Minas Gerais

**Minas Gerais** () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It has the second highest number of people. It has the fourth largest area. The capital is the city of Belo Horizonte, near the center of the state. The name means "General mines". Minas Gerais was formed mainly by colonists searching for gold, gemstones and diamonds.

## Location

Minas Gerais is in the west of the southeastern part of Brazil. That area also has the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo. Minas Gerais shares borders with Bahia and Goiás (north), Mato Grosso do Sul (far west), the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (south) and the state of Espírito Santo (east). It also shares a short border with the Brazilian Federal District.

## Cities

Even though it is not the largest state in Brazil, Minas Gerais is the state with the most cities. Of the more than 5,500 municipalities in Brazil, Minas has more than 850 of them. The most important ones are the capital Belo Horizonte, Contagem, Betim, Ribeirão das Neves, Juiz de Fora, Montes Claros, Uberlândia and Ouro Preto.

## Notable people

- José Paulino Gomes, supercentenarian

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: State of Minas Gerais
- **native name lang**: pt
- **settlement type**: States of Brazil, State
- **image flag**: Bandeira de Minas Gerais.svg
- **image shield**: Brasão de Minas Gerais.svg
- **motto**: _Libertas Quae Sera Tamen_ <small>(Latin language, Latin)
"Freedom albeit Late"</small>
- **image map**: Brazil State MinasGerais.svg
- **map caption**: Location of State of Minas Gerais in Brazil
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Country
- **seat type**: Capital (political), Capital and Largest City
- **seat**: Belo Horizonte
- **leader party**: Novo Party, Novo
- **leader title**: Governor (Brazil), Governor
- **leader name**: Romeu Zema
- **leader title1**: Vice Governor
- **unit pref**: Metric
- **area total km2**: 586528.29
- **area rank**: List of Brazilian states by area, 4th
- **population total**: 19,855,332
- **population as of**: 2012
- **population rank**: List of Brazilian states by population, 2nd
- **population density km2**: auto
- **population density rank**: List of Brazilian states by population density, 14th
- **population demonym**: Mineiro
- **demographics type1**: Gross domestic product, GDP
- **demographics1 title1**: Year
- **demographics1 info1**: 2006 estimate
- **demographics1 title2**: Total
- **demographics1 info2**: R$ 214,814,000,000 (List of Brazilian states by gross domestic product, 3rd)
- **demographics1 title3**: Per capita
- **demographics1 info3**: R$ 11,028 (List of Brazilian states by gross domestic product, 10th)
- **demographics type2**: Human Development Index, HDI
- **demographics2 title1**: Year
- **demographics2 info1**: 2005
- **demographics2 title2**: Category
- **demographics2 info2**: 0.800 – <span style="color:green">high</span> (List of Brazilian states by Human Development Index, 9th)
- **postal code type**: Postal Code
- **postal code**: 30000-000 to 39990-000
- **timezone1**: Time in Brazil, BRT
- **utc offset1**: -3
- **timezone1 dst**: Time in Brazil, BRST
- **utc offset1 dst**: -2
- **iso code**: ISO 3166-2:BR, BR-MG
- **website**: [http://www.mg.gov.br/ mg.gov.br]