city, south-central Minas Gerais estado (state), Brazil. It is situated in highlands at 2,205 feet (672 metres) above sea level, near the Pará River. It was made the seat of a municipality in 1911 and gained city status in 1915. The growing of cassava (manioc), corn (maize), rice, coffee, feijão (beans), sugarcane, and other crops and the raising of livestock are economically important in the surrounding area. The city is one of the most important industrial centres in Minas Gerais, with metallurgical plants, textile mills, tanneries, and dairy factories. Roads, railway, and air service link Divinópolis to Belo Horizonte, the state capital, 97 miles (156 km) east. Pop. (2005 est.) 197,700.