Pirenópolis

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Coordinates: 15°51′07″S, 48°57′32″W
Pirenópolis
Locationof Pirenópolis
Country	Brazil
Region	Centre-West
State	Goiás
Founded	10 July 1832
Mayor	Rogério Abreu Figueiredo
Area
- City	km²
Elevation	770 m
Population
- City (2005 est)	21,240

Pirenópolis is a town located in the Brazilian state of Goiás. It is well-known for its waterfalls and colonial architecture, and a popular festival involving mounted horses called Festa do Divino Espírito Santo which takes place 45 days after Easter.

Population (2005) 21,241
Area of the municipality (2002): 2,227.7 km².
Foundation: 10 July 1832
Elevation: 770 meters
Statistical microregion: Entorno de Brasília
Postal code: 72980-000

1 Location
2 Climate
3 Political information
4 Demographic information
5 Economic information
6 Education (2005)
7 Health (2003)
8 Income distribution (2000)
9 History
10 Tourism
11 Human Development Index
12 External links
13 See also
14 Sources of data

[edit] Location

Pirenópolis is located 150 km from Brasília and 130 km from Goiânia and can be reached on paved roads. It is part of the microregion of the Entorno de Brasília made up of cities in Goiás located near Brasilia.

Municipal boundaries are with:

North: Vila Propício
South: Anápolis
East: Cocalzinho de Goiás, Corumbá, and Abadiânia
West: São Francisco de Goiás

[edit] Climate

The climate is humid sub-tropical with two well defined seasons: the rainy season, which goes from October to March, and the dry season, which goes grom April to September. Parts of the municipality are mountainous and maintain some climatic variations due to altitude.

[edit] Political information

Mayor: Rogério Abreu Figueiredo (January 2005)
Eligible voters: 18,255 (April 2006)
Votes of Mayor in last election: 6,427 (04/10/2004)
Political party: Coalitition called ORGULHO DO TEMPO NOVO (PP / PMDB / PL / PSDB)
City council: 9 members

[edit] Demographic information

Population density: 9.53 inhab/km² (2005)
Urban population: 14,489(2003)
Rural population: 6,754 (2003)
Population growth or loss: a loss of about 8,000 people since 1980

[edit] Economic information

The economy is based on agriculture, cattle raising, services, public administration, and small transformation industries. There are several small food, clothing, and furniture industries.

Industrial units: 33 (2005)
Commercial units: 141 (2005)
Bank agencies: Banco do Brasil S.A. - BRADESCO S.A. - Banco Itaú S.A.

(June 2005)

Dairy: (22/05/2006)
Motor vehicles: 1,987 automobiles (2004)
Cattle herd: 132,000 head (2004)
Poultry: 87,000 (2004)
Swine: 6,700 (2004)
Dairy cows: 25,700 (2004)
Main crops (2005): pineapple, rice (4 kmª), bananas (5 kmª), rubber, coffee, oranges, lemons, mangos, tangerines, beans, manioc, soybeans (3.5 kmª), tomatoes, and corn (30 kmª).

[edit] Education (2005)

Schools: 34
Classrooms: 139
Teachers: 228
Students: 5,999
Middle school enrollment: 768 students
Higher education: Campus of the State University of Goiás
Adult literacy rate: 84.4% (2000) (national average was 86.4%)

[edit] Health (2003)

Hospitals: 3
Hospital beds: 112
Ambulatory clinics: 12
Doctors, nurses, dentists: 55, 8, 5 (2002)
Infant mortality rate: 27.52 (2000) (national average was 33.0).

[edit] Income distribution (2000)

Households: 5,789
Households declaring no income: 466
Households declaring income of less than 1 minimum salary: 2,028
Between 1 and 2 minimum salaries: 1,547
Between 2 and 3 minimum salaries: 580
Between 3 and 5 minimum salaries: 557
Between 5 and 10 minimum salaries: 412
Between 10 and 15 minimum salaries: 87
Between 15 and 20 minimum salaries: 48
Between 20 and 30 minimum salaries: 29
More than 30 minimum salaries: 35

[edit] History

The history of Pirenópolis begins in 1727 when it was founded with the name of Minas de Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Meia Ponte, Meia Ponte (half a bridge) because half of the bridge over the Almas River was swept away in a flood. The first colonizers were Portuguese who came for the gold easily found in the Rio das Almas. From 1750 to 1800 there was a golden age when four churches were built and Pirenópolis competed with Vila Boa (present day Goiás Velho) as the richest town in the province. After 1800 decadence set in and the population decreased. With the change of commercial routes to Anápolis, the city became economically isolated. The first newspaper in the province, the Matutina Meiapontense, was published here in 1830 by Joaquim Alves de Oloveira. In 1890 the city changed its name from Meia Ponte to Pirenópolis, the city of the Pireneus, the mountains located nearby. In 1960 with the construction of Brasília there was an intensive exploitaiton of the famous Pedra de Pirenópolis (quartzite-micáceo). In the 1980s the hippies arrived with their alternative communities and production of handicrafts. Pirenópolis was born again with a huge influx of tourists, especially from Brasília. Churches were restored and all the electrical wiring was put underground.

[edit] Tourism

Major attractions include Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Meia Ponte, the oldest church in Goiás and the church Igreja Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. It also has a hippie-like colony which markets clothing and silverwork.

Today Pirenópolis is known all over Brazil for its popular festivities, especially the "Cavalhadas", introduced n 1826, in which horsemen representing Moors and Christians recreate a battle fought by Charlemagne. This tradition, part of the Festival for the Holy Spirit (Festa do Espírito Santo), was brought to the town by Portuguese settlers.

The Festas de Cavalhadas feature a parade beginning with a bugle fanfare announcing the knight's pages, then the mounted knights displaying their colors. Wearing fantastic paper-maché helmets, the Christian knights wear blue, the Moors wear red.

The battle lasts for three days and attracts thousands of visitors to the town. The Cavalhadas take place in medieval costume, with the highlight being the mock battle, performed in the city's bullring. The Moors, of course, are defeated and convert to Christianity. For information on the cavalhadas (in Portuguese) see Cavalhadas

The town has been restored artistically with its stone paved streets and colonial houses (casarões). The Almas River, a tributary of the Tocantins River which flows north to form the Serra da Mesa artificial lake, passes near the town and is crossed by a restored wooden bridge. There is an old theater, cinema, and a museum of the cavalhadas.

Waterfalls are the primary tourist attraction for Pirenopolis and Corumba. Around the town, in a distance of 15 km., there are more than twenty spectacular waterfalls with pristine water. Some of them are enormous such as the Salto de Corumba (which disappeared for decades when prospectors diverted the waters for dredging). Other waterfalls are formed by a series of cascades. Many are on private property and are operated as a business. Other falls can be found on hiking trails. One of the longest rivers in the state of Goiás, the Corumbá River has its source near Pirenópolis.