Belo Horizonte
municipality of Minas Gerais state, Brazil
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Belo Horizonte is a major city in Minas Gerais state in Brazil, serving as the state's capital and administrative center. It is one of Brazil's largest urban areas and plays an important role in the country's economy, culture, and regional development.
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Belo Horizonte (Beautiful Horizon) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.4 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The city anchors the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area, the third most populous metropolitan area in Brazil and the 17th most populous in the Americas. Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil's second-most populous state. It is the first planned modern city in Brazil.
The region was first settled in the early 18th century, but the city as it is known today was planned and constructed in the 1890s to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas Gerais. The city features a mixture of contemporary and classical buildings and is home to several modern Brazilian architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Complex. In planning the city, Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban planning of Washington, D.C. The city has implemented notable programs in urban revitalization and food security, for which it has received international recognition.