Belo Horizonte (lit. "Beautiful Horizon") is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of the country. As of 2013, the municipality's population is 2,479,175, making it the most populous city in Minas Gerais state and the sixth most populous city in the country. However the city's metropolitan area, the Greater Belo Horizonte, is home of more than 5.15 million inhabitants (excluding the "Metropolitan Attach", or the "Expanded Metro area" which adds more than 650,000 people), making it the third most populous urban agglomeration in Brazil, after only the Greater São Paulo City and the Greater Rio de Janeiro.
The region was first settled in the early 18th century, but the city as it is known today was planned and constructed in the 1890s, in order to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas Gerais. The city features a mixture of contemporary and classical buildings, and is home to several modern Brazilian architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Complex. In planning the city, Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban planning of Washington, D.C. The city has employed notable programs in urban revitalization and food security, for which it has been awarded international accolades.
The city is built on several hills and is completely surrounded by mountains. There are several large parks in the immediate surroundings of Belo Horizonte. The Mangabeiras Park (Parque das Mangabeiras), located 6 km (4 mi) south-east from the city centre in the hills of Curral Ridge (Serra do Curral), has a very broad view of the city. It has an area of 2.35 km2 (580 acres), of which 0.9 km2 (220 acres) is covered by the native forest. The Jambeiro Woods (Mata do Jambeiro) nature reserve extends over 912 hectares (2,250 acres), with vegetation typical of the Atlantic forest. More than one hundred species of birds inhabit the reserve, as well as ten different species of mammals. The city will be one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Additionally, Belo Horizonte hosted the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and 1950 FIFA World Cup.
