Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is a state in southeastern Brazil, known for its colonial gold and diamond mining, mountainous landscapes, and capital, Belo Horizonte.
Brazilian Gold Rush: A late-seventeenth- and eighteenth-century surge of gold mining and settlement in colonial Brazil, centered in Minas Gerais. Gold discoveries drew settlers inland and made the region a major center of Portuguese America.
Brazil: The largest country in South America, occupying much of the continent's eastern side. Minas Gerais is one of Brazil's 26 states.
Iron ore: A naturally occurring material from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. Large deposits in Minas Gerais support a major mining and export industry.
Congonhas: A city in Minas Gerais known for the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos and its sculpted prophets. Its religious ensemble showcases art produced in the colonial mining region.
Tiradentes: The nickname of Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, an independence conspirator executed by Portugal in 1792. His role in the Inconfidência Mineira made him a national symbol of Brazilian independence.
Captaincy of Minas Gerais: A Portuguese colonial administrative division established in 1720 in the interior of Brazil. It governed the mining region before Minas Gerais became a Brazilian province and state.
Southeast Region, Brazil: Brazil's southeastern macroregion, comprising Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Minas Gerais shares economic and historical ties with the country's most populous region.
Iron Quadrangle: A mineral-rich region in central Minas Gerais known for iron ore, gold, and other deposits. Its mines anchor the state's modern mineral economy.
Tiradentes, Minas Gerais: A historic town in Minas Gerais whose colonial center developed during the gold rush. Its preserved streets and buildings illustrate the region's mining-era urban life.
Aleijadinho: The artistic name of Antônio Francisco Lisboa, an eighteenth-century Brazilian sculptor and architect. His churches and sculptures became defining works of Minas Gerais's colonial art.