Brazil Blog

Brazil Talk!

Beautiful Horizon (Beagá)

Filed under: Ask Us - December 22nd, 2005

Your Question

Do you have a city by the name of “Beautiful Horizon”? If so, is it large and what are the cities with 2 to 3 million population?

Our Reply

Yes, there is a city in Brazil by the name of “Beautiful Horizon.” Infact it is Brazil’s 4th largest city with a population of over 2 million people. In Portuguese the name of this city is “Belo Horizonte,” but in Brazil it’s even better known as Beagá, which is simply the Portuguese pronunciation of “BH” (from its initials).

Beagá was officially inaugurated in December 1897 as the state capital of Minas Gerais, and it was the first planned city in Brazil. Interestingly, at the time of inauguration the city was named “Cidade de Minas,” but later changed back to its original (and current) name in 1901. Today Beagá is a powerful economic and cultural center, with multiple universities, cathedrals, and sports stadiums. It is located close to rich supplies of natural resources, which encourages the city’s steel, automobile, and textile industries. Flying to Belo Horizonte from Rio de Janeiro takes only a short 50 minutes.

Some of Brazil’s other large cities include:
(2003 Estimates)

1.	São Paulo	10,677,019
2.	Rio de Janeiro	5,974,081
3.	Salvador	2,556,429
4.	Belo Horizonte	2,305,812
5.	Fortaleza	2,256,233
6.	Brasília	2,189,789
7.	Curitiba	1,671,194
8.	Manaus	1,527,314
9.	Recife	1,461,320
10.	Porto Alegre	1,394,385