Ouro Preto

Ouro Preto (from Portuguese, Black Gold) is a town in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is at the geographic coordinates . It is at an altitude of 1116 meters on the slope of a rocky hill. In 2010, there were about 70,227 people living there.

 History 
Ouro Preto had a lot of gold in the ground. The gold was taken by Portuguese colonists, who used slave labor.Eduardo Galeano (1984). Las venas abiertas de América Latina. .

Ouro Preto was founded in 1711 by combining several villages. In the same year it became the headquarters of the village council, with the appointment of Vila Rica (Villa Rica).Chambry, D. & Wagret, P. (Eds.) 1979: Brazil. Nagels Publishers, Geneva. 480p.  In the year 1720, Ouro Preto was chosen as the new capital of Minas Gerais. In 1823, the town was upgraded to being a city as the designation of Ouro Preto. In 1839 he created the School of Pharmacy and in 1876 the School of Mines. It was the capital of the province and later the state of Minas Gerais until 1897.

It was the first Brazilian city to be declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1980.UNESCO: Historic Town of Ouro Preto

Geography
Important Data
Population: Data from the 2010 Census (IBGE)
 Resident population: 70,227 (2010 Census)
 Urban area: 56,293
 Rural area: 9,985
 Area of the municipality:  1,245 km²
 Temperature: between 6 and 28 degrees Celsius. In June and July the temperature can reach -2 degrees Celsius.
 Average elevation: 1,116 m. The highest point is Pico de Itacolomi with 1,722 meters.
 The city has twelve districts: Amarantina, Antônio Pereira, Cachoeira do Campo, Engenheiro Correia, Glaura, Lavras Novas, Miguel Burnier, Santa Rita, Santo Antônio do Leite, Santo Antônio do Salto, São Bartolomeu and Rodrigo Silva.
 Rivers: sources for the Velhas, Piracicaba, Gualaxo do Norte, Gualaxo do Sul, Mainart e Ribeirão Funil.
 Per Capita Income: R$23,622 (US$13,544.73)
 HDI: 0.788 (Medium)

Location
The city is linked by good roads to:
 Belo Horizonte 100 km
 Rio de Janeiro 475 km
 São Paulo 	675 km
 Brasília 	840 km

Bordering municipalities are:
 North: Itabirito and Santa Bárbara
 South: Ouro Branco, Catas Altas da Noruega, Piranga and Itaverava
 East: Mariana
 West: Belo Vale and Congonhas

Climate
Ouro Preto has a humid subtropical climate (Cwa, according to the Köppen climate classification), with warm and humid summers and mild, dry winters.

Vegetation
Ouro Preto has rocky fields, woods of Araucaria (Pinhais), and forests. Most plant life in Ouro Preto is brushland.

References

Other websites

Guide of the historic city of Ouro Preto 
Satellite view of the historical center at Google Maps
Live Cameras from Ouro Preto, 360° Photos, Panoramic Views 
CityMayors feature
Portal de Ouro Preto 

Category:Cities in Minas Gerais
Category:1711 establishments
Category:18th-century establishments in Brazil