Itajubá

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Itajubá is a city and municipality in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. It lies in low mountains at an elevation of approximately 827 to 1500 meters, occupying an area of 290.45 Km², with a population of 86,036, according to the 2002 census. The Sapucaí River divides the city.

The lands are on the slopes of the Mantiqueira range and the climate is mild or even cool at some elevations. The climate is varied, with occurrences, often in the same day, of the heat of summer, and at night a drop in temperature, which can reach close to zero in winter. Seventy eight percent of the municipality is mountainous.

The municipality is privileged in its location, not only for being in an urban network of prosperous middle size cities, but also due to its position with regards to the great capitals of the southeast: Belo Horizonte (445 Km), São Paulo (261 Km), and Rio de Janeiro (318 Km).

The city is a center with direct influence over 14 other municipalities of the region, polarizing 48% of the population of the south of Minas Gerais and 6% of the population of the state.

The local economy is based on industry and agriculture. There are industries of autoparts, fiber optics, textile, electronic components, helicopters (Helibrás)[1], and military weapons (Imbel)[2].

In agriculture most of the production is of bananas.

Itajubá is considered the Minas Gerais capital of choir singing and has a project that aims to have a choir in every school of the municipality.

[edit] History

In the beginning of the XIX century, the region was mostly occupied by Indians, the Puri-Coroados. In January of 1819, a priest (father Lourenço da Costa Moreira) moved to the parish of Delfim Moreira (known at that time as Soledade de Itajubá). The place was deserted, and the gold mines were empty.

Father Lourenço told the people in the settlement that its topography was unfavorable to its development. He invited them to move the village to a place closer to the Sapucaí River.

About 80 families accepted the invitation and, on the morning of March 18, 1819 they moved. The next day Father Lourenço celebrated the first in the new location. The new Itajubá was founded. After comparisons of topography had been made, part of the population decided to build a new church. Father Lourenço then gathered the people and they moved the old church's pictures and items to the new church.

The name Itajubá means, according to historians Geraldino Campista and J. Armelim Bernardo Guimarães, "waterfall".

The town is also known for the Federal University of Itajubá, which has courses of computer science, mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineering, business administration, and physics, among others