Catalão () is a city and municipality located in the south of the state of Goiás, in Brazil. It is a large producer of grains, cattle, and phosphates and has a John Deere and Mitsubishi factory. Demographics Population density: 17.85 inhabitants/km2 (2003) Population growth rate 1991/2000: 1.86.% Population in 1980: 39,172 Urban population in 2003: 60,830 Rural population in 2003: 6,616 Political information Eligible voters in 2004: 50,160 City government in 2005: mayor (Adib Elias Júnior), vice-mayor (João Sebba Neto), and 10 councilmembers Location and communications Catalão is the seat of the Catalão Microregion which includes 11 cities with a total population of 114,686 inhabitants in an area of 15,238.60 km2. Located in a region of fertile soil rich in phosphates, with excellent highway and railway connections, and watered by several rivers, the municipality has been experiencing rapid growth in recent years and is the third largest payer of state taxes. The city lies a short distance north of the border with the state of Minas Gerais where a large dam over the Paranaíba River, the Barragem de Emborcação, separates the two states. It is connected by paved highway with Goiânia (253 km.), Brasília (330 km.), and Uberlândia (114), in the rich Mineiro Triangle. Highway connections with Goiânia are by BR-352 / Bela Vista de Goiás / Cristianópolis / GO-020 / BR-352 / Pires do Rio / GO-330 / Ipameri. Municipal boundaries are with: North: Campo Alegre de Goiás South: Davinópolis, Ouvidor, Três Ranchos, and Cumari East: Minas Gerais West: Goiandira and Ipameri Catalão is connected to the East West railroad system and to the future North-South system, which begins in Anápolis. It also has an airport with a runway for small and medium-sized planes, 1,400 meters long, paved, and lit at night. Prosperity The municipality is one of the most prosperous in the state. In a study carried out by Seplan of competitivity in municipalities in the state of Goiás Catalão was ranked third after Anápolis and Rio Verde. See Seplan Catalão got a score of 0.818 on the UN Human Development Index, ranking it 3 out of 242 municipalities in the state. Nationally it was ranked 253 out of 5,507 municipalities. (All data are from 2000.) For the complete list see Frigoletto.com Economy Traditionally a land of cattle raising, Catalão is still a great producer of meat and dairy products (150,000 head of cattle in 2003) and poultry