 head of cattle counted in 2006. Agriculture is important with the main crops being coffee, coconuts, banana, corn, and sugarcane. There were 4 banking agencies in 2006. There were 2 private hospitals with 180 beds (2005). In the rural area there were 983 farms in 2006. More than 3,000 people depended on agriculture for a living. Only 33 farms had tractors, which was a ratio of one tractor for 30 farms.
Social indicators
*Municipal
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...
: .668 (2000)
*State ranking: 680 out of 853 municipalities
*National ranking: 3,496 out of 5,138 municipalities
*Degree of urbanization: 78.48% (2000)--the rate for Minas Gerais was 82.0%
*Illiteracy rate: 30.66% (15 years old or older) The rate for Minas Gerais was 11.96%; the rate for Brazil was 13.63%
*Urban area covered by sewage system: 80.80%--the rate for Minas Gerais was 81.39%
*Health centers and hospitals: 13 health centers and 02 hospitals with 172 beds
See also
*
List of municipalities in Minas Gerais
This is a list of the municipalities in the States of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais (MG), located in the Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast Region of Brazil. Minas Gerais is divided into 853 Municipalities of Brazil, municipalities, ...
References
{{Authority control
Municipalities in Minas Gerais