Belo Horizonte is the capital city of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. It holds the distinction of being the first planned modern city in the country and currently serves as its sixth-largest city, with a population of approximately 2.4 million people.
The city serves as the anchor for the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area, which is ranked as the third most populous metropolitan area in Brazil and the 17th most populous in the Americas. In a broader continental context, it is recognized as the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas.