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From the top, left to right: Parque Ecológico Mata do Ipê (Mata do Ipê Ecological Park), The Japanese Clock at the former bus station, Archdiocese of Uberaba, Partial view of downtown, Museum of Sacred Art/Igreja de Santa Rita (Santa Rita Church), The city's first medical school (Now UFTM Campus Manoel Terra), and the old railway station of Peirópolis.
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto(s):
Indefesse pro Brasilia! (Latin) Unflagging for Brazil!
Uberaba (Portuguese pronunciation:[ubeˈɾabɐ]) is a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Highlands at an elevation of 823 metres (2,700 ft) above sea level on the Uberaba River, and is situated 418 kilometres (260 mi) from the state capital, Belo Horizonte.[3] The city was granted its status in 1856 and derives its name from the Tupi language, meaning 'bright water'.[4] As of 2021, the population was 340,277 inhabitants.
History
The history of Uberaba traces its origins back to 1810, when Captain Major Eustaquio founded a settlement near the ancient Anhanguera route, which was more commonly referred to back then as the "Goyazes road". This settlement served as a resting point for both locals and travelers who passed through or arrived there during the 19th century. Its strategic location and function as a crossroads prompted local farmers to engage in crop cultivation and cattle domestication for commercial purposes, leading to the establishment of a robust livestock network in the region.[5]
Initially a part of the Captaincy of Goias, the territory of Uberaba was incorporated into the Captaincy of Minas Gerais in 1816. It gained recognition as a parish in 1820 and was officially designated as a city in 1856.[6]
In 1889, the inaugural railway station was established due to the expansion of the Mogiana Railway from the neighboring municipality of Sacramento. The introduction of the railway system boosted the economy of Uberaba in the subsequent years.[7]
Currently, Uberaba is well-known for its lively livestock and agribusiness events. As an industrial hub, the city functions as a regional center for culture, commerce, and entertainment, hosting a diverse array of institutions, markets, and entertainment venues.[8]
The municipality also encompasses the district of Peirópolis, a paleontological site located in the rural area of Uberaba. Within this district, one can find the Centro de Pesquisas Paleontológicas Llewellyn Ivor Price (lit: Paleontological Research Center Llewellyn Ivor Price), and a museum dedicated to the fossils discovered in the vicinity.
On March 27, 2024, Uberaba gained recognition from UNESCO as a global geopark.[9]
Geography
Climate
Uberaba has a Tropical climate (Aw) with an average annual temperature of 21.9 °C (71.4 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded was 40.2 °C (105.2 °F) in October, while the lowest recorded temperature was −2.2 °C (28.0 °F) in July.
Precipitation occurs on an average of 86 days per year, with the highest amount in December and the lowest in July.[10]
Uberaba is a significant producer of grains in the state, particularly corn, soybean, coffee, cotton, and sugarcane. In 2021, it ranked among the 100 largest economies in Brazil, holding the 62nd position with a GDP of R$ 20.3 billion, and a GDP per capita of R$ 59,943.[13] The city is also renowned for hosting the agricultural showExpozebu, one of the world's largest cattle fairs held annually.[14][15]
The service sector employs slightly over half of the city's population, followed by the manufacturing industry, and agriculture ranking third. The industrial sector encompasses various fields such as agribusiness, food processing, textile manufacturing, steel production, mining, chemical manufacturing, electronic devices, home appliances, and more.[16]
Within the industrial park, there are processing plants operated by major chemical companies, including Mosaic (formerly Vale S.A.), FMC Corporation, Sipcam Nichino (UPL), and Yara.[17]
Cargo transportation to other cities is primarily done via road and rail networks.[18]
Uberaba is recognized for housing a significant paleontological site in Brazil, boasting fossil records dating back approximately 80 to 66 million years, from the Late Cretaceous period.
The first paleontological discoveries in the territory were made by chance in 1945 when workers in the rural district of Peirópolis accidentally came across well-preserved fossils. Subsequently, paleontologist Llewellyn Ivor Price, associated with the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM), conducted extensive scientific research in the region from 1947 until 1974, with Peirosaurus being one of Price's early findings in the area of the Serra da Galga Formation.[19] The specimens collected during this period were later transferred to the Museum of Earth Sciences in Rio de Janeiro.[20]
In 1991, it was established in Peirópolis, the Paleontological Research Center Llewellyn Ivor Price, locally known as the Centro de Pesquisas Paleontológicas Llewellyn Ivor Price. Currently, the research center collaborates with various national and international research institutions, and serves as a hub for paleontology in Brazil, focusing on understanding the fossil fauna and environments of the Late Cretaceous in the region, maintaining its own technical team for fossil preservation.[21] As an integral part of the Research Center, The Dinosaur Museum aims to disseminate paleontological knowledge to the general public through interactive and educational exhibitions. The museum attracts an average of 100,000 visitors annually.[22]
In 2022, a geological survey identified 31 geosites and sites in Uberaba.[23] Across the territory, over 10,000 prehistoric animal fossils have been documented, which includes sauropods, theropods, and velociraptors, along with various other specimens such as fishes, frogs, crocodyliforms, turtles, birds, mammals, mollusks, and the presence of trace fossils.[24] Among the most notable discoveries is the Uberabatitan, unearthed in 2004.[25]
Road access to Uberaba is provided by BR-050, connecting the city to the federal capital Brasília and São Paulo, as well as by BR-262, linking it to the state capital Belo Horizonte.
Uberaba is renowned for being the residence of the philanthropist and spiritualist medium Chico Xavier. Xavier was born in Pedro Leopoldo in 1910 and resided in Uberaba from 1959 until his death at the age of 92 on June 30, 2002. He was buried in the city.[26]
^Candeiro, C. R. A. (2009). "Vertebrates of the Marília Formation (late Maastrichtian) from the Peirópolis paleontological site: Toward a better understanding". Earth Sciences Research Journal. 13 (1): 6–15.