CENTRALITY AND MEDIUM CITIES: HEALTH SECTOR IN MONTES CLAROS/MG - DOI 10.5216/bgg.v34i1.29311

Abstract

Medium cities began to arouse the attention of Brazilian geographers after the 1970’s in studies on regional urban networks, economic pattern among other features. The first studies on Brazilian medium cities were based on population size parameter in order to identify those cities. For instance, the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) which classifies as medium cities those urban centers with population from 100 to 500 thousand inhabitants. However, Amorim Filho, Bueno e Abreu (1982), Soares (1999), Sposito (2001) and Pereira & Lemos (2004) among others highlight the need for incorporation of other variables in the studies
regarding medium cities as its position and importance in the region where it is located, the inter-urban and intraurban factors, its specialization and economic diversification besides centrality. Montes Claros, a medium city in the North of Minas Gerais, displays characteristics that put it in a position of regional center which commands the surrounding areas and the cities with lower diversity of functions. Thus, this paper analyzes the centrality role that this medium city plays on its surrounding cities considering the health sector.
Key words: medium city, centrality, health sector, Montes Claros/MG.