Uberlândia is located in the western part of the state of Minas Gerais,
in the region called Triângulo Mineiro, one of the richest agricultural
regions of Brazil, between the Paranaíba and Grande rivers. With a
population of 654,681 inhabitants, according to 2014 estimates, the city
is the second largest in the state second only to Belo Horizonte
(2,491,109).
It is connected to major cities by the following federal highways:
BR-050, BR-365, BR-455, BR-452, and BR-497. Uberlândia is about 580 km
away from São Paulo, connected by a modern and safe double trace highway
(BR-050). The capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, is
560 km away and Brasília, the capital of the country, lies just 440 km
to the north.
Due to its centrality and good transport links, Uberlândia has been
chosen as a distribution point for the Free Economic Zone of Manaus, the
first ever such distribution point.
The city of Uberlândia has many touristic attractions, in its
architectural value and cultural and natural values. Some of the main
attractions of the city:
– Municipal Market of Uberlândia: It is located at the city center. It
was established in 1923, but only had its construction started in 1944.
It is situated in Olegário Maciel street, and offers diverse typical
products from the state of Minas Gerais.
– Municipal Museum of Uberlândia: It is located at the city center, on
the Clarimundo Carneiro Square. The same building had been used as City
Hall. It has been reformed and today is a place where many cultural
projects take place.
– Sabiá Park: It is a park/zoo, located on the East Zone of the city. It
is a green complex made up of a zoo with dozens of animals in captivity;
seven lakes that come together to form one big lagoon; an aquarium that
has 36 tanks and 36 different fish species; a running track of 5.100
meters; and much more.
– Rondon Pacheco Avenue: It is considered to be the “gastronomic
corridor” of Uberlândia. Around it is where the nightlife in Uberlândia
can be found, having many bars, restaurants, cachaçarias, pizzerias,
cafes, ice cream parlors and sweet shops. There are more than 60
establishments across the avenue. Furthermore, the avenue also has many
hotels, convenience stores, gas stations, supermarkets and hypermarkets.
The avenue cuts the city from east to west.