Divinópolis is a municipality in the centre-west of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The estimated population in 2020 was 240,408 inhabitants. The total area of the municipality is 709 km2 and the elevation is 712 metres. It is 120 km from state capital Belo Horizonte. Divinópolis is the seat of the Regional Administration of the Upper São Francisco River. Statistical micro-region Divinópolis is a statistical micro-region including 11 municipalities: Carmo do Cajuru, Cláudio, Conceição do Pará, Divinópolis, Igaratinga, Itaúna, Nova Serrana, Perdigão, Santo Antônio do Monte, São Gonçalo do Pará, and São Sebastião do Oeste. In 2000, the population was 379,122 inhabitants living in an area of 5,105.50 km2. Geography The characteristic vegetation of the municipality is cerrado, but there are still some gallery forests along the rivers. The climate is classified as subtropical mesothermic, characterised by dry winters and wet summers. The average temperature in winter is approximately 16 °C and the average of the hottest month is about 25 °C. The period between December and February is the rainiest. The driest months are from April to September. The lowest temperature set was in 1997 with 0.7 °C (33 °F). Divinópolis is watered by the Pará and Itapecerica rivers. The basin of the Pará is one of the most important of the São Francisco River and crosses 16 municipalities. Divinópolis is the seat of a diocese that covers 25 municipalities and over 600,000 people. According to the modern (2017) geographic classification by Brazil's National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the city is the main municipality in the Intermediate Geographic Region of Divinópolis. Location The city centre of Divinópolis is at an elevation of 712 meters approximately 120 km southwest of Belo Horizonte. Neighbouring municipalities are Nova Serrana (N), São Gonçalo do Pará and Carmo do Cajuru (E), Cláudio and São Sebastião do Oeste (S), Santo Antônio do Monte and Perdigão (W). Driving distances Bom Despacho: 102 km (north on BR-494 then west on BR-262) Uberaba: 423 km (north on BR-494 then west on BR-262) Formiga: 76 km southwest on MG-050 History Divinópolis was founded in 1767 by 50 families who lived in the lands near the Itapecerica and Pará rivers. The first settlement took root near the waterfalls on the Itapecerica and was called Paragem da Itapecerica in reference to the river. In 1770 it became Espírito Santo da Itapecerica and was a district of Tamanduá. In 1912 it