Ceres, Goiás

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Ceres is a small city and municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil. It was the first agricultural colony built in the state of Goiás.

Population: 19,026 (2005 estimate)
Total area: 456.6 km²
Population density in 2003: 89.98 inhab/km²
Elevation: 571
Became a municipality: 1953
Microregion: Ceres Microregion
Postal code: 76300-000

Ceres is 187 km. from the state capital, Goiânia. Municipal boundaries are with Itapaci, Nova Glória, São Patrício, Carmo do Rio Verde, Rialma and Rubiataba. Highway links are made by GO-080 / Nerópolis / Petrolina de Goiás / BR-153 / Jaraguá / Rianápolis / Rialma. See Seplan

The city is located in the fertile São Patrício valley. It is rich in water courses and the hydrography is formed by two rivers and several streams. The Rio das Almas is the main river in the region and separates Ceres from its neighbor, Rialma. The Rio das Almas flows north to join the Maranhão, a tributary of the Tocantins. The average annual temperature is 26 °C and the annual rainfall is approximately 1,800 mm3.

Demographic and political data

The population dropped dramatically from 1980 to 1991 and now appears to be stabilizing.

Population growth rate 1991-2000: -0.33.%
Population in 1980: 31,493
Population in 1991: 22,874
Urban population in 2003: 16,172
Rural population in 2003: 3,039
Number of eligible voters in 2004: 14,751
City government in 2005: Mayor (Edmário de Castro Barbosa), Vice-mayor (Maria Inês do Rosário Brito), and 09 councilmembers.

[edit] Economy

Agriculture used to be the mainstay of the local economy and the city once had about 70 thousand inhabitants. In recent years Ceres has been transformed from an agricultural town into a service center. The town is noted for its health and education. There are small industries specializing in furniture, wooden carts, wheat flour, sawn wood, bricks, coffee toasting, cereals, and milk products.

GDP in 2003: R$91.599 million
GDP in 2002: R$83.174 million (71 out of 246 municipalities)
GDP per capita in 2003: R$4,781
GDP per capita in 2002: R$4,327 (the state average was R$5,921
Cattle: 24,000 head
Industrial units in 2005: 57
Retail units in 2005: 268
Industrial District: Distrito Agroindustrial – DAIC
Financial institutions: Banco do Brasil S.A - BRADESCO S.A.- Banco Itaú S.A. - CEF.

Agriculture (main crops in planted area)

rice: 5 kmª
corn: 8 kmª
sugarcane: 2 kmª
tomatoes: 0.1 kmª

Data are from 2003. See IBGE

Ceres has two institutions of higher learning [1], and the basic urban infrastructures are well above the average of other Brazilian cities, placing the city at the top of the list of human development in Brazil.

Health and education data

Infant mortality rate in 2000:
Hospitals in 2003: 09 with 422 beds
Public health clinics in 2003: 23

Literacy rate in 2000: 89.4
Schools in 2005: 23
Classrooms in 2005: 217
Teachers in 2005: 380
Students in 2005: 7,241
Higher education in 2005: Faculdade de Filosofia do Vale do São Patrício. - UEG - Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias do Vale do São Patrício - Faculdades Integradas da Associação Educativa Evangélica (extension)

History

Ceres began in 1941 when the Getulio Vargas government created an agricultural colony in called Colônia Agrícola Nacional de Goiás – CANG. The city of Ceres has is origin in this colony, which at the time attracted migrants from all over the country, attracted by the offers of free land in a fertile valley. In 1947 there were already 10,000 inhabitants and the urban nucleus was denominated Ceres, the name of the Greek goddess of cereals.

Ranking on the Municipal Human Development Index