José Gonçalves de Minas (Portuguese pronunciation:[ʒoˈzɛɡõˈsawvizdʒiˈminɐs]) is amunicipality in the northeast of theBrazilianstate ofMinas Gerais. As of 2020[update] the population was 4,487 in a total area of 382 km2 (147 sq mi).[1] The elevation of the town center is 546 meters. It is part of the IBGE statistical meso-region ofJequitinhonha and the micro-region ofCapelinha. It became a municipality in 1997.
The economy is based on charcoal production, cattle raising andsubsistence agriculture, with the main crops being beans, manioc, sugarcane, and corn. There are extensive plantations of eucalyptus trees for charcoal production. In 2005 there were 254 rural producers but only 8 tractors. As of 2005[update] there were 3 public health clinics, none of which were equipped for diagnosis or general treatment. Educational needs were met by 6 primary schools and 1 middle school. There were 92 automobiles in 2006, giving a ratio of 50 inhabitants per automobile (there were 366 motorcycles). There were no banks in 2007.[2]
Neighboring municipalities are:Cristália,Grão Mogol,Virgem da Lapa,Berilo,Francisco Badaró,Chapada do Norte,Leme do Prado, andBotumirim. The distance toBelo Horizonte is 529 km.[3]
José Gonçalves de Minas is ranked low on the MHDI and was one of the poorest municipalities in the state and in the country in 2000.
The above figures can be compared with those ofPoços de Caldas, which had an MHDI of .841, the highest in the state ofMinas Gerais. The highest in the country wasSão Caetano do Sul in the state ofSão Paulo with an MHDI of .919. The lowest wasManari in the state ofPernambuco with an MHDI of .467 out of a total of 5504 municipalities in the country as of 2004[update]. At last count Brazil had 5,561 municipalities so this might have changed at the time of this writing.[4]
16°54′25″S42°36′13″W / 16.90694°S 42.60361°W /-16.90694; -42.60361
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