Sete Lagoas

History

Evidence of pre-Columbian presence has been found in the Gruta Rei do Mato (Cave of the Forest King). From around 1700, colonists entered Minas Gerais in search of gold, gems and diamonds. Nowadays, the Santa Luzia quarter is unofficially still called "o garimpo" (meaning "the goldmine"). Between 1780 and 1867, the name 'Sete Lagoas' was used for several regional types of administrations. The municipality of Sete Lagoas was founded in 1867. Although "Sete Lagoas" means "Seven Lakes", there are currently more than seven lakes in Sete Lagoas (10 within the urban perimeter, 17 in the municipality). Some were dug out while others became part of the town when the town expanded. There are, however, 7 'official' lakes according to a municipal law from 1989. These are: Lagoa da Boa Vista, Lagoa da Catarina, Lagoa da Chácara, Lagoa do Cercadinho, Lagoa José Felix, Lagoa do Matadouro and Lagoa Paulino.

Geography

Sete Lagoas is situated about 70 kilometres from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais. The BR 040 motorway connects Sete Lagoas with Belo Horizonte and the national capital Brasília. The altitude is 761 metres above sea level. It is surrounded by the following municipalities: Araçaí, Funilândia, Prudente de Morais, Capim Branco, Esmeraldas, Inhaúma, Paraopeba, and Caetanópolis. According to data from the meteorological station of the municipality, the average temperature of the city between the years 1961 to 1990 was 20.9 °C. The coldest month (July) had an average of 17.5 °C while the hottest month (February) had an average of 23.0 °C. The four lowest temperature records at the Sete Lagoas meteorological station were as follows: 0.8 °C on July 18, 1926; 1.3 °C on October 31, 1942; 1.5 °C on June 26, 1937 and also on May 8, 1942. *Montes Claros: 355 km. *Uberaba: 521 km. *Uberlândia: 582 km. *Três Marias: 202 km. *Governador Valadares: 383 km. *Juiz de Fora: 331 km. *Funilândia: 28 km. Sete Lagoas is also a statistical micro-region with 20 municipalities: Araçaí, Baldim, Cachoeira da Prata, Caetanópolis, Capim Branco, Cordisburgo, Fortuna de Minas, Funilândia, Inhaúma, Jaboticatubas, Jequitibá, Maravilhas, Matozinhos, Papagaios, Paraopeba, Pequi, Prudente de Morais, Santana de Pirapama, Santana do Riacho, and Sete Lagoas. In 2000 the population of this area was 341,568 inhabitants in a total area of 8,560.40;km².

Most-observed species

• Picazuro Pigeon

  Patagioenas picazuro (Temminck, 1813) · Aves
  106
• Saffron Finch

  Sicalis flaveola (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  90
• Ruddy Ground-Dove

  Columbina talpacoti (Temminck, 1810) · Aves
  82
• Great Kiskadee

  Pitangus sulphuratus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  80
• Black Vulture

  Coragyps atratus (Bechstein, 1793) · Aves
  72
• Pale-breasted Thrush

  Turdus leucomelas Vieillot, 1818 · Aves
  68
• Blue-black Grassquit

  Volatinia jacarina (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  66
• blue-and-white swallow

  Notiochelidon cyanoleuca (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  63