São Lourenço, Minas Gerais Explained

São Lourenço
Settlement Type:Municipality
Official Name:Municipality of São Lourenço
Motto:Acqua Vitæ Ignis Fidei
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name: Brazil
Subdivision Name1:Southeast
Subdivision Type3:Mesoregion
Subdivision Name3:South and Southwest of Minas Gerais
Subdivision Type4:Microregion
Subdivision Name4:São Lourenço
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Walter José Lessa (PTB)
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:April 1, 1927
Area Total Km2:57.2
Population As Of:2020
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:46,202
Population Density Km2:583.3
Timezone:BRT
Utc Offset:-3
Coordinates:-22.1158°N -45.0539°W
Elevation M:875
Postal Code Type:Postal Code
Postal Code:37470-000
Blank Name:HDI (2010)
Blank Info:0.759 – high[2]

São Lourenço (Saint Lawrence) is a Brazilian municipality and spa town in the southern part of the state of Minas Gerais, in the Southeast of the country. It is one of the smallest Brazilian municipalities, with only 57.2 km2 (22.1 sq. mi), and is located at an equal distance - approximately 3.5h - from two major cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

São Lourenço has a yearly mean temperature of 18 °C. In the winter the lows can reach 0 °C, sometimes with heavy frost.

The region has occasionally been affected by flooding; the most severe occurred in 1940, 1986, 1990 and 2000. In January 2000, heavy storms caused the waters of Rio Verde to rise more than 4.5m, leaving parts of the city underwater, including the city centre and the municipal park where the mineral water fountains are located.

Tourism is the main economic activity of the city although it has also become the regional hub for shopping, medical care, and banking. The city is served by Comte. Luiz Carlos de Oliveira Airport.

Throughout the year, several events take place in Sao Lourenço. They include the International Choir Festival, Cachaça Festival - cachaça is a hard liquor distilled from sugar cane juice, Winter Festival, Street Carnaval, Orchid Exhibits, Megacycle (a motorcyclists gathering), Vintage/Classic Cars Expo, a Hot Air Balloonists gathering, as well as several conferences of large Brazilian organizations.

In the beginning of August, the city celebrates its patron saint, Saint Lawrence, with a ten-day festival that includes live music, traditional food, and fireworks.

Climate

São Lourenço has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) with rainy summers and warm, dry winters.

Notes and References

  1. https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/brasil/mg/sao-lourenco/panorama IBGE 2020
  2. Web site: Archived copy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233352/http://www.pnud.org.br/arquivos/ranking-idhm-2010.pdf . July 8, 2014 . August 1, 2013 . United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).