Nerópolis

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Nerópolis is a small city and municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil.

Population in 2005: 22,081
Total Area in 2002: 204.2 km²
Elevation: 832 meters
Became a municipality: 1948
Statistical microregion: Goiânia Microregion
Postal code: 75460-000

1 Location
- 1.1 Political Information
- 1.2 Demographic Information
2 Economic Information
- 2.1 Health and Education
- 2.2 Income Distribution
3 Origin of the Name
4 Municipal Human Development Index
5 External links
- 5.1 Sources of Data

[edit] Location

The municipality is part of the metropolitan region of Goiânia, which is 42 kilometers to the west. It is nationally known as the city of garlic and sweets. Strategically located, it is crossed by highways GO-080 and GO-222, with connections to Belém, Mato Grosso, and is near the national capital of Brasília and the state capital of Goiânia. Besides these advantages it is located in a region of high agricultural productivity, a factor that has attracted large industres to the town, such as Quero Indústrias Alimentícias; national leader in tomato paste, peas and canned corn, which employs 1,200 workers.[1]

[edit] Political Information

In January 2005 the Mayor was Wilmar Martins Teixeira. There were 9 councilmembers on the city council and the number of eligible voters was 15,767 in 2004.

[edit] Demographic Information

In 2003 the population density was 99.40 inhab/km². In 2003 the urban population was 19,126 and the rural population was 1,174. The population has more than doubled since 1980, when it was 9,368. From 1991 to 2000 the geometric population growth was 4.06.%.

[edit] Economic Information

From the 1970s to the 1990s Nerópolis was one of the largest producers of garlic in the country. With a drop in the price in eastern Asia, its production fell drastically. Today the city is still one of the largest importers and distributers of garlic in the country.

The economic sector is also characterized by brickworks, coffee growing, and fruit and vegetables for the Goiânia market. There are several sweets factories and its products are well-known all over the country.

In 2005 there were 56 industrial establishments and 169 retail establishments. There were 2 financial institutions: Banco do Brasil S.A and Banco Itaú S.A. In 2004 there were 1,759 automobiles in the city. The economic sectors employing most of the population were: transformation industries--1,571 workers;transport--1,099 workers; and commerce--403 workers.

The cattle herd is large considering the small dimensions of the municipality. There were 40,000 head in 2004, including 6,000 milking cows. The poultry industry is well developed with 195,000 head.

The main agricultural products in 2005 were bananas, coffee, figs, guavas, oranges, pineapple, garlic, rice, corn, and tomatoes. None exceeded 200 hectares in planted area.

[edit] Health and Education

In 2003 there was 1 hospital with 104 beds and 6 walk-in units. There were 40 doctors, 3 nurses, and 4 dentists in 2003. The infant mortality rate was 10.74, well below the national average of 35.0 in 2000.

In 2005 the school system had 14 schools, 104 classrooms, 271 teachers, and 6,489 students. There were 2 public secondary schools. In 2000 the adult literacy rate was 87.7%, higher than the national average of 86.4 in the same year.

[edit] Income Distribution

In 2000 there were 4,943 households. Of these, 1,679 reported less than 1 minimum salary of income.

[edit] Origin of the Name

The name of the town is a tribute to Senator Nero Macedo, an early twentieth century politician who had promised to bring the railroad to the region. In the nineteenth century the name was Matinha das Taveiras, changing to Campo Alegre, and then Cerrado (1918), when it was a district of Anápolis. It became a municipality in 1948.