Mantiqueira Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Mantiqueira Mountains (Portuguese: Serra da Mantiqueira) are a mountain range in Southeastern Brazil, with parts in the states of São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...

, Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...

 and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...

. It rises abruptly from the northwestern bank of the Paraíba do Sul River and extends northeastward for approximately 320 km (198.8 mi), reaching a height of 2,798 m (9,180 ft) at Pedra da Mina
Pedra da Mina
Pedra da Mina is the highest mountain in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, the highest in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range and one of the highest in all Brazilian territory...

. The mountains, which eventually merge with the Serra do Espinhaço, were originally forest-covered, except for the peaks that rise above the tree line. They provide charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...

 and pasture for cattle; on the lower slopes there are several health and tourist resorts, such as Campos do Jordão
Campos do Jordão
Campos do Jordão is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2003 was 47,903 and the area is 290.27 km². The elevation is 1,628 m....

, Brazil's highest city. The name Mantiqueira derives from a Tupi word meaning "mountains that cry", denoting the large number of springs and streams found there.

The name shows the range's great importance as a source of drinking water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...

, and the waters supply a great number of important cities in the southeast of Brazil. From its brooks are formed the Jaguari River
Jaguari River
The Jaguari River is a river of São Paulo state in southeastern Brazil.-See also:* ] map]* Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....

, which supplies the northern region of Greater São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

; the Paraíba do Sul River, which crosses a densely populated and highly industrialized region; and the Grande River
Grande River
The Grande River is river in south-central Brazil. It rises in the Mantiqueira Mountains in the state of Minas Gerais and descends inland, west-northwestward. Its lower course marks a portion of the Minas Gerais-São Paulo border...

, which is the source of the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...

, one of the longest and most important in South America and the river with the world's largest hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...

 output, through a series of power plants way down the river to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 and Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

.

Many springs of mineral water lie in the regions of Caxambu
Caxambu
Caxambu is a Brazilian city in Minas Gerais. Its population in 2004 was estimated at 23,482.Located at the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Caxambu is renowned by its spa, which has twelve sources of mineral water flowing, 24 hours a day....

 and São Lourenço
São Lourenço
São Lourenço may refer to:*São Lourenço, Cape Verde, a village and a cove*São Lourenço, Minas Gerais, Brazil*São Lourenço , a parish in the municipality of Portalegre, Portugal...

 in Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...

, and Campos do Jordão
Campos do Jordão
Campos do Jordão is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2003 was 47,903 and the area is 290.27 km². The elevation is 1,628 m....

 and Serra Negra
Serra Negra
-External links:...

 in São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...

.

Ecology

The Serra da Mantiqueira is a part of the Mata Atlântica
Mata Atlântica
The Atlantic Forest is a region of tropical and subtropical moist forest, tropical dry forest, tropical savanna, semi deciduous forest and mangrove forests which extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the north to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south, and...

 ecosystem. Despite the clearing of the land for livestock raising, the difficult access to many areas has made possible for sanctuaries of well-preserved forest to still exist, with trees such as the jacarandá
Jacaranda
Jacaranda is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America , Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It is also found in Asia, especially in Nepal...

, Spanish cedar
Cedrela
Cedrela is a genus of seven species in the mahogany family Meliaceae. They are evergreen or dry-season deciduous trees with pinnate leaves, native to the tropical and subtropical New World, from southern Mexico south to northern Argentina. The name is derived from a diminutive form of Cedrus...

, canjerana
Meliaceae
The Meliaceae, or the Mahogany family, is a flowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs in the order Sapindales....

, guatambu, ipê
Tabebuia
Tabebuia is a neotropical genus of about 100 species in the tribe Tecomeae of the family Bignoniaceae. The species range from northern Mexico and southern Florida south to northern Argentina, including the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola and Cuba...

, canela, angico
Albizia
Albizia is a genus of about 150 species of mostly fast-growing subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family, Fabaceae. The genus is pantropical, occurring in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, Central, South, and southern North America and Australia, but mostly...

, jequitibá
Lecythidaceae
The Lecythidaceae comprise a family of about 20 genera and 250-300 species of woody plants native to tropical South America and Madagascar.According to the most recent molecular analysis of Lecythidaceae The Lecythidaceae comprise a family of about 20 genera and 250-300 species of woody plants...

, and also the araucaria
Araucaria angustifolia
Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine or Brazilian pine , is a species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Covering an original area of 233000 km², it is native to southern Brazil Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine or Brazilian pine , is a species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Covering an...

, more typical of subtropical South America but found in the area because of altitude. The region's closest point is only 100 km (62.1 mi) from the city of São Paulo.

It is also the habitat of a varied fauna: pampas deer
Pampas Deer
Pampas deer, Ozotoceros bezoarticus, live in the grasslands of South America at low elevations. They are also known as Venado or Gama. Their habitat includes water and hills, often with winter drought, and grass that is high enough to cover a standing deer...

 (locally known as veado campeiro), maned wolves
Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...

 (lobo guará), cougars (onça-parda or suçuarana), bush dog
Bush Dog
The bush dog is a canid found in Central and South America, including Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru , Ecuador, the Guianas, Paraguay, northeast Argentina and Brazil...

s (cachorro-vinagre), ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...

s (jaguatirica), paca
Paca
The Lowland Paca , also known as the Spotted Paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from East-Central Mexico to Northern Argentina...

s, howler monkey
Howler monkey
Howler monkeys are among the largest of the New World monkeys. Fifteen species are currently recognised. Previously classified in the family Cebidae, they are now placed in the family Atelidae. These monkeys are native to South and Central American forests...

s (bugio), Atlantic Titi
Atlantic Titi
The Atlantic titi or masked titi, Callicebus personatus, is a species of titi, a type of New World monkey, endemic to Brazil.-Distribution and general features:...

s (sauá), squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...

s, and hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...

s can still be found there. Birds of note are the azure jay
Azure Jay
The Azure Jay is a passeriform bird of the crow family Corvidae. It is found in the Atlantic Forest, especially with Araucaria angustifolia, in south-eastern Brazil , far eastern Paraguay and far north-eastern Argentina...

, the toucan
Toucan
Toucans are members of the family Ramphastidae of near passerine birds from the Neotropics. The family is most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and about forty different species...

, the scaly-headed parrot
Pionus
Pionus is a genus of medium-sized parrots native to Mexico, and Central and South America. Characteristic of the genus are the chunky body, bare eye ring , and short square tail. They are superficially similar to Amazon parrots, but smaller and in flight their wing-strokes are far deeper...

 (maitaca), the inhambu
Tinamou
The tinamous are a family comprising 47 species of birds found in Central and South America. One of the most ancient living groups of bird, they are related to the ratites. Generally ground dwelling, they are found in a range of habitats....

, the jacana
Jacana
The jaçanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone. See Etymology below for pronunciation....

, the seriema
Seriema
The seriemas are the sole extant members of the small and ancient family Cariamidae, which is also the sole surviving family of the Cariamae. Once believed to be related to cranes, they have been placed by one recent study near the falcons, parrots and passerines, as well as the extinct terror birds...

 and the caracara
Southern Caracara
The Southern Crested Caracara , also known as the Southern Caracara, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It formerly included the Northern Caracara of the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America, and the extinct Guadalupe Caracara as subspecies...

.

Altitudes and Climate

The Mantiqueira is a popular region for mountain climbers and trekkers, where in winter, which is the dry season, one can climb some of the highest peaks in the country:
  • Pedra da Mina
    Pedra da Mina
    Pedra da Mina is the highest mountain in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, the highest in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range and one of the highest in all Brazilian territory...

     – 2,798 m (9,180 ft), between Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, and Queluz
    Queluz
    Queluz may refer to:*Queluz, Portugal, a city in the municipality of Sintra, Portugal**The Queluz National Palace, located in the city*Queluz , a civil parish in the municipality of Sintra, Portugal...

    , São Paulo; only recently discovered by GPS measurement to be the highest point in the range, as well the highest of São Paulo state and the third highest in Minas Gerais.
  • Pico das Agulhas Negras
    Pico das Agulhas Negras
    Pico das Agulhas Negras is the fifth highest mountain in Brazil, standing at above sea level, making it one of the highest in the Brazilian Highlands...

     – 2,792 m (9,160 ft), in the Itatiaia National Park
    Itatiaia National Park
    Itatiaia National Park , established in 1937, is the oldest national park in Brazil. It is located on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, between 22º16’ - 22º28’ S and 44º34’ - 44º42’ W....

    , between the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro
    Rio de Janeiro (state)
    Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...

    ; formerly thought to be the highest in the range.
  • Pico Três Estados – 2,665 m (8,743 ft), between the former two peaks, on the border tripoint of the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
  • Pico dos Marins – 2,421 m (7,942 ft), near Piquete
    Piquete
    Piquete is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2004 is 15,431 and the area is 176.32 km². The elevation is 645 m....

    , São Paulo, that state's highest point not shared with another state.


Here are also some of the highest Brazilian cities:
  • Campos do Jordão
    Campos do Jordão
    Campos do Jordão is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2003 was 47,903 and the area is 290.27 km². The elevation is 1,628 m....

    , São Paulo – 1,620 m (5,315 ft)
  • Monte Verde (district of Camanducaia
    Camanducaia
    Camanducaia is the southernmost municipality in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Inhabited by 20,212 in 2008....

    ), Minas Gerais – 1,550 m (5,085 ft)
  • Senador Amaral
    Senador Amaral
    Senador Amaral is the second highest city in Brazil , reaching near in some parts in the northern areas, nearly the Ponte Segura district. It is located in the Mantiqueira Mountains, south of Minas Gerais state. It is a small city, with a population of 5071 inhabitants and approximately 2980...

    , Minas Gerais – 1,505 m (4,938 ft)
  • Bom Repouso
    Bom Repouso
    Bom Repouso is a town and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil.-References:...

    , Minas Gerais – 1,370 m (4,495 ft)
  • Maria da Fé
    Maria da Fé
    Maria da Fé is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. Its population as of 2008 is estimated to be 14,646 people. The area of the municipality is 203.774km². The city belongs to the mesoregion South/South-West of Minas Gerais and to the microregion of Itajubá.-See also:*...

    , Minas Gerais – 1,280 m (4,199 ft)
  • Munhoz
    Munhoz
    Munhoz is a town and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil.-References:...

    , Minas Gerais – 1,260 m (4,134 ft)
  • Gonçalves
    Gonçalves
    -People:* Adílio de Oliveira Gonçalves, Brazilian footballer* Ailton Gonçalves da Silva, Brazilian footballer* André Gonçalves, 15th/16th-century Portuguese explorer of Brasil* Antão Gonçalves, 15th century Portuguese explorer...

    , Minas Gerais – 1,250 m (4,101 ft)
  • Visconde de Mauá
    Visconde de Mauá
    Visconde de Mauá is a district of the city of Resende, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Of ampler form, the name Visconde de Mauá is attributed to the set of villages of Mauá, Maringá and Maromba and its diverse valleys, as the Vale das Cruzes, Alcantilado, Pavão and Grama...

    , Rio de Janeiro – 1,200 m (3,937 ft)
  • Delfim Moreira
    Delfim Moreira
    Delfim Moreira da Costa Ribeiro was a Brazilian politician. He was born in Minas Gerais state, and was elected vice-president in 1918. He assumed the presidency on November 15, 1918, due to the illness and death of former and now elect president Rodrigues Alves. However, Moreira suffered from...

    , Minas Gerais – 1,200 m (3,937 ft)
  • Bueno Brandão
    Bueno Brandão
    Bueno Brandão is a town and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil.-References:...

    , Minas Gerais – 1,200 m (3,937 ft)
  • Barbacena
    Barbacena
    Barbacena is a city and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. As of 2006, the municipality had 124,601 inhabitants. The total area of the municipality is 788 km²....

    , Minas Gerais – 1,160 m (3,806 ft)


Due to altitude, winter in the Serra da Mantiqueira sees low temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...

s, with the occurrence of fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...

 in early morning and frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...

, giving the landscape the appearance of regions with a much colder climate. In winter, it is common for the thermometer to reach temperatures near 0°C (32°F), and then sub-freezing temperatures not rarely occur in the region's towns. On top of the highest peaks, the cold can be even more intense, and temperatures can drop to -10°C (14°F). Snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...

 is rare, but has been recorded a few times, such as in the winter of 1994, when it snowed in the Itatiaia massif.

Micro-regions

  • Cidades Altas: region lying on the right bank of the Rio Jaguari and including the cities of Itapeva, Camaducaia, Munhoz, Senador Amaral, Bom Repouso, Bueno Brandão and Ouro Fino, in Minas Gerais, and Pedra Bela and Serra Negra
    Serra Negra
    -External links:...

     in São Paulo.
  • Entre Rios: between two rivers, the Jaguari, which flows in a north-south direction and is part of the Tietê River
    Tietê River
    The Tietê River is a Brazilian river in the state of São Paulo.The source is in Salesópolis in the Serra do Mar, at 1,120 m altitude...

     basin, and the Sapucaí-Mirim, which flows from south to north and forms the Rio Grande. It includes the cities of Extrema, Monte Verde (district of Camanducaia), Gonçalves and Sapucaí-Mirim in Minas Gerais.
  • Pinhais: contains two relatively large cities, Campos do Jordão
    Campos do Jordão
    Campos do Jordão is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2003 was 47,903 and the area is 290.27 km². The elevation is 1,628 m....

     and São Bento do Sapucaí, as well as Santo Antônio do Pinhal, in São Paulo, and Brasópolis, Piranguçu, Monte Verde and Wenceslau Braz, in Minas Gerais.
  • Terras Altas: containing some of the area's oldest cities, such as Passa Quatro, Itanhandu, Itamonte, Pouso Alto, Alagoa, Virgínia, Delfim Moreira and Marmelópolis, all in Minas Gerais.
  • Itatiaia: with the Itatiaia National Park
    Itatiaia National Park
    Itatiaia National Park , established in 1937, is the oldest national park in Brazil. It is located on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, between 22º16’ - 22º28’ S and 44º34’ - 44º42’ W....

    , the nearby cities of Bocaina de Minas, Liberdade and Mirantão in Minas Gerais, Engenheiro Passos and Itatiaia in Rio de Janeiro, and the village of Visconde de Mauá, which lies partly in each state.
  • Ibitipoca: this region is entirely in Minas Gerais
    Minas Gerais
    Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...

    , after a sharp northeast turn takes the range away from the state's southern borders; it includes the cities of Bom Jardim de Minas, Lima Duarte, Santa Rita do Ibitipoca and Barbacena
    Barbacena
    Barbacena is a city and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. As of 2006, the municipality had 124,601 inhabitants. The total area of the municipality is 788 km²....

    , the latter being the largest city in the Mantiqueira range.

Miscellaneous information

Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim , also known as Tom Jobim , was a Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist. He was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, and his songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within...

composed a song called "Mantiqueira Range" for his album "Jobim"(1972). Jobim got his inspiration for the piece from the mountain range of the same name.

External links

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