GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF JANUÁRIA - MG BASED ON DATA FROM THE DEMOGRAPHIC CENSUSES OF 1920 AND 2022

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the main geographical aspects of the municipality of Januária – MG from a comparative perspective, focusing on the period between 1920 and 2022. To this end, the study has a qualitative-quantitative foundation, using as a starting point the data from the demographic censuses of the General Directorate of Statistics and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics – IBGE, in addition to bibliography focused on the interpretation of geographic space, territory and demographic dynamics. The data were analyzed and arranged in order to allow the understanding of the changes that occurred in the population of Januária in terms of structuring by age groups, the process of formation and urbanization of the municipality and the phenomenon of demographic transition. The results demonstrate that the municipality under study has changed its demographic structure over one hundred years, shifting from a predominantly young profile, with higher birth and fertility rates and lower quality of life—a common reality in Brazilian agrarian and pre-industrial societies of the 20th century—to a profile marked by increased life expectancy and population aging, reflecting a state and national trend. It is concluded that these changes are correlated with historical processes of space and territory formation, socioeconomic transformations, and improvements in living conditions and coexistence in society, demanding changes in local planning and public management in order to meet this new reality.