Governador Valadares Enjoyed an Influx of Investment thanks to Social Housing

The Minha Casa Minha Vida programme is now in it's third year and has already helped house thousands of working class Brazilian families. Governador Valadares has had a number of different names during its history, from the very earliest times right through to the present day. The settlement was originally founded in 1734 under the name 'Arrail do Porto de Dom Manuel' and kept that label until 1808. At that point the then town became 'Porto das Canoas' and remained so for eighty years. It then changed again to Santo Antonio da Figueira, shortened to just 'Figuera in 1923. Fifteen years from that time the city changed yet again to its current name 'Governador Valadares', as a tribute to the governor in office. Governador Valadares occupies a strategic location in Minas Gerais and because of this it has become a very important hub for both industry and trade. Main industries in the area include food processing plants, sawmills and other lumber-related sites and the mining of beryl and mica.

However, the city is most well known for its production of precious stones and gem stones such as amethyst, topaz and various types of quartz. It's not just about the mining and production of these stones, though. There's an intense trade in the gems and for this reason each year the city hosts the 'Brazil Gem Show' an international event which draws traders and collectors from all over the world. One of the most popular attractions at this and other times is the famous Golconda Mine, a location celebrated throughout the country and beyond. Communications to and from G.V. are generally quite good. Top start with, the Vitória-Minas rail line serves the city and so does the main Rio-Bahia road, designated as Highway BR116. The city is also on the main Rio-Salvador Highway. Distances to other main cities in Brazil are as follows; Belo Horizonte...310 Km, Rio de Janeiro...580 Km, Sao Paolo...890Km and Brasilia 1,050Km.

There's also a busy local airport with connections to other cities all over the country, including Belo Horizonte, Rio and Sao Paolo. The airport is very proud of its 1.4Km runway, capable of dealing with aircraft of all but the very largest types. The people of the city are very interested in sport. As well as Brazil's national obsession, Football (Soccer) a local favourite is hang-gliding. This is well catered for by the slopes of the local mountain Ibituruna, where one of the stages of the national championships for Brazil regularly takes place. There are also many international competitions that gather in the city and the mountain for the same purpose. The local climate is generally hot. According to the meteorological authorities, the G.V. area has an average temperature throughout the year of 33 degrees Celsius ( about the equivalent of 91 degrees Fahrenheit). Minha Casa Minha Vida has not just been reducing the housing shortage in brazil, the programme has been actively increasing foreign investment, thanks to global property developers such as the prize winning EcoHouse Group who opt to build Minha Casa Minha Vida units with investors money rather than finance from the banks, this has seen the EcoHouse Group build 1000's more Minha Casa Minha Vida homes than other developer.