Editing Contagem

<!-- Infobox begins!-->
{{Infobox settlement
|name                   = Contagem
|settlement_type        = [[Municipalities of Brazil|Municipality]]
|official_name          = Municipality of Contagem
|website                = {{URL|http://www.contagem.mg.gov.br/}}
|nickname               = Contagem das Abóboras
|motto                  = ''Per Populum Omnis Potestas A Deo''
|image_skyline          = 27.06.2024 - Cerimônia sobre investimentos do Governo Federal em Contagem (MG) (53820719123).jpg
|imagesize              = 280px
|image_caption          = Skyline of Contagem
|image_flag             = Bandeira de Contagem - MG.svg
|image_seal             = Brasão de Contagem - MG.svg
|image_map              = MinasGerais Municip Contagem.svg
|mapsize                = 
|map_caption            = Location in [[Minas Gerais]]
|pushpin_map            = Brazil
|subdivision_type       = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
|subdivision_type1      = [[Regions of Brazil|Region]]
|subdivision_type2      = [[States of Brazil|State]]
|subdivision_name       = {{flag|Brazil}}
|subdivision_name1      = [[Southeast Region, Brazil|Southeast]]
|subdivision_name2      = {{flag|Minas Gerais}}
|leader_title           = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name            = [[Marília Campos]] ([[Workers' Party (Brazil)|PT]])
|established_title      = Founded
|established_date       = 1716
|established_title2     = 
|established_date2      = 
|area_magnitude         = 
|area_total_km2         = 194.586
|area_total_sq_mi       = 
|area_land_km2          = 
|area_land_sq_mi        = 
|area_water_km2         = 
|area_water_sq_mi       = 
|area_water_percent     = 
|area_urban_km2         =
|area_urban_sq_mi       =
|area_metro_km2         = 
|area_metro_sq_mi       = 
|population_as_of       = 2022
|population_note        = 
|population_footnotes   = <ref name="IBGE2">[https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/brasil/mg/contagem/panorama IBGE 2022]</ref>
|population_total       = 621,863
|population_metro       = 
|population_urban       = 
|population_density_km2 = auto
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|timezone               = [[Time in Brazil|BRT]]
|utc_offset             = &minus;3
|timezone_DST           = 
|utc_offset_DST         =
|coordinates            = {{coord|19|55|55|S|44|03|14|W|region:BR|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_m            = 858
|elevation_ft           = 2,815
|area_code              = +55 31
|postal_code_type       = Postal Code
|postal_code            = 32000-000
|blank_name             = '''[[Human Development Index|HDI]]''' (2010)
|blank_info             = 0.756  – <span style="color:#090">high</span><ref>{{Cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.pnud.org.br/arquivos/ranking-idhm-2010.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233352/http://www.pnud.org.br/arquivos/ranking-idhm-2010.pdf |archive-date=July 8, 2014 |access-date=August 1, 2013 |publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]] (UNDP)
}}</ref>
|footnotes              = 
}}
'''Contagem''' ({{IPA|pt|kõˈtaʒẽj}}) is a city in the center of the state of [[Minas Gerais]], in [[Brazil]]. It is only {{convert|21|km|mi|abbr=off}} from the capital, [[Belo Horizonte]], and forms part of a metropolitan area with a population of 4.8 million.

Over time, the city's geographic boundaries were lost due to its horizontal growth towards the capital, causing intense [[conurbation]] with Belo Horizonte. Contagem is part of the [[Greater Belo Horizonte]] area and is one of the most important cities in this urban agglomeration, mainly due to its large industrial park. Its road system, designed to accommodate an intense flow of vehicles and cargo, is made up of the country's main highways, [[Rodovia Fernão Dias|BR-381]] (Fernão Dias - access to [[São Paulo]]), [[BR-262 (Brazil highway)|BR-262]] (access to [[Vitória, Espírito Santo|Vitória]] and [[Triângulo Mineiro]]) and [[BR-040 (Brazil highway)|BR-040]] (access to [[Brasília]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contagem - Guia do cidade Contagem -MG Aqui você Encontra ! |url=https://www.encontracontagem.com.br/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=www.encontracontagem.com.br |language=pt-br}}</ref>

==Geography==
The city belongs to the metropolitan mesoregion and to the microregion of Belo Horizonte, has a territorial extension of {{convert|195.2|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=off}}, and borders the municipalities of [[Ribeirão das Neves]], [[Esmeraldas, Minas Gerais|Esmeraldas]], [[Betim]], [[Ibirité]] and Belo Horizonte. The elevation of the city hall is {{convert|939|m|ft|abbr=off}}.

==Demography==
According to estimates from 2020 the municipal population was 668,949 making it the third most populous city in the state of Minas Gerais, after Belo Horizonte and Uberlândia.<ref name="IBGE2" />

The population is very young with 86% of the population being less than 50 years old.

Education indicators:
*adults with up to 10 years of education: 23.67%
*young people between 10 and 14 years old attending school: 96.8%
*adults with no formal schooling: 5.21%
*young people ages between 15 and 17 enrolled in secondary education:   83.7%
*adults who have studied some university: 23%
*illiteracy rate for adults over 25: 7%

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#009966;" colspan="2"
!<span style="color:green;">Color/Race</span>
!<span style="color:green;">Percentage</span>
|-
|[[Pardo Brazilian|Mixed]]
|48.6%
|-
|[[White Brazilian|White]]
|38.9%
|-
|[[Afro-Brazilian|Black]]
|10.1%
|-
|[[Asian Brazilian|Asian]]
|1.3%
|-
|[[Indigenous peoples in Brazil|Amerindian]]
|0.1%
|}
''Source: Census 2010''

==Economy==
Contagem is primarily a city of [[heavy industry]] with a diversified industrial complex; even though minerals processing and chemicals still have a large importance. The municipality is responsible for 5.28% of the state GDP, occupying third place after Belo Horizonte and Betim.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ftp.ibge.gov.br/Pib_Municipios/2010/xls/Pib_Municipal_2006_2010_xls.zip |title=FTP link |work=ftp.ibge.gov.br }}</ref>

Serious problems with water and air pollution exist, and the Pampulha Lake ([[Belo Horizonte]]) receives large quantities of heavy metals from the city.

Contagem was the first industrial district built in Minas Gerais. Inaugurated in 1946, by 1950 it was the largest in the state. The Gafanhoto power plant (on the [[Pará River]]) was built by the state government in 1952 to provide for the implementation and development of the district, which is still the largest industrial region in Minas Gerais.

Ceasa Minas Greater BH (regional wholesale supply center) is in Contagem. It has a built area of 605,000m<sup>2</sup>, with 535 companies installed, and a public on busy days of 65,000 people. It is the largest in vegetables in all of Brazil.

== Sister city ==
{{flag|Cuba}} [[Cienfuegos]]

Carmelo is a sister city in Cuba.

== Notable people ==
<!-- Please respect chronological order -->
* [[Gilson Bernardo]] (born 1968), volleyball player
* [[Arlene Xavier]] (born 1969), volleyball player
* [[Ramon Menezes]] (born 1972), footballer
* [[Glaydson]] (born 1979), defensive midfielder
* [[Rafael Pereira (hurdler)|Rafael Pereira]] (born 1997), athlete
* [[Serginho (footballer, born 1986)|Serginho]] (born 1986), footballer
* [[Philipe Fidélis dos Santos]] (born 1989), footballer
* [[Jonathan Reis]] (born 1990), footballer
* [[Raquel Fernandes]] (born 1991), footballer
* [[Ricardo Lucarelli]] (born 1992), volleyball player
* [[Graxa]] (born 1993), footballer
* [[Kay]] (born 1999), 2-time UR2D Sunday League World Champion

==See also==
* [[List of municipalities in Minas Gerais]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060709230436/http://www.ceasaminas.com.br/contagem.asp Ceasa Greater BH]
*[http://www.contagem.mg.gov.br/ City government official site]

{{Brazil topics}}
{{Municipalities of Minas Gerais}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities in Minas Gerais]]