Piracanjuba is located southeast of Goiânia. It is in the valley of the Piracanjuba River, which flows to south to join the Paranaíba. The important BR-153 highway lies 23 km. to the west. Distances to important cities are: Goiânia, 85 km; Morrinhos, 76 km;, Caldas Novas, 62 km; and Brasília, 282 km. The main highways are Go-413, Go-147, Go-405 and BR-153, the interstate linking Goiânia with the state of Minas Gerais. There are municipal boundaries with Morrinhos, Caldas Novas, and Professor Jamil.
History
The origins of Piracanjuba go back to the nineteenth century when Padre Marinho began a settlement called Pouso Alto. A chapel was built in 1831 and by 1833 there were houses in the region. In 1855 it was elevated to district with the name Nossa Senhora da Abadia do Pouso Alto. In 1886 this name was changed to Piracanjuba. In 1907 once again the name was changed to Pouso Alto, only to return to Piracanjuba in 1943. Piracanjuba comes from the name of the river and a fish in the region. Later two districts, Cromínia and Mairipotaba, were dismembered to form separate municipalities.
Origin of the name
The name "Piracanjuba" is derived from the fish with the same name, which was once common in river waters of this region.
Political Information
Mayor: Ricardo de Pina Cabral
City council: 9
Eligible voters: 18,227
Demographic Information
Population density: 9.69 inhabitants/km2
Urban population: 16,752
Rural population: 6,558
Population growth or loss: a gain of about 150 people since 1980
Economic Information
The economy is based on agriculture, cattle raising, services, public administration, and small transformation industries. Piracanjuba is considered the state capital of orchids and is one of the largest producers of this flower in Brazil. Cattle raising, especially for dairy products, is the most important economic activity, but there are also large plantations of soybeans.
Dairy: Coop. Agrop. Mista de Piracanjuba Ltda. - Laticínios Bela Vista Ltda.
Cattle herd: 199,400 head
Poultry: 123,320
Swine: 15,680
Dairy cows: 61,200
Main crops : pineapple, flowers, cotton, rice, coffee, beans, sunflowers, oranges, manioc, soybeans, tomatoes, and corn.
Number of agricultural establishments: 1,947
Agricultural area: 192,516
Cropland: 36,500 ha.
Natural pasture: 114,580 ha.
People working in agriculture: 4,500
Education (2006)
Schools: 30
Students: 6,800
Higher education: Faculdade de Piracanjuba - FAP
Adult literacy rate: 87.7%
Health (2007)
Hospitals: 2
Hospital beds: 80
Infant mortality rate: 24.95 .
MHDI: 0.755
State ranking: 67
National ranking: 1,735 For a complete list see
Tourism
Piracanjuba is famous for its Orchid Exposition, which has been going on for the last 20 years. It is considered the largest event of this nature in the country, receiving more than 20 thousand visitors and 500 growers. For photos of the city see .
Media
There are three radio stations: Rádio Pouso Alto AM, Sol FM and Orquídea FM; two monthly newspapers, O Piracan and Cinco de Junho
