| Uberaba | |
| Native Name Lang: | pt |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Official Name: | Municipality of Uberaba |
| Flag Alt: | Flag |
| Shield Alt: | Coat of arms |
| Motto: | Indefesse pro Brasilia! (Latin) Unflagging for Brazil! |
| Pushpin Map: | Brazil |
| Pushpin Label Position: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Localization of Uberaba in Brazil |
| Coordinates: | -19.7478°N -47.9319°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Brazil |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Southeast |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 2 March 1820 |
| Seat Type: | Mayor-council government |
| Leader Party: | SD |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Elisa Gonçalves de Araujo (2021) |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 4529.7 |
| Elevation M: | 823 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 340,277 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Density Km2: | 71 |
| Timezone1: | BRT |
| Utc Offset: | −3 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | BRST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | −2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal Code |
| Postal Code: | 38000-000 |
| Area Code: | +55 34 |
| Blank Name: | HDI (2010) |
| Blank Info: | 0.772 – high[2] |
Uberaba (pronounced as /pt/) is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Highlands at an elevation of 823 metres (2,700 ft) above sea level on the Uberaba River, and is situated 418 kilometres (260 mi) from the state capital, Belo Horizonte.[3] The city was granted its status in 1856 and derives its name from the Tupi language, meaning "bright water".[4] As of 2021, the population was 340,277 inhabitants.
The history of Uberaba traces its origins back to 1810, when Captain Major Eustaquio founded a settlement near the ancient Anhanguera route, which was more commonly referred to back then as the "Goyazes road". This settlement served as a resting point for both locals and travelers who passed through or arrived there during the 19th century. Its strategic location and function as a crossroads prompted local farmers to engage in crop cultivation and cattle domestication for commercial purposes, leading to the establishment of a robust livestock network in the region.[5]
Initially a part of the Captaincy of Goias, the territory of Uberaba was incorporated into the Captaincy of Minas Gerais in 1816. It gained recognition as a parish in 1820 and was officially designated as a city in 1856.[6]
In 1889, the inaugural railway station was established due to the expansion of the Mogiana Railway from the neighboring municipality of Sacramento. The introduction of the railway system boosted the economy of Uberaba in the subsequent years.[7]
Currently, Uberaba is known for its lively livestock and agribusiness events. As an industrial hub, the city functions as a regional center for culture, commerce, and entertainment, hosting a diverse array of institutions, markets, and entertainment venues.[8]
The municipality includes the rural district of Peirópolis, known for its paleontological site. This area features the Paleontological Research Center Llewellyn Ivor Price and a museum dedicated to local fossil discoveries.
On March 27, 2024, Uberaba gained recognition from UNESCO as a global geopark.[9]
Uberaba has a Tropical climate (Aw) with an average annual temperature of 21.9 °C (71.4 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded was 40.2 °C (105.2 °F) in October, while the lowest recorded temperature was −2.2 °C (28.0 °F) in July.
Precipitation occurs on an average of 86 days per year, with the highest amount in December and the lowest in July.[10]
Uberaba is the primary municipality in the Intermediate Geographic Region of Uberaba.[11]
In 2021, the Immediate Geographic Region of Uberaba comprised 10 municipalities spanning an area of 14,281.652 km² (5,514.17 sq mi).
Uberaba is an important grain producer in Minas Gerais, particularly known for corn, soybean, coffee, cotton, and sugarcane. The city is also recognized for hosting Expozebu, one of the largest cattle fairs in the world, held annually since 1935.[12] [13] From 2019 to 2024, Uberaba secured positions among the top 100 Brazilian cities with the highest agricultural production value, ranking 30th by 2024 according to the 2023 report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA).[14]
The service sector employs slightly over half of the city's population, followed by the manufacturing industry, and agriculture ranking third. The industrial sector encompasses various fields such as agribusiness, food processing, textile manufacturing, steel production, mining, chemical manufacturing, electronic devices, home appliances, and more.[15]
The chemical manufacturing sector is concentrated in the local industrial park, with processing plants operated by chemical companies, including Mosaic, FMC Corporation, Sipcam Nichino (UPL), and Yara.[16] In 2021, the city ranked 62nd among the 100 largest economies in Brazil, with a GDP of R$ 20.3 billion and a GDP per capita of R$ 59,943.[17]
In 2011, Petrobras selected Uberaba as the site for its UFN-5 (Nitrogen Fertilizer Unit 5), which was designed to connect to the Gasbol pipeline and produce 1,500 metric tons of ammonia daily.[18] Construction of UFN-5 began in 2014 as part of the PAC-2, but was suspended in 2015 at 30% completion due to Petrobras' financial crisis, influenced by Operation Car Wash, and the company's redirection of resources to pre-salt oil fields.[19] [20] After listing the site for sale without a successful auction, the Government of Minas Gerais transferred it back to Uberaba in 2021 under a 20-year lease. In 2022, Atlas Agro signed a letter of intent to establish a sustainable nitrogen fertilizer facility at the location.[21]
Uberaba is recognized for housing a significant paleontological site in Brazil, boasting fossil records dating back approximately 80 to 66 million years, from the Late Cretaceous period.
The first paleontological discoveries in the territory were made by chance in 1945 when workers in the rural district of Peirópolis accidentally came across well-preserved fossils. Subsequently, paleontologist Llewellyn Ivor Price, associated with the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM), conducted extensive scientific research in the region from 1947 until 1974, with Peirosaurus being one of Price's early findings in the area of the Serra da Galga Formation.[22] The specimens collected during this period were later transferred to the Museum of Earth Sciences in Rio de Janeiro.[23]
In 1991, it was established in Peirópolis, the Paleontological Research Center Llewellyn Ivor Price, locally known as the Centro de Pesquisas Paleontológicas Llewellyn Ivor Price. Currently, the research center collaborates with various national and international research institutions, and serves as a hub for paleontology in Brazil, focusing on understanding the fossil fauna and environments of the Late Cretaceous in the region, maintaining its own technical team for fossil preservation.[24] As an integral part of the Research Center, The Dinosaur Museum aims to disseminate paleontological knowledge to the general public through interactive and educational exhibitions. The museum attracts an average of 100,000 visitors annually.[25]
In 2022, a geological survey identified 31 geosites and sites in Uberaba.[26] Across the territory, over 10,000 prehistoric animal fossils have been documented, which includes sauropods, theropods, and velociraptors, along with various other specimens such as fishes, frogs, crocodyliforms, turtles, birds, mammals, mollusks, and the presence of trace fossils.[27] Among the most notable discoveries is the Uberabatitan, unearthed in 2004.[28]
Road access to Uberaba is provided by BR-050, connecting the city to the federal capital Brasília and São Paulo, as well as by BR-262, linking it to the state capital Belo Horizonte.
The railway system in Uberaba is managed by VLI Multimodal S.A., which operates the rail network linking the local intermodal terminal to the southeastern corridor of Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica. The corridor ultimately leads to the Port of Santos.[29]
Air access to Uberaba is provided by Mário de Almeida Franco Airport.
See main article: category.
Uberaba was the last residence of the philanthropist and spiritualist medium Chico Xavier. Xavier was born in Pedro Leopoldo in 1910 and resided in Uberaba from 1959 until his death at the age of 92 on June 30, 2002. He was buried in the city.[30]