Juiz de Fora, city in southeastern Brazil, in Minas Gerais State, located on the Paraibuna River in the mountainous Serra da Mantiqueira Region. Sometimes called the Manchester of Brazil, the city is a major textile center; other manufactures include knitted goods, metal products, tires, food and dairy products, sugar, and rubber. Hydroelectric power is available nearby, and in the surrounding area are grown coffee, sugarcane, grains, timber, cotton, and tobacco. The Federal University of Juiz de Fora (1960) is located here, as is a noted museum. Founded in the 1800s, Juiz de Fora was formerly called Parahybuna, an old spelling of the name of the river. Population (1996 estimate) 424,479.
