Varginha (vaʁˈʒĩ.ɲɐ) is a city located in the southwest region of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Varginha is an important center for trade and coffee production in Brazil and globally. The city is a key location for exporting coffee, as it receives most of the coffee production from southern Minas Gerais, which is then traded with many countries. Varginha is equally far from the three largest metropolitan areas in Brazil: Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. The city is near Rodovia Fernão Dias and is served by Maj. Brig. Trompowsky Airport (IATA: VAG, ICAO: SBVG).

In 1996, Varginha became known internationally because of the Varginha UFO incident, during which two unidentified beings were reportedly seen by local residents. These beings were later said to have been taken by the Brazilian Army, along with the local police and fire department. After this event, the city began promoting UFO tourism. Today, the city features bus stops shaped like spaceships and a water tower in the city center also designed to look like a spaceship. In August 2004, UFO researchers from across Brazil gathered at the UFO Congress of Varginha, an event organized with the support of the city’s government.

Geography

According to the geographic classification from 2017 by Brazil's National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the city is the most important city in the Intermediate Geographic Region of Varginha.

History

The colonization of southern Minas Gerais began in the 17th century, when the region was part of the Captaincy of São Paulo. Bandeirantes from São Paulo traveled through the Paraíba Valley and crossed the Mantiqueira mountain range near the Embaú gorge, now known as Passa Quatro. One of the most important bandeirantes was Fernão Dias Pais Leme, who explored the area and moved north to search for the indigenous legend of Sabarabuçu. These explorers, who sought gold and precious stones, traveled along the Rio Verde and Rio Grande rivers, with one of their first stops near the modern town of Baependi.

Many traders from São Paulo, called tropeiros, frequently passed through the region. They sold goods from São Paulo and Portugal and traveled in groups, resting in huts built every six leagues. The current Vargem neighborhood was one of these resting places.

The earliest known records about Varginha date back to 1780. Muleteers who regularly traveled through Varginha built a small chapel in 1785 near the site of the Divine Holy Spirit parish church. In 1806, the chapel of the Divine Holy Spirit of Catanduvas was built, and the land for the district estate was donated that same year. The town was initially named Catanduvas or Catandubas, a word from the Tupi language meaning "undergrowth, closed, rough, and thorny, of small size." It was later renamed Espírito Santo das Catanduvas because of the chapel’s patron saint.

Around 1870, coffee-growing expanded in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and southern Minas Gerais began growing coffee as well. This was highly profitable and made many local producers wealthy. To replace enslaved labor after the abolition of slavery, the Brazilian government agreed with Italy to bring immigrants to Brazil. The government paid for their travel, and in return, the immigrants worked in coffee production for a set period and received a share of the harvest.

Varginha received many Italian immigrants during this time. These immigrants worked hard, bought land, and started businesses, leading to economic growth in Varginha and southern Minas Gerais in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Italians helped establish trade and built the wheat mill, now called Moinho Sul Mineiro, in partnership with local residents. They also contributed to the construction of the Theatro Capitólio, which follows the Tolentino style and was decorated by the Italian Alexandre Vallati.

By the early 20th century, Varginha had many coffee processing facilities. Coffee remained a key factor in the region’s development, especially due to São Paulo’s influence. In the early 20th century, many Syrian-Lebanese immigrants arrived in Brazil and worked in the produce trade in São Paulo.

During World War II, Varginha sent soldiers to join Brazilian troops fighting in Italy. This was unusual because many of these soldiers had relatives, such as uncles or grandparents, in Italy.

In the 1970s, Japanese families moved to Varginha after a German company, CBC, was acquired by Japan. The company had a factory in the city, and the Japanese families settled there.

Today, Varginha hosts Taiwanese immigrants who moved to the region after Taiwanese companies relocated there. These immigrants invest in the city, create jobs, and work in Varginha.

Economy

Varginha is an important center for services and industries. Several factories are located in the city, including Philips-Walita, Inovacon, Plascar, Cooper-Standard, SteamMaster, and Samsung. There are also many small businesses in the industrial sector that are successful in the region. It is also one of the largest producers of coffee in the world.

The city's main economic sectors include agriculture (especially coffee), engineering, steel, car parts, and metal-mechanics.

Varginha has the highest GDP in the southern part of Minas Gerais, a thriving area with a high HDI and near major economic centers in São Paulo state. The city was ranked 7th by Veja Magazine in its list of the top 20 medium-sized cities in Brazil for investment and living.

Opened in 2012, the CIT-Centro Industrial Tecnológico (which means Industrial and Technological Center in Portuguese) is a new industrial complex in the city's airport area. It is the home of the Porto Seco Sul de Minas (South Minas Dry Port), a company that handles imports and exports for the city's coffee industry.

Its location is considered one of the best for the logistics and transportation sectors, as it is close to Brazil's largest economic centers.