Understand
Governador Valadares is widely regarded as the "America-town" of Brazil. The American influence in the area stretches back to the aftermath of the American Civil War, when a wave of Confederates immigrated to Brazil and settled in the Rio Doce Valley. By now, descendants of most of those families have dispersed to other areas of the country, and the city is more well-known for the opposite emigration trend; over twenty percent of the population has a relative working in the United States. The influx of dollars into the city is so great that it is sometimes referred to as "Governador Valadólares", and the slick high-rise condos and upscale shopping areas stand out here in what would otherwise be a sleepy agricultural and mining community.
