Goiás
Brazilian state in the Central-West region, known for agriculture and Brasília.
Goiás is a state in Brazil’s Central-West region. It shares borders with the Federal District and the states of Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Mato Grosso. Its capital is Goiânia. With about 7.2 million residents, it is the most populous state in the Central-West and the 11th most populous nationwide. Its economy ranks ninth among Brazilian states. In geoeconomic terms, Goiás falls within the Center-South region and is the northernmost state of southern Brazil. It holds 3.3% of Brazil’s population and contributes 2.7% of the national GDP.
The state’s history begins in the early 1700s, when pioneers from São Paulo arrived. The Rio Vermelho area was settled first, and Vila Boa—later renamed Goiás—was founded there. Development and settlement accelerated in the 1930s with the founding of the new capital, Goiânia, and especially with the construction of Brasília in the 1950s.
Goiás is known for its plateau landscapes, called chapadões. During the dry season from June to September, low rainfall causes the Araguaia River to drop, exposing nearly two kilometers of beaches. Emas National Park, in the municipality of Mineiros, offers views of typical regional wildlife and plants. Chapada dos Veadeiros features canyons, valleys, rapids, and waterfalls. Other attractions include the historic city of Goiás and the hot springs of Caldas Novas. As a tribute to the former capital, the state government moves its headquarters to the city of Goiás each year on June 25, the anniversary of its founding—a practice that began in 1962.
Geography: Goiás sits on a large plateau, mostly 750 to 900 meters above sea level, which forms the watershed for three of Brazil’s largest river systems. To the south, the Paranaíba River drains into the Paraná River; to the east, tributaries feed the São Francisco River; and to the north, the Araguaia and Tocantins Rivers and their tributaries drain the state. Other major rivers include the Meia Ponte, Aporé, São Marcos, Corumbá, Claro, Maranhão, Paranã, and Preto. None are navigable except for short distances by small boats. The highest point is Pouso Alto, at 1,676 meters, in Chapada dos Veadeiros. The state is covered by woodland savanna known as campo cerrado, with tropical forests along rivers. The climate is tropical: average monthly temperatures range from 26°C in the warmest month to 22°C in the coldest. The year splits into a rainy season (October–March) and a dry season (April–September). Average annual rainfall is about 1,700 millimeters, varying with elevation and microclimate. Some areas have small remnants of Atlantic tropical forest, mostly near rivers and valleys.
The Great Midwest Region—Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and the Federal District—is among Brazil’s fastest-growing areas. Goiás’s population tripled between 1950 and 1980 and continues to grow quickly. However, outside the Federal District and the Goiânia metropolitan area (over one million people), much of the state is sparsely populated. The main population cluster is in the southeast, around Goiânia and Aparecida de Goiânia, across the border from Minas Gerais (in Catalão, Rio Verde, Jataí, and Caldas Novas), and near the Federal District (Formosa, Planaltina de Goiás, and Luziânia).
History: The first European exploration of this interior region came from São Paulo expeditions in the 1600s. Gold was found in a tributary of the Araguaia River by bandeirante Bartolomeu Bueno da Silva (the Anhanguera) in 1682. The settlement he founded, Santa Anna, became the colonial town of Goiás Velho, the former state capital. In 1744 the large inland area—much still unexplored—was made a Captaincy General, and in 1822 it became a province of the Empire of Brazil. It became a state in 1889. The 1891 Brazilian constitution specified that the nation’s capital should move to the Brazilian Highlands, and in 1956 Goiás was chosen as the site for the federal district and national capital, Brasília. The federal government officially moved there in 1960. Goiânia, the largest city and capital, was planned in 1933 to replace the old, hard-to-reach former capital of Goiás, 110 kilometers northwest. The state government moved there in 1937, and the official inauguration was held in 1942. Goiânia is now one of Brazil’s fastest-growing and most livable cities, serving as an industrial hub (along with neighboring Anápolis and Aparecida de Goiânia) and a cultural center for country music and culture, known as Sertanejo. Because the state’s territory was over 600,000 square kilometers, communications were difficult. The northern part felt neglected by the southern government, and local political leaders supported a separation movement. In 1988, the northern half of Goiás became the separate state of Tocantins.
Demographics: According to the 2022 census, the state had 7,056,495 residents. Population density varies widely, with the highest concentrations in the southeast and around the Federal District.
- Capital
- Goiânia
- Major river systems
- Paranaíba, São Francisco, Araguaia, Tocantins
Lore & Background
Goiás is a state in Brazil’s Central-West region, occupying a large plateau between 750 and 900 meters above sea level. This plateau forms the divide between three major river systems: the Paranaíba (a Paraná River tributary) to the south, tributaries of the São Francisco River to the east, and the Araguaia and Tocantins rivers to the north. Other significant rivers include the Meia Ponte, Aporé, São Marcos, Corumbá, Claro, Maranhão, Paranã, and Preto, though none are navigable except by small craft over short distances. The state’s highest point is Pouso Alto in the Chapada dos Veadeiros. The landscape is predominantly covered by woodland savanna known as *campo cerrado*, with tropical forests along rivers and small remnants of Atlantic forest in some valleys. The climate is tropical, with a rainy season from October to March and a dry season from April to September; average annual rainfall varies by elevation and microclimate. The capital and largest city is Goiânia, and the state’s nickname is Verdão or Esmeraldino. The state government symbolically moves its headquarters to the former capital, the historic city of Goiás, each June 25th. Notable natural attractions include the beaches exposed on the Araguaia River during the dry season, the Emas National Park in Mineiros, and the canyons, valleys, rapids, and waterfalls of Chapada dos Veadeiros, as well as the hot springs of Caldas Novas.
Reader's Guide
Its landscape features chapadões (plateaus), and during the drought season from June to September, the Araguaia River exposes nearly 2 km of beaches. The state is covered with woodland savanna (campo cerrado) and has tropical forests along rivers. The climate is tropical, with a rainy season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. The economy is led by the service sector (43.9% of GDP), followed by industry (35.4%) and agriculture (20.7%). The state is also known for its cultural center for country music (Sertanejo) and attractions such as Emas National Park, Chapada dos Veadeiros, the historical city of Goiás, and the hot springs of Caldas Novas.
Did You Know?
- Goiás has the ninth largest economy among Brazilian federative units.
- The Federal District was carved out of Goiás in 1956 to house the new capital Brasília.
Plateau Landscapes and River Systems
This elevated terrain serves as a natural watershed dividing three of Brazil's major river basins. To the south, waters flow into the Paranaíba, a tributary of the Paraná; to the east, streams feed the São Francisco system; and to the north, the Araguaia and Tocantins rivers carry runoff away. Much of the landscape is covered in campo cerrado, a woodland savanna, though pockets of tropical Atlantic forest cling to riverbanks and valleys. The tropical climate swings gently between 26 °C in the warmest month and 22 °C in the coolest, with a distinct rainy season from October through March and a dry stretch from April to September. During the drought months of June to September, the Araguaia's water level drops so dramatically that nearly two kilometres of beach are revealed along its banks. The Emas National Park near Mineiros preserves the region's characteristic fauna and flora, while the thermal springs of Caldas Novas remain a beloved natural attraction.
From Bandeira Expeditions to a Divided State
European contact with this interior stretch of Brazil began with 17th-century expeditions launched from São Paulo. For over a century this small village served as the administrative heart of the region. Brasília was inaugurated in 1960, transforming the state's role in national politics.
A Rapidly Growing and Diverse Population
Its population density stands at just 20.7 people per square kilometre, reflecting a settlement pattern that is intensely urban yet geographically concentrated. The Goiânia metropolitan area, which includes the neighbouring cities of Anápolis and Aparecida de Goiânia, holds over a million inhabitants. Beyond this core and the Federal District corridor—where towns like Formosa, Planaltina de Goiás, and Luziânia cluster—most of the state remains sparsely settled. The ethnic mosaic is striking: 54.2 percent of residents identify as Pardo (multiracial), 36.2 percent as White, and 9.2 percent as Black, with smaller Asian and Amerindian communities. Historical immigration brought Italians, Portuguese, Germans, Arabs, Lebanese, and Syrians to the region, adding layers to a population already shaped by African and Indigenous heritage.
Cultural Identity and the Living Heritage of Two Capitals
Goiás carries a unique dual-capital tradition that binds its past and present. Since 1962, the state government formally transfers its headquarters to the historic city of Goiás on June 25th, the anniversary of its founding, a symbolic gesture honouring the colonial town that once governed the region. The old capital, where pioneers from São Paulo first settled in the early 18th century in the Rio Vermelho area, remains a living testament to the state's origins. Meanwhile, modern Goiânia has evolved into a vibrant industrial and cultural hub. Together with Anápolis and Aparecida de Goiânia, it forms a manufacturing corridor, while the city has become a national centre for Sertanejo, the genre of country music rooted in Brazilian rural life. The state's economy, the ninth largest among Brazilian federative units, contributes 2.7 percent of national GDP. In Brazil's geoeconomic mapping, Goiás occupies the Centro-Sul division as the northernmost state of the southern half, anchoring a region that includes the Federal District and is among the country's fastest-growing areas.
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