Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais

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Location of Santos Dumont whitin Minas Gerais

Santos Dumont (formerly known as Palmira) is a city and municipality in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The geographical coordinates are: latitude 21º27'24" South and longitude 43º33'09". The population (2006) is estimated to be 49,137 and the total area of the municipality is 639.1km². It lies at an elevation of 839 meters just off the main interstate highway, BR 040, between the urban centers of Barbacena (north) and Juiz de Fora (south). It is 240 km from the state capital, Belo Horizonte, and 220 km from Rio de Janeiro. It became a city in 1889.

The average annual temperature is approximately 20 °C, with the average maximum of 21 °C, and the average minimum of 19 °C.

Livestock raising is the main economic activiy with approximately 30,000 head of cattle and an annual production of milk of about 15 million liters.

In industry Santos Dumont has the Companhia Brasileira de Carbureto de Cálcio – CBCC - , which produces silicone iron and metallic silicone, exporting to several countries.

In agriculture the region produces corn, strawberries, guava, nectaries, manioc, beans, oranges, coffee, peach and banana. [1]

It is the birthplace of aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont and is named in his honor. Prior to the renaming, the city was known as Palmira. There is a museum, located 16 km from the center of the city, which is dedicated to the memory of whom Brazilians consider the Father of Aviation. It is located in the house where he was born and has personal objects, photos and an aviation museum. [2]

The municipality has been experiencing, since the 1980s, a period of slight demographic standstill, which could be verified by the figures obtained by the last census. Between the population counting held in 1996 and the census held in 2000, the population increased at the rate of 0,32% annually, which is too low compared to other places in the country. This peculiar performance is partially explained by the economic appeal exerted by the close city of Juiz de Fora, making it the destiny of many emigrants.

According to the 2000 census, the average income of the workers of the municipality was calculated at R$450.56 (237 USD by that time), but workers earning less than the national minimum wage (R$151.00 by that time, or 80 USD) accounted for 38.8% of the total employees, meanwhile only 1.00% of them earned more than the equivalent to 20 minimum wages (R$3,020.00 or 1,590 USD).