Since colonial times, mining has been an influential part of Brazil’s economy. Like many other Latin American countries, Brazilian soil is a rich source of minerals, precious stones, and valuable metals. Throughout the 18th century, the Portuguese coveted the region that would become the state of Minas Gerais (literally “General Mines”) for its lavish gold mines. The gold rush reached such a point that the Crown signed a bill to limit the number of men leaving Portugal in search of riches in Brazil.
According to think tank Fundação Getúlio Vargas, from 1705 to 1799, almost...
