Espera Feliz

Espera Feliz is a city and municipality in southeastern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The altitude is 2,430 m above sea level, with maximum altitude of 8,716 m in the Pico da Bandeira. Located at coord|20|39|00|S|41|54|25|W|type:city_region:BR_scale:75000|display=inline,title, its neighboring cities are Caiana to the south, Dores do Rio Preto along with Divino de São Lorenço to the southeast, Alto Caparaó to the north and Carangola to the west.

The citiziens are called "Esperafelicenses"

City data

*Foundation: December 17, 1938
*Population: 21,145 (2005 est)
*Area: 325.0 km²
*Average temperature: 20ºC
*Nearby cities: Caiana, Dores do Rio Preto, Divino de São Lorenço and Alto Caparao, Carangola
*Distance from Belo Horizonte: 378km
*Distance from Rio de Janeiro: 370km
*Distance from São Paulo: 705km
*Distance from Brasilia: 1,120km
*Distance from Vitoria: 270km

History

It says a tradition verbal that in the second half of century XIX, a COMMISSION OF ENGINEERS sent by the IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT DE D. PETER II, camped where if it today finds the center of the city. Having made with success several hunted of wild, abundant animals in the place, they had perceived that definitive together point to the edge of the São João River, where today if locates the Pico da Bandeira, it favored hunted, therefore constituted a "happy wait". Of the current City, the first population that if it formed was of São Sebastião da Barra, distant six kilometers of the current Headquarters. The first land proprietor in the place of the current city was the Lieutenant - Colonel Francisco Xavier Hunter Walnut of Gamma. Later Francisco transferred to these to Antonio de Oliveira. This, without resources to explore the property, transferred in the year of 1873, to its brother-in-law Antonio Carlos de Souza. The reasons of setting and the desbravamento were the fertile land search for agriculture; the mining would come only in century XX. In 1848, Manoel Francisco Pine introduced the culture of the coffee in the region. In 1910, with the inauguration of the RAILROAD STATION, the town received the name from Espera Feliz. The 1915 enter 1912 had the denomination modified for LINKING, which had to be railroad entroncamento with the STATE Of the Espirito Santo. In 1915, the headquarters of the São Sebastião da Barra were transferred to the town, returning the denomination from Espera Feliz. In 1923 Espera Feliz started to call itself. It passed the city in 17 of December of 1938. The local citizens are called esperafelicense. The great factor of the local development was the The Leopoldina Railway Company Limited, that reached the place in 1910. For the formation of the town they had concurred Captain Jose Carlos de Marine Souza, who donated lands for the construction of the first houses, in the place that received the denomination from New Street. In the center of the city, Deoclécio de Lacerda constructed to the first destined building the hotel. Mrs. Pink Cira of Assis donated lands for the ticket of the railroad, the local Station, and the area destined to the Triangle. In the opposing edge of the São João River, Major Francisco Pereira de Souza constructed a group of houses, that received the name from Street Pereira. Owner Maria, widower of Captain Francisco Gomes Da Silva, donated the Patrimony Of the FIRST CHURCH OF SAO SEBASTIÃO.

ADMINISTRATIVE FORMATION All territory that today integrates the City of Espera Feliz - Minas Gerais, belonged to the Village De Campos of the Goitacazes of the Province of Rio De Janeiro.

Politics

The current mayor is Jardir Silva Vidal who won the election in 2004 against Reino Martins de Oliveira

The number of registered voters in Espera Feliz is 15,639 (2004 est) source: Tribunal Superior Eleitoral

Economy

*Agriculture – production of coffee
*Commerce
*Tourism in Pico da Bandeira

ee also

* List of municipalities in Minas Gerais

External links

* [http://www.esperafeliz.mg.gov.br// City’s official website] pt icon