Prata is a
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ian municipality located in the west of the state of
Minas GeraisMinas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation. The capital is the city of Belo Horizonte, located near the central area...
. Its population as of 2008 was 26,573 living in a total area of 4,856 km². The city belongs to the statistical
mesoregionMesoregions are subdivisions of Brazilian states, grouping together various municipalities in proximity and with common characteristics. They were created by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics for statistical purposes and do not, therefore, constitute an administrative area....
of
Triângulo MineiroThe Triângulo Mineiro is an unofficial region in western Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The area is 93,500 km² and is limited by the Serra da Canastra and Marcela in the east, in the south by São Paulo, in the north by Goiás, and in the west by the junction of the Paranaíba and Grande rivers...
and Alto Paranaíba and to the statistical
microregionMicroregions are legally defined administrative areas in Brazil consisting of groups of municipalities bordering urban areas. Microregions are grouped together into mesoregions....
of
UberlândiaUberlândia is the core city of the region of Triângulo Mineiro, western of Minas Gerais. With a population of 622.441, as of 2008, the city is the second largest in the state only to Belo Horizonte , and very close in population to Contagem, an industrial city located in the outskirts of the...
. It became a municipality in 1873.
Location
Prata is located at an elevation of 631 meters in the rich region known as the
Triângulo MineiroThe Triângulo Mineiro is an unofficial region in western Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The area is 93,500 km² and is limited by the Serra da Canastra and Marcela in the east, in the south by São Paulo, in the north by Goiás, and in the west by the junction of the Paranaíba and Grande rivers...
. It is southwest of
UberlândiaUberlândia is the core city of the region of Triângulo Mineiro, western of Minas Gerais. With a population of 622.441, as of 2008, the city is the second largest in the state only to Belo Horizonte , and very close in population to Contagem, an industrial city located in the outskirts of the...
and northwest of
UberabaUberaba is a city and municipality in the west of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Its population was 287,760 with an area of 4529.7 km², giving a density of 60.71 people per km². It is located on a plateau at an elevation of 785 meters and is in the Uberaba River floodplain...
and is connected to Uberlândia by federal highway BR-497.
The distance to
UberlândiaUberlândia is the core city of the region of Triângulo Mineiro, western of Minas Gerais. With a population of 622.441, as of 2008, the city is the second largest in the state only to Belo Horizonte , and very close in population to Contagem, an industrial city located in the outskirts of the...
is 74 km; and the distance to
Belo HorizonteBelo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country...
is 640 km. Neighboring municipalities are:
Monte Alegre de MinasMonte Alegre de Minas is a Brazilian municipality located in the west of the state of Minas Gerais. Its population as of 2007 was 18,348 living in a total area of 2,593 km². The city belongs to the statistical mesoregion of Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba and to the statistical microregion of...
(N);
ItuiutabaItuiutaba is a city and municipality in the western part of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Elevated to city status in 1901, it had a population in 2007 of 100,316 and a total area in the municipality of 2,694 km²...
,
Campina VerdeCampina Verde is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2007 the population was 18,680 in a total area of 3,663 km². It became a municipality in 1938.-Location:...
(W) ;
Comendador GomesComendador Gomes is a municipality in the west of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2007 the population was 3,087 in a total area of 1,043 km². It became a municipality in 1948.-Location:...
,
Campo FloridoCampo Florido is a Brazilian municipality located in the west of the state of Minas Gerais. Its population as of 2007 was estimated to be 6,570 people living in a total area of 1,261 km². The city belongs to the mesoregion of Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba and to the micro-region of Uberaba. ...
(S);
UberlândiaUberlândia is the core city of the region of Triângulo Mineiro, western of Minas Gerais. With a population of 622.441, as of 2008, the city is the second largest in the state only to Belo Horizonte , and very close in population to Contagem, an industrial city located in the outskirts of the...
and
VeríssimoVeríssimo is a Brazilian municipality located in the west of the state of Minas Gerais. Its population as of 2007 was estimated to be 3,667 people living in a total area of 1,028 km². The city belongs to the mesoregion of Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba and to the micro-region of Uberaba....
(E).
Economy
The main economic activities are services, agriculture, and small industries. The GDP in 2005 was R$261 million, with 112 million from services, 29 million from industry, and 102 million from agriculture. There were 1,487 rural producers on 327,000 hectares of land. 607 farms had tractors. The main crops were peanuts, rice, sugarcane, beans, corn, and soybeans (15,000 hectares). There were 344,000 head of cattle (2006).
Health and education
The social indicators rank it in the top tier of municipalities in the state.
- Municipal Human Development Index
The Human Development Index is an index used to rank countries by level of "human development", which usually also implies whether a country is developed, developing, or underdeveloped.-Summary:...
: 0.769 (2000)
- State ranking: 177 out of 853 municipalities as of 2000
- National ranking: 1368 out of 5,138 municipalities as of 2000
- Literacy rate: 87%
- Life expectancy: 70 (average of males and females)
The highest ranking municipality in Minas Gerais in 2000 was
Poços de CaldasPoços de Caldas is a city and municipality in south-western Minas Gerais state, Brazil, in the microregion of the same name. Its estimated population in 2007 was 144,386 inhabitants...
with 0.841, while the lowest was
SetubinhaSetubinha is a municipality in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2007 the population was 10,834 in a total area of 536 km². The elevtion is 729 meters. It is part of the IBGE statistical microregion of Teófilo Otoni...
with 0.568. Nationally the highest was
São Caetano do SulSão Caetano do Sul is a city in São Paulo state in Brazil, located in the Greater São Paulo Metropolitan Area. It is the city with the highest per capita income in Brazil and it also has the highest Human Development Index .-Geography:São Caetano do Sul is located on a plateau that is part of the...
in São Paulo with 0.919, while the lowest was Setubinha. In more recent statistics (considering 5,507 municipalities) Manari in the state of
PernambucoPernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about 187 kilometers of beaches, some of the most...
has the lowest rating in the country--0,467--putting it in last place.
There was one hospital with 41 beds in 2005. Patients with more serious health conditions are taken care of in
UberlândiaUberlândia is the core city of the region of Triângulo Mineiro, western of Minas Gerais. With a population of 622.441, as of 2008, the city is the second largest in the state only to Belo Horizonte , and very close in population to Contagem, an industrial city located in the outskirts of the...
or
UberabaUberaba is a city and municipality in the west of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Its population was 287,760 with an area of 4529.7 km², giving a density of 60.71 people per km². It is located on a plateau at an elevation of 785 meters and is in the Uberaba River floodplain...
.
Paleontology
At Prata there were found rock paintings and fossils of the biggest dinosaur found in Brazil which lived 80 million years ago in the region of Serra da Boa Vista, 40 km from the municipal seat.
The dinosaur was called Maxakalisaurus topai and, after popular vote, it is now known as DINOPRATA.
The model of the 13 meter long titanossauro (made in resin) has been on display in the Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro since August, 2006.
External links