Espinhaço Mountains

mountains, Brazil

Also known as: Serra do Espinhaço

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Portuguese:: Serra do Espinhaço

See all related content

Espinhaço Mountains, mountain range of Minas Gerais and Bahia states, eastern Brazil. Their peaks reach heights between 3,600 and 6,500 feet (1,100 and 2,000 metres). With the Diamantina Upland of Bahia state, they form the divide between the tributaries of the São Francisco River and the streams that descend directly to the Atlantic on the east.

Since the early 18th century the Espinhaço Mountains have been mined for gold, diamonds, and semiprecious stones. They are now economically important chiefly for their vast store of high-grade iron ore and manganese. The mountains are also the world’s chief source of quartz crystals.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt.