Ipatinga

Sister cities

• Suzhou

History

Exploration of the region, initially known as the Sertões do Rio Doce, began in the late 16th century with expeditions seeking precious metals. However, exploration was banned in the early 17th century to prevent gold smuggling from the nearby Diamantina region. Settlement was permitted in 1755, and during the 19th century, under Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, the bandeirantes visited the area, noting the presence of indigenous peoples. Ipaneminha, Taúbas, and Bom Jardim, resulting from land appropriations or, in the case of Ipaneminha, as stopping points along a road used by tropeiros traveling to Ouro Preto and Diamantina. At this location, the first pharmacy in the current Vale do Aço Metropolitan Region was established by pharmacist (and future politician) Raimundo Alves de Carvalho. The Pedra Mole Station was deactivated a few years after its opening due to a change in the EFVM's route, and a new terminal was built in the current Center of Ipatinga. In 1924, the Calado Station was established in Coronel Fabriciano, where the Belgo-Mineira Steel Company set up operations in the 1930s. Large areas were acquired to centralize the company's timber extraction in the region to fuel its furnaces in João Monlevade. However, only Coronel Fabriciano experienced significant population and urban growth between the 1930s and 1940s, intensified by the establishment of Acesita in 1944, leading to its emancipation from Antônio Dias in 1948. The presence of charcoal kilns operated by Belgo-Mineira and Acesita boosted local commercial activity, further supported by the construction of the Salto Grande Hydroelectric Plant in Braúnas. Machinery for this project was unloaded in the settlement, stored, and gradually transported to the dam. Nevertheless, the Ipatinga district received…

Geography

The municipality's area is km², representing 0.0282% of Minas Gerais' territory, 0.0179% of the Southeast Region, and 0.0019% of Brazil's total territory. Of this total, km² are urban. the municipality belongs to the Intermediate and Immediate Geographic Regions of Ipatinga. Previously, under the division into microregions and mesoregions, it was part of the Ipatinga microregion, included in the Vale do Rio Doce mesoregion. Ipatinga is situated in the interplateau depression of the Vale do Rio Doce, with its topography shaped by fluvial erosion acting on granite-gneiss rocks from the Precambrian period. The geological complex includes gneissic, magmatic, and metamorphic rocks, such as biotite-gneiss, granitic rocks, and granite-gneiss. The terrain is diverse, with 55% of Ipatinga's territory being flat, 30% undulating, and the remaining 15% rugged. The highest elevations are found in the northwest, in the Serra dos Cocais range, reaching up to meters. Conversely, the lowest altitudes are along the riverbanks, with the minimum elevation of 235 meters at the mouth of the Piracicaba River in the Doce River. The Piracicaba River's location and the flat terrain nearby facilitated the establishment of the Vitória-Minas Railway and Usiminas, and later the urban perimeter of Ipatinga, which was forced to expand toward higher elevations. Consequently, significant occupation, particularly by lower-income communities, has occurred in areas with steep slopes. The main sub-basin within the municipal territory is that of the Ipanema Stream, covering about km², with its main course traversing the city before reaching its mouth in the Doce River after a km journey. Other urban watercourses include the Bom Jardim, Forquilha, Madalena, Novo, Pedra Branca, Taúbas, and Vaga-lume…