Itumbiara

Itumbiara (Portuguese pronunciation: [itũw̃biˈaɾɐ]) is a municipality in Brazil, located in the southern part of the state of Goiás, on the border with Minas Gerais. It is a "sister city" to the Minas Gerais municipality of Araporã. The city lies south of the state capital, Goiânia, approximately 204 kilometers away, and 411 kilometers from the federal capital, Brasília. Covering an area of 2,447 square kilometres (945 sq mi), Itumbiara is the thirteenth most populous municipality in Goiás, with a population of 107,970 inhabitants according to the 2022 census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

The history of Itumbiara dates back to the early 1820s, when a road was constructed across the Paranaíba River to connect Uberaba with central Goiás. The influx of settlers, drawn primarily by the road's construction, led to the establishment of a district named Santa Rita do Paranaíba in 1852. Following the Proclamation of the Republic, the municipality was officially established in 1909, still under the name Santa Rita do Paranaíba. The name "Itumbiara," derived from the Tupi language, was proposed by engineer Inácio Pais Leme, who oversaw the road's construction.

Itumbiara is regarded as the gateway to Goiás. It is also one of the state's largest exporters, owing to its proximity to Minas Gerais and São Paulo, which facilitates the distribution of agricultural products from southwestern Goiás to the South and Southeast regions. Key tourist attractions include the Paranaíba River, the Salitre Waterfall, the Beira Rio Lighthouse, and the Affonso Penna Bridge, which connects Goiás and Minas Gerais. Water sports are also popular in the city. The Ranking Connected Smart Cities, which identifies Brazil's most intelligent and high-potential cities, ranked Itumbiara as the 8th most intelligent and high-potential city in the Central-West Region and the 3rd in Goiás in 2021.