Boa Esperança is a Brazilian municipality from the state of Minas Gerais. The municipality is located by the Serra da Boa Esperança, which became celebrated through song that brings its name, compounded by Lamartine Babo and performed by several singers. Across its territory passes Rio Grande, important to the development of the region. The economy of Boa Esperança is based on coffee plantations and tourism. History The municipality of Boa Esperança () came up with gold rush of the late 19th century. The first settlement was established in 1778, and in 1804 it was called 'Dores do Pântano (). In 1814 started the construction of the Church, and at that time arose the first coffee plantations, which marked a phase of wealth and progress for the parish. In 1866 the parish was elevated by provincial law to the status of village. On 15 November 1868, the seat of local government was built and the village was elevated by Provincial Law No. 1611 to the status of municipality. In 1957–1958, with the construction of the Furnas Dam and subsequently of the Furnas Lake, the town began to grow as a result of tourism. Geography, climate, and environment Boa Esperança is located in the southern-tropical part of Brazil, at 21 degrees, 5 minutes, 24 second south, and 45 degrees, 33 minutes, 57 seconds west, at an altitude of , in the internal part of the State of Minas Gerais. It covers an area of . Climate Situated on the southern outskirts of the tropical zone and under the influence of the high elevation of the region, the climate type is tropical mesothermal with an average annual rainfall of about . The annual temperature is . Summer and spring are the hottest seasons with a maximum daily temperature ranging from . November, December, and January are the warmest months reaching and with a minimum temperature of . Rivers Grande River, Paraná River, and some of their tributaries receive water by the Furnas Dam, which surrounds the city. Fauna Boa Esperança is home to several species of birds such as darters, herons, Roadside Hawks, moorhens, lapwings, Jabirs, kingfishers, and grassquits. Among the mammals in the area there are capybara, brocket deer, monkey, fox, otter, paca, agouti, megabat, skunk, and others. Some of these species may have migrated from other areas. Flora In this area there are forests and araucarias rich in vegetation, including mimosa,