Belo Horizonte is one of the main business poles of the country and it has already been indicated by the U.N. Population Crisis Committee as the metropolis with the best life quality of Latin America and as the 45th among the world's 100 best cities. The city also exhibits the diploma of "Model Environmental City" with its 32 m² of green area per inhabitant, three times the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The modern city, planned to take the place of the colonial Ouro Preto as the state's capital, offers an infrastructure for big events and nowadays passes through an urban revitalization with the construction of the so-called "Linha Verde", a traffic way complex that will ease the access to the North region of the city and consequently to the Confins International Airport. The services sector is diversified and has well assembled hotels, restaurants and bank agencies.

Located next to the Historical Circuits of the state, the capital, initially called "Cidade de Minas" (City of Minas) was built where the Arraial do Curral Del Rey was located. On 12 December 1897 it was inaugurated by the governor of Minas Gerais (1894-98), Bias Fortes. Due to the beauty of its horizon, the population claimed the change of the name "Cidade de Minas" to Belo Horizonte (which means Beautiful Horizon), what occurred in 1906.

Third largest city of Brazil, it is surrounded by the hills of Serra do Curral, a natural frame that gives the city its own charm. Despite being a city located in the countryside, Belo Horizonte has easy air and road access. The mineira capital distinguishes itself by the beauty of its architecture collection, by its artistic and cultural production and by its strong commercial vocation.

With approximately 2.4 million inhabitants, the capital, due to being dynamic and modern, exhibits a wide diversity on the industrial, commercial and artistic sectors, always attracting bigger investments. Nowadays the city is also distinguished as a medical, biotechnological and technological excellence center and has established itself as a reference for important national and international events.