Araxá, Municipality in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Araxá sits in the central highlands of Minas Gerais, where gentle hills give way to higher mountain ranges. The town spreads across a wide valley, with residential neighborhoods interspersed among agricultural land and industrial zones.
Explorers reached the area in the mid-1600s and encountered the indigenous Araxá people, from whom the place takes its name. The settlement grew through agriculture and mining, especially after mineral deposits were discovered in the 20th century.
The population of 111,691 residents comprises 50.18% White, 38.71% Pardo, 10.78% Black, 0.25% Asian, and 0.07% Indigenous peoples.
A regional airport connects the town with larger centers, while several bus lines link the downtown area with outlying neighborhoods. Health services and pharmacies are spread throughout the urban area.
Large deposits of niobium lie in the surrounding area and are extracted in mines that rank among the most important in the world. This metal is used in the production of specialty steels and alloys.
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