Lavras

Lavras is a municipality in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. It sits at an altitude of 919 meters and is home to 104,761 people, according to data from 2022. The town covers an area of 564.495 square kilometers, with warm temperatures averaging around 19.6 °C and plenty of rain, about 1,511 millimeters each year.

Lavras is part of a beautiful area known for its natural beauty and history. It lies within the Green Valley and Waterfalls tourist region and is close to many relaxing spas found in São Paulo and Minas Gerais. The town is also near the historic Inconfidentes Trail, a place important to Brazil’s past.

Travelers can reach Lavras easily by highway. It is about 237 kilometers from the state capital, Belo Horizonte, 379 kilometers from São Paulo, and 423 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro. This makes it a great spot for both everyday life and visitors exploring the region.

Geography

Lavras is part of the Immediate Geographic Region of Lavras and the Intermediate Geographic Region of Varginha, according to IBGE from 2017.

The city has a humid subtropical climate, which means it has rainy summers and warm, dry winters. Lavras is also part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of São João del-Rei.

History

Francisco Salles (1863-1933)

The history of Lavras goes back to the early 1700s during the time when people in Brazil were searching for gold. Around 1720, explorers came to this area looking for gold and new paths to other places. They set up a small settlement called Sant'Ana das Lavras do Funil. The name "Lavras" comes from the many gold mines in the region.

In the 1800s, Lavras grew from a small settlement to a town and then to a city. It became an important place with schools, churches, and new ways to travel, like trains and steam boats. Later, people from many countries, like Italy and Portugal, came to live in Lavras, making the town more diverse. Even though there were some hard times, Lavras kept growing and became a important center for learning and industry.

Population growth
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1760	1,000	—
1813	10,612	+4.56%
1834	11,322	+0.31%
1854	14,203	+1.14%
1864	18,709	+2.79%
1872	31,813	+6.86%
1890	24,756	−1.38%
1900	38,685	+4.56%
1920	42,859	+0.51%
1940	42,187	−0.08%
1950	27,364	−4.24%
1960	37,262	+3.14%
1970	44,449	+1.78%
1980	52,710	+1.72%
1991	65,893	+2.05%
2000	78,772	+2.00%
2010	92,171	+1.58%
2022	104,761	+1.07%

Economy

In 2013, the total value created by jobs and businesses in Lavras was R$2,058,203,000. When divided among all the people, this is about R$20,965 for each person.

The work in farms made up 2.7% of this value, factories made up 20.4%, and helping people with different services made up 65.3%. Taxes added another 11.6%.

Agriculture and livestock

Lavras grows a lot of coffee and produces a lot of milk. Farmers also grow other crops and raise beef cattle. Here are some numbers from 2014:

Permanent farming
	Value (R$ 10³)	Area (ha)	Production (t)	Yield (t/ha)
Banana	120	10	120	12
Coffee	36,098	4,610	4,979	1.08
Grape	25	1	7	7
Guava	160	7	84	12
Orange	347	43	559	13
Passion fruit	47	3	36	12
Peach	25	1	13	13

Temporary farming
	Value (R$ 10³)	Area (ha)	Production (t)	Yield (t/ha)
Bean	1,230	1,000	820	0.82
Cassava	54	5	90	18
Corn	9,720	4,000	21,600	5,400
Soybean	1,181	450	1,125	2.5
Sugarcane	275	43	3,440	80
Tomato	190	4	200	50

Animal products
	Value (R$ 10³)	Production
Fish	54	9,000 kg
Honey	196	28,000 kg
Chicken egg	29,958	7,490,000 doz
Quail egg	6,019	7,524,000 doz

Education

Lavras has many schools for children and adults. In 2012, there were 31 preschools, 37 primary schools, 16 secondary schools, and 3 special education centers. Over 18,000 students learned with more than 1,000 teachers.

Universidade Federal de Lavras

The city is also home to one of Brazil’s best universities, the Federal University of Lavras. Started in 1908, it is famous for teaching agronomy and veterinary science. Many students study there, both in basic courses and advanced programs.

	Preschool			Primary schools			Secondary schools
	Schools	Teachers	Student	Schools	Teachers	Student	Schools	Teachers	Student
Municipal School	21	89	1721	18	305	6234	0	0	0
State School	0	0	0	8	193	3671	7	160	3008
Private School	10	44	456	11	207	2394	9	129	1187
Total	31	133	2177	37	705	12299	16	289	4195
Ministério da Educação, Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais – INEP – Censo Educacional 2012.

Transport

Lavras was a stop on the Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas, a narrow railway line.

Sports

Lavras is the home of Fabril Esporte Clube, a football club that had some success in the 1980s in the Minas Gerais state championship. The city is also where some well-known athletes were born, including defenders Alemão and Caçapa from the Brazil national football team, and Ana Paula Henkel, who won a bronze medal at the Olympics in volleyball.