Governador Valadares

"Sweet River"), having a significant influence on the east and northeast portion of Minas Gerais and local authorities of the state of Espírito Santo. Valadares sits on the bank of the Doce River (Rio Doce), 324 km from Belo Horizonte, the state's capital. Valadares has an area of about 2 342 km 2, of which only 58 km 2 is urban area. The discovery of the city started at the beginning of the 16th century, that explored the Doce River searching for precious metals. The settlement began between the 18th and 19th centuries, constructing barracks destined to keep an eye at the Amerindians, who used to attack the settlers and merchants. The growth of the population and commercial development was improved due to the location of the city, that was near to coffee farms and wood extraction fields. The municipality was emancipated from Peçanha in the 1930s. After the 1940s, the extraction of precious metals brought a notable population growth, along with livestock and commerce. However, with the decline of natural resources, the money could only be earned through the investment of immigrants, who would later go to other countries. Commerce is the most important source of income in the city, along with agribusiness and regional manufactured products.

• Name — Governador Valadares • Settlement Type — Municipality • Official Name — Municipality of Governador Valadares • Motto — Princesinha do Vale (Little Princess of the Valley) • Image Caption — Governador Valadares • Image Flag — Bandeira de Governador Valadares.svg • Image Shield — Brasao GovernadorValadares MinasGerais Brasil.svg • Image Map — MinasGerais Municip GovernadorValadares.svg • Mapsize — 250px • Map Caption — Location in the state of Minas Gerais • Pushpin Map — Brazil • Pushpin Label Position — bottom • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Brazil • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — Minas Gerais • Subdivision Type2 — Region • Subdivision Name2 — Southeast • Subdivision Type3 — Intermediate Region • Subdivision Name3 — Governador Valadares • Subdivision Type4 — Immediate Region • Subdivision Name4 — Governador Valadares • Established Title — Founded • Established Date — 30 January 1938 • Named For — Benedito Valadares Ribeiro • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Sandro Lúcio Fonseca (PL) • Area Total Km2 — 2348.1 • Population As Of — 2022 Brazilian census • Population Demonym — valadarense • Population Total — 257,171 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Population Est — 266,561 • Pop Est As Of — 2025 • Timezone — BRT • Utc Offset — −3 • Elevation M — 170 • Blank Name — HDI (2010) • Blank Info — 0.727 – high • Website — www.valadares.mg.gov.br Governador Valadares is a Brazilian municipality in the countryside of Minas Gerais. In 2025, its population was 266,561 inhabitants, thus being the ninth most populated city in the state. It is an economical axis of the middle valley of the Doce River (Rio Doce, lit. "Sweet River"), having a significant influence on the east and northeast portion of Minas Gerais and local authorities of the state of Espírito Santo. Governador Valadares sits on the bank of the Doce River (Rio Doce), 324 km from Belo Horizonte, the state's capital. Governador Valadares has an area of about 2 342 km 2, of which only 58 km 2 is urban area. The discovery of the city started at the beginning of the 16th century, that explored the Doce River searching for precious metals. The settlement began between the 18th and 19th centuries, constructing barracks destined to keep an eye at the Amerindians, who used to attack the settlers and merchants. With the construction of the EFVM (Vitória-Minas Railway), in 1907, the settlements were consolidated. The growth of the population and commercial development was improved due to the location of the city, that was near to coffee farms and wood extraction fields. The municipality was emancipated from Peçanha in the 1930s. After the 1940s, the extraction of precious metals brought a notable population growth, along with livestock and commerce. However, with the decline of natural resources, the money could only be earned through the investment of immigrants, who would later go to other countries. Commerce is the most important source of income in the city, along with agribusiness and regional manufactured products.

According to the modern (2017) geographic classification by Brazil's National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the city is the main municipality in the Intermediate Geographic Region of Governador Valadares. Until 2017, Governador Valadares was a statistical micro-region including 25 municipalities: Alpercata, Campanário, Capitão Andrade, Coroaci, Divino das Laranjeiras, Engenheiro Caldas, Fernandes Tourinho, Frei Inocêncio, Galiléia, Governador Valadares, Itambacuri, Itanhomi, Jampruca, Marilac, Mathias Lobato, Nacip Raydan, Nova Módica, Pescador, São Geraldo da Piedade, São Geraldo do Baixio, São José da Safira, São José do Divino, Sobrália, Tumiritinga, and Virgolândia. Its population (2006) was estimated by the IBGE to be 407,815 inhabitants in a total area of 11, 327 km 2.

In general, the municipal territory is divided into two geomorphological units: 60% of the Valadares territory is undulating, 25% is rugged and 15% is flat. The areas to the south, where the urban perimeter is located, are located in the interplanal depression of the Rio Doce Valley, whose relief is the result of a river dissection that occurred in the Precambrian period and follows the course of the Doce River. This is a relatively flat region, with average altitudes ranging from 250 to 500 meters, with the presence of gentle hills, valleys, and excessive watercourses, and the highest altitudes are found in isolated steep elevations, in addition to the Pico da Ibituruna, which is 1,123 meters high and separated from the urban area by the Doce River. This unit is dominated by soils with schist, mica schist, biotite-gneiss, and quartz. The Uplifted Plateau/Mountainous Massif, in turn, corresponds to a region of rugged terrain to the north and northwest of the municipality. It is made up of steep valleys and crested hills that are on average 850 to 900 meters high, and soils with granite-gneiss, granites and biotite-gneiss can be found.

Temperature: • Annual average: 32.6 °C (90.7 °F]) • Annual maximum average: 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) • Annual minimum average: 18.3 °C (65 °F) Average annual rainfall index: 1,350 mm

Today's location of the municipality of Governador Valadares was found to be inhabited by Amerindians for at least 10 thousand years and registers from the first explorers of the region after Brazil's discovery, in 1500, provides us information that they were still numerous on that occasion. The exploration of this region began in the 16th century, with expeditions like the ones from Sebastião Fernandes Tourinho, that went by the Rio Doce route in the search for precious metals. Fernandes Tourinho went through the inverse route of the river until finding the Santo Antônio River, but the settlement was prohibited in the beginning of the 17th century, due to the efforts to not having ways to have illegal gold extraction on the Diamantina, Minas Gerais region. The settlement was allowed on 1755 and to guarantee to safety of the colonizers and merchants that used the Doce River, barracks were installed with the mission to keep an eye on the Botocudos. The barrack of Baguari was the first territory of today's municipality and along with him, near settlements also appeared, one of them being Figueira, that correspond to today's municipality. The Amerindians were seen as a threat to the colonizers and the barracks worked as a strategy of forcing them to leave the region. Near Figueira, in 1818, the D.Manoel barrack was created, on the left side of the Doce River, working as a little port that attended to military service and would also form a trading post. Later, the settlement was ranked up to a district subjected to Peçanha by the provincial law nº 3.198 of September 23 of 1884, coming to be called Santo Antônio da Figueira.

The area around Governador Valadares was explored in colonial serve the residences of the town. It was powered by steam. • 1923 – Figueira In 1937, the municipality of Figueira do Rio Doce was established, which then changed its name to Governador Valadares, in honor of the governor at the time, Benedito Valadares. Since the 1980s, Governador Valadares is known as one of the main sources of Brazilian immigrants to the United States, even earning the nickname "Governador Valadolares" in reference to expatriates sending remittances of their dollar salaries. However, the late 2000s recession made many of the Valadares immigrants to return home since financial security became worse in the United States.

Production and the intense trade in precious stones is the reason the "Brazil Gem Show" takes place in the local authority every year: an event that consists of the commerce of precious stones with Brazilians and foreign visitors Governador Valadares is the biggest city and commercial center of the Eastern region of the state of Minas Gerais, having several cities in its area of influence, such as Teófilo Otoni and Caratinga. At present, Governador Valadares is growing in industrial development, due to its strategic position, human resources and international reputation. It is a trade and industrial center. Sawmills and food-processing plants are in the city, and mica and beryl are mined in the area. Governador Valadares is one of the most famous gem-trading centres in Brazil. Gem minerals include amethyst, chrysoberyl, brazilianite, topaz and quartz. The Golconda mine, one of the oldest in the city, attracts the curiosity of tourists and stone collectors from all over the world.

The city is served by the railroad Vitória-Minas, of Vale S.A. and by the highway Rio-Bahia (BR-116). It is also connected with the capital of the state by the BR-381. The city is on the Belo Horizonte–Vitória railway and on the Rio de Janeiro–Salvador highway. Distances from major centers: • Belo Horizonte – 311 km • Rio de Janeiro – 580 km • São Paulo – 891 km • Brasília – 1,045 km • Vitória – 420 km

The city hosts of one of the stages of the Brazilian hang gliding championship from the peak of Ibituruna, where it is possible to catch sight of the whole valley of Rio Doce. It also hosts several international hang gliding championships. The city is known internationally for the World Paragliding Championships that has been held at Ibituruna Peak (1123 meters).

• Vila Imperio

Governador Valadares is twinned with the following cities: • United States Framingham, Massachusetts, United States • United States Everett, Massachusetts, United States • United States Newark, New Jersey, United States • United States Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States

• Warlley Alves, MMA fighter • Eike Batista, entrepreneur • Geraldão, football player • Lucas Venuto, football player • Yasmim, football player

• Illustration — Sunset in Governador Valadares • Illustration — view of the city from above • Illustration — Shopping mall • Illustration — Carnival • Illustration — Paragliding, the main sport of the city • Illustration — Top of the Ibituruna mountain • Illustration — Ibituruna mountain reflection on Rio Doce river • Illustration — Downtown • Illustration — Rio Doce