| Minas
Gerais
The
second most populous and fourth largest by area. The capital
is Belo Horizonte, located near the central area. Main producer
of milk and coffee of the country, Minas Gerais is known by
the patrimony of architecture and conserved colonial art in
historical cities as Tiradentes and Ouro Preto. In the south,
the tourist points are the hydro mineral ranches, such as
São Lourenço, Caxambu, Monte Verde, São
Thomé das Letras and the national parks of Aiuruoca
and Ibitipoca.
The landscape of the State is marked by valleys, mountains,
and caverns. In the Serra do Cipó, Lagoa Santa, Sete
Lagoas and Cordisburgo, the caves and waterfalls are the attractions.
Minas
Gerais is in the west of the southeast subdivision of Brazil,
which also contains the states of São Paulo, Rio de
Janeiro and Espírito Santo.It borders on Bahia
and Goiás,
Mato
Grosso do Sul , the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro
and the state of Espírito
Santo. It also shares a short boundary with the
Brazilian Federal District.
Culture
|
|
Minas
Gerais may be called the Profound Brazil by analogy
with the France profonde. It has a distinctly more native
flavour than cosmopolitan São Paulo, a more traditional
slant than flashy Rio de Janeiro, and is more Portuguese
than the South and São Paulo with their great
influx of Italians and other Central Europeans, the
North with its native Indians, or the Northeast with
its heavy Afro-Brazilian influence.
The
people are considered reserved, prudent, relatively
silent to the point of melancholy, but welcoming and
family-focused. It is one of the most religious states,
with a large proportion of staunch Roman Catholics and
a burgeoning Evangelical and neo-Pentecostal population,
with pockets of African religions. Kardecist Spiritism
is also professed by a significant portion of the population,
partly due to the influence of Chico Xavier, the main
spiritual icon of Brazil, who lived in Minas Gerais
all his life.
|
Minas Gerais is also known nationally for
its cuisine. The cultural basis of its cuisine is the small
farmhouses, and many of the dishes are prepared using locally
produced vegetables and meats, especially chicken and pork.
Traditional cooking is done using coal- or wood-fired ovens
and cast iron pans, making for a particularly tasty flavor;
some restaurant chains have adopted these techniques and made
this type of food popular in other parts of the country.
Many of the cakes and appetizers of the local
cuisine use corn or cassava (known there as mandioca) flour
instead of wheat, as the latter didn't adapt well to the local
weather. The best-known dish from Minas Gerais is "pão
de queijo", a small baked roll (known internationally
as "Brazilian cheese rolls") made with cheese and
cassava flour that can be served hot as an appetizer or for
breakfast.
The state is also Brazil's most traditional
producer of cheese. Minas cheese is renowned nationwide as
the distinct Brazilian cheese. Cachaça is also a local
produce of some importance.
Minas Gerais is often recognised abroad as
the state where the footballer Pelé was born (he has
lived in the state of São Paulo since childhood, though).
Many famous Brazilian writers were born in
Minas Gerais: Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Fernando Sabino
and João Guimarães Rosa. Aviation pioneer Alberto
Santos-Dumont was born in Minas Gerais.
|
