Abaeté

Abaeté is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In 2007 the population was 22,474 in a total area of 1,816 km². It became a municipality in 1870.

Location

Abaeté belongs to the statistical micro-region of Três Marias. It is located at an elevation of 641 meters between the São Francisco River and the Indaiá River. Neighboring municipalities are:

Distances

Etymology

Abaeté, of Tupi-Guarani origin, means strong man or brave man and was the word by which the local natives called themselves. The first name of the settlement was Nossa Senhora das Dores do Marmelada.

Economy

The most important economic activities are cattle raising, commerce, and agriculture. The GDP in 2005 was R$ R$162 million of which 89 million came from services. Abaeté is in the top tier of municipalities in the state with regard to economic and social development. In 2007 there were three banking agencies in the town. There was a small retail infrastructure serving the surrounding area of cattle and agricultural lands. There were 3,629 automobiles in all of the municipality (2007), about one for every six inhabitants.