Itajá, Goiás

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Itajá is a small town and municipality in southwest Goiás state, Brazil. The population was 5,884 (2005 est.) with a total area of 2,091.3 km² (10/10/2002). Itajá is a large producer of beef cattle.

Population density: 2.76 hab/km² (2003)
Elevation: 442 meters
Became a municipality: 1958
Postal code: 75815-000

Itajá is part of the Quirinópolis Microregion. It is located eight kilometers north of the Aporá River, which forms the boundary between the states of Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul.

Municipal boundaries are with:

North: Itarumã
South and West: the Aporé river and the state of Mato Grosso do Sul
East: the Paranaíba and the state of Minas Gerais

Itajá is 408 kilometers from the state capital, Goiânia, and is connected by BR-060 / Abadia de Goiás / Guapó / Indiara / Acreúna / Rio Verde / GO-174 / GO-422 / Caçu / GO-206 / Itarumã / GO-178. [1]

The region is rich in water resources, with several important rivers: Paranaíba, Aporé and Corrente. There is also a lake with hot water, with a temperature of 42ºC. Tourism is considered one of the most important industries. There are still stretches of tropical forest mixed with cerrado. Animal life in the region includes giant anteaters, capybaras, foxes, armadillos, wolves, jaguars, seriemas, macaws, parrots and others.

Political Data

Mayor: Luciano Leão
Vice-mayor: Hermógenes Antônio Cruvinel
Number of councilmembers: 9
Total number of eligible voters: 4,109 (06/09/2004)

Demographic Data

Year / Population / Urban Pop. / Rural Pop.
1980 - 6,289 inhab - 2,854 inhab - 3,435 hab
1991 - 6,141 inhab - 3,552 inhab - 2,589 inhab
2003 - 5,766 inhab - 3,339 inhab (1) - 2,427 inhab.(1)
2005 - 5,842 inhab

(1) Estimated by logistic method

Population growth rate 1991/2000: 0.76.%

[edit] Economy

The economy is based on services, small industries, agriculture and cattle raising. There are also three brickworks employing around one thousand people.

Cattle raising is one of the major sources of income for the region although it provides relatively few jobs. The total number in 2003 was 173,622 head with 6,400 being dairy cows.

Animal Raising (2004)

Poultry: (head) 15,740
Cattle (head) 177,587
Milk production (1,000 liters) 8.152
Egg production: (1,000 dz) 38
Swine: (head) 3,925
Milk cows (head): 6,600

Main crops in planted area (2005)

rice: 110 hectares
corn: 220 hectares

Data are from IBGE

Number of Industrial Establishments: 11 (10/06/2005)
Industrial District: none - (Sept/2004)
Distilleries: none - (June/2005)
Meat-packing Plants/Egg collection: none (07/06/2005)
Dairies: Barbosa e Chaves Ltda (07/06/2005)
Banking Establishments: - Banco do Brasil S.A - Banco Itaú S.A. (01/06/2005)
Number of Retail Commercial Establishments: 51 (April/2005)
Motor vehicles: 370 automobiles, 58 trucks, 44 pickup trucks, and 101 motorcycles. (2004)

GDP: (R$ 1,000.00) 49.635 (2003)
GDP: per capita (R$ 1.00) 8,558 (2003)
GDP by sectors in 2002 (R$ 1,000.00): 21.545 (Agriculture), 1.868 (Industry), 13.445 (Services)
Ranking of GDP in state (2002): 104

Education (2005)

Schools in activity: 05
Classrooms: 40
Teachers: 70
Total Students: 1,589
Students in pre-school education: 161
Students in Literacy Class: 0
Students in Primary Level: 1,037
Students in Secondary Level: 265
Students in Special Education: 0
Students in Adult Education: 51
Students in Professional Education: 0
Students in Nursery School: 75
Higher education: none
Literacy Rate: 84.6%

Health (2003)

Hospitals: 1
Beds: 14
Walk-in health clinics: 5
Doctors: 8 (2002)
Nurses: 2
Dentists: 4
Infant mortality rate: 22.10 (in 1,000 live births)

History

The settlement began in 1947 with the name Fortaleza de São João. By 1953, it had grown so much that it became a district of Jataí with the name São João. In 1958 it was given municipality status.

Ranking on the Municipal Human Development Index