Belo Horizonte, << BAY loh `hawr` uh ZONT ee >> , is a large city in Brazil. The municipality of Belo Horizonte has a population of 2,375,151. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. Belo Horizonte is an industrial center and the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. It lies in southeastern Brazil. Belo Horizonte, which means Beautiful Horizon, is named for the scenic, hilly area that surrounds it.
Belo Horizonte was founded in 1897. The city was laid out with wide, tree-lined streets and a central square. Belo Horizonte has many attractive buildings. It also has two universities. Industries in Belo Horizonte produce steel from nearby iron mines and process food from farms in the area. The city’s industries also manufacture such products as cement, textiles, and automobiles.
