Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais

This article is about the city. For the aviator whom the city was named after, see Alberto Santos-Dumont.
Santos Dumont
Municipality

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Nickname(s): Terra do Pai da Aviação
Santos Dumont

Location in Brazil

Coordinates: 21°27′S 43°33′W / 21.450°S 43.550°W / -21.450; -43.550
Country  Brazil
Region Southeast
State  Minas Gerais
Founded July 27, 1889
Government
  Mayor Carlos Alberto Ramos de Faria
Elevation 839 m (2,753 ft)
Population
  Total 47,244
Time zone UTC-3
Postal Code 36240-000

Santos Dumont (formerly known as Palmira) is a municipality in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The population (2006) is estimated to be 49,137 and the total area of the municipality is 639.1 km2 (246.8 sq mi). It lies at an elevation of 839 m (2,753 ft) just off the main interstate highway, BR040, between the urban centers of Barbacena (north) and Juiz de Fora (south). It is 240 km (150 mi) from the state capital, Belo Horizonte, and 220 km (140 mi) from Rio de Janeiro. It became a city in 1889.

Climate

The average annual temperature is approximately 20 °C (68 °F), with the average maximum of 21 °C (70 °F), and the average minimum of 19 °C (66 °F).

Economy

Agriculture

Livestock raising is the main economic activity with approximately 30,000 head of cattle and an annual production of milk of about 15,000,000 l (3,300,000 imp gal).

The region produces corn, strawberries, guava, nectaries, manioc, beans, oranges, coffee, peach and banana.

Industry

Santos Dumont has the Companhia Brasileira de Carbureto de Cálcio, (CBCC), which produces silicone iron and metallic silicone, exporting to several countries.

History

Santos Dumont is the birthplace of aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont and is named in his honour. Prior to the renaming the city was known as Palmira. The Cabangu museum, located 16 km (9.9 mi) from the centre of the city (21°25′32″S 43°40′27″W / 21.42556°S 43.67417°W / -21.42556; -43.67417) is dedicated to his memory. It is located in the house where he was born and has personal objects, photos and an aviation museum.

Demographics

Since the 1980s the municipality has been experiencing a period of slight demographic standstill. Between the census held in 1996 and the census held in 2000 the population increased at the rate of 0.32% per annum which is much lower than other places in the country. This is partially explained by the economic attraction of the nearby city of Juiz de Fora, making it the destination of many immigrants.

According to the 2000 census, the average income of the workers of the municipality was calculated at R$450 (237 USD at that time), but workers earning less than the national minimum wage (R$151, 80 USD) accounted for 38.8% of the total employees, meanwhile only 1.00% of them earned more than the equivalent to 20 minimum wages (R$3,020 or 1,590 USD).

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais.

Coordinates: 21°27′24″S 43°33′09″W / 21.45667°S 43.55250°W / -21.45667; -43.55250

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, May 02, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.