Paracatu, MG – Mesorregião Noroeste de Minas

MINING - Cities and places to visit, live, and invest in Minas Gerais The NAECO Channel presents the municipality of Paracatu in the Northwest Mesoregion of Minas Gerais. Filmed on highways and access roads, avenues, streets, and squares, it offers panoramic drone flights in urban and rural areas, narrated with historical details of the municipality's origins, and an illustrative map with geographic references to rivers, highways, territorial boundaries, population, altitude, and economic resources. How to get there: Paracatu can be reached via the BR 040 highway between the cities of João Pinheiro and the border with the state of Goiás, heading towards Cristalina, or via the MG 188 highway between the cities of Guarda-Mor and Unaí. It is 505 km from the capital, Belo Horizonte. History: The expeditions of bandeirantes from São Paulo who discovered the gold deposits in Mariana and Ouro Preto left part of the group to explore and manage the mining operations, while the rest continued through the backlands to identify new deposits until they reached what is now the city of Goiás. Starting in 1586, several expeditions of bandeirantes passed through the region that is now the municipality of Paracatu. At the time, some members abandoned the expeditions to settle, building houses, chapels, and inns to support the expeditions and drovers who used these trails. The settlement of São Luiz emerged around it in 1722, when the Portuguese Crown appointed Tomás do Lago Medeiros, with the rank of Colonel of Paracatu, to administer the distribution of "Datas" (plots of land), considering the strong potential for gold mines in the region. In 1744, the expedition led by Felisberto Caldeira Brant and José Rodrigues Frois discovered alluvial gold in the Paracatu Valley. They notified the Portuguese Crown of the discovery, intensifying the development of the settlement of São Luiz e Sant'Anna das Minas de Paracatu. The settlement was elevated to the status of a town on October 20, 1798, under the name Paracatu do Príncipe, a royal charter signed by Queen Maria (the Mad), mother of Dom João VI. With the decline in alluvial gold production, the town of Paracatu do Príncipe was able to regain its growth through agricultural activities. In 1840, it was elevated to city status and in 1920, its name changed to simply Paracatu. Its development was fueled by the construction of Brasília to become Brazil's capital in 1960. Population, area, altitude, river, and neighboring municipalities: Today, October 2025, the municipality of Paracatu has a population of approximately 94,023 inhabitants, with a territorial area of ​​8,231.029 km², at an altitude of 688 m. Located in the Northwest Mesoregion of Minas Gerais, it is bathed by streams and creeks tributaries of the Paracatu River, which belong to the São Francisco River basin. The municipalities bordering the municipality of Paracatu are: Unaí, João Pinheiro, Lagoa Grande, Vazante, Guarda-Mor, and the state of Goiás. Economy: The basis of the economy of the municipality of Paracatu is mining, agriculture, industry, commerce, and services. Agricultural activities are carried out using management, high-tech equipment, and herds aimed at continuous genetic improvement and increased productivity with excellent quality. Mineral exploration has been adapted to meet environmental sustainability concepts, with modern and safe plants, management, and systems. The Paracatu mine produced 17.6 tons of gold in 2019, representing 43% of the company's total exploration in the Americas. Tourism, anywhere in the world, is one of the most invested activities, and many don't have the privilege we have of the natural beauty of mountains, caves, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and valleys. These, combined with historical attractions and events, are only less valuable due to a lack of investment in visitor services. Filming and describing the 853 cities of Minas Gerais, with each visit and the reactions in the comments about the cities, makes me rethink concepts of religion, politics, and citizenship. Believing that you would also like to make these in-person visits, but recognize that it is very expensive, time-consuming, and tiring, is what most encourages me to continue. If you are watching this exclusive video in its entirety, you are a member of the Naeco channel, or this video was released to the public thanks to the kindness of someone who was willing to sponsor it. I thank them, hoping that the images and information contained within meet your expectations. Best regards, and until next time, also a charming city in the state of Minas Gerais. Suggested video link: Regions of Minas Gerais    • Cidades de Minas Gerais por Mapas e Regiões   Become a member of the NAECO channel:    / @naeco   Music: Livre (Humberto Furtado) Contact: (31) 9 9899-9279 (WhatsApp) Email: [email protected]