Monte Alegre de Goiás

 city, municipality

Monte Alegre de Goiás is a small town and municipality in northeastern Goiás state, Brazil. Monte Alegre de Goiás was founded because of the search for gold. The first settlers arrived around 1769 in a place called Morro do Chapéu. A chapel was built to honor Santo Antonio, giving the town the name Santo Antônio do Morro do Chapéu. The bandeirantes, who came up from São Paulo, brought 2,000 Negro slaves with them. In 1957 the municipality of Chapéu had its name changed to Monte Alegre de Goiás. There are settlements nearby founded by runaway slaves. These Afro-Brazilians are known as Kalunga. They live on the slopes of the Paranã River and in valleys called "vãos". Today they live in the municipalities of Cavalcante, Monte Alegre de Goiás, and Teresina de Goiás. Their small settlements are Contenda, Kalunga, Vão das Almas, Vão dos Moleuqes, and Ribeirão dos Bois.