Madrid to Rio de Janeiro

The farmers of Minas Gerais use a wide variety of cultivation methods on this fertile soil, from broad coffee plantations to circular fields with pivot irrigation.

1900s - Coffee is harvested and dried by workers on a plantation in south-east Brazil. Coffee continues to be a major export crop for Minas Gerais, as it has been for hundreds of years.

Eucalyptus trees represent one of the many replanted species around towns such as Poços de Caldas in the west of the state. Some replanting is now taking place in deforested areas.

Once large swathes of Minas Gerais were covered in Atlantic Rainforest such as this, but current estimates suggest that only 10% of the original forest still remains after extensive clearing.

This satellite view of the São Simão Reservoir and dam in the western part of Minas Gerais shows the patchwork of fields across the state, used for agriculture such as coffee and grazing.

Sacks of coffee beans after they have been picked, washed and dried in a coffee plantation in Campos Altos, Minas Gerais. The state produces arguably the best coffee in Brazil.

Row upon orderly row of coffee plants stretch across the plantations which cover the fertile, undulating landscape of Minas Gerais, especially within the zona da mata.

The bright red berries of the Red Catucai coffee plant, near Matipó City in Minas Gerais, which are used to produce a variety of Arabica coffee.

A coffee farmer in rural Brazil. Although Brazil is no longer the dominant force in the global coffee market that it once was, it is still a significant producer and exporter of coffee.

A swathe of virgin rainforest within the Atlantic Forest of the zona da mata of Minas Gerais. The forest within this region is now protected by UNESCO due to its unique biodiversity.

1835 - An artist's depiction of the thick, lush vegetation and the variety of flora and fauna with the Atlantic Rainforest which once covered a large proportion of Minas Gerais.

1901 - Workers harvest coffee berries which will then be washed and dried prior to roasting (either before or after export) for the global market, which Brazil led at this time.

A coffee plantation stretches across the fertile hillside in São João do Manhuaçu City, within the zona da mata which is a prime area for cultivation of the crop.

An underground mining passage in Minas Gerais, used to mine gold and precious gems, which were the initial draw to the region for 17th century colonists from Portugal.

A 19th century engraving of African slaves washing diamonds in one of the many mines in Minas Gerais. Diamonds form naturally in the region's soft itacolumite sandstone.

A typical nugget of gold from the Morro Velho Gold Mine in Minas Gerais: it has a rich, golden-buttery lustre, and the small crystals within the gaps are tiny pieces of quartz.

A modern open-pit mine near Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais. A number of large mines across the state still operate today, mining metallic ores and precious gemstones.

The interior of a gold mine, deep within the hills of Mariana in Minas Gerais. Over 400,000 Portuguese colonists and half a million African slaves worked in the mines during the gold rush.

A large spessartine crystal, which is a form of the precious gem garnet, from Navegador mine in Minas Gerais. Its rich ruby-red colour makes it one of the many prized gems mined today.

The distinctive pink crystals of a fragment of Rose Quartz from within a Minas Gerais mine. Many of the beautiful and colourful minerals mined today are semi-precious or precious gems.

A Baroque-style shop-front in Ouro Preto ("Black Gold"), one of the most famous and prosperous settlements in Brazil during the gold rush of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Deep green-blue tourmaline crystals from within a Minas Gerais mine - the region still produces a large number of gemstone and semi-precious stones today.

Minas Gerais's coat of arms commemorates its mining history, with crossed picks and a miners' lamp in the centre of the crest. Mining still continues across the state today.

A hopeful prospector pans in the river near Diamantia, looking for gold or gemstones that may be found in veins throughout the area and are washed into watercourses.

The town of Ouro Preto (meaning "black gold"), one of the largest and most important settlements in Minas Gerais to profit from the gold rush of the 17th and 18th centuries.

c.1820 - Slave workers mine, wash and transport gold at one of the large mines near Itacolomi mountain in Minas Gerais, which is also a well known source for diamonds.

Contrasting colonial styles seen in Juiz de Fora: some elaborate buildings and churches still remain from the wealthy settlement's expenditure during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Lourdes neighbourhood of Juiz de Fora; the main road running through the suburb was established during colonial times as part of the camino novo.

The front of the old City Hall (the inscription of "Municipal Offices" can be seen over the arch), built in the traditional colonial Portuguese style seen throughout Juiz de Fora.

c. 1820 - A colonial hunter depicted near Barbacena, a small settlement much like Juiz de Fora on the road between Rio de Janeiro and the gold mines of the interior.

1936 - A view over the town of Juiz de Fora from the surrounding hills. The town is still relatively undeveloped and based around a few large factories and farms, unlike its modern form.

c. 1820 - The felling of native Atlantic Forest along the camino novo (“new way”) near Juiz de Fora to establish the settlement and camps for miners in the gold rush.

c. 1820 - Portuguese prospectors travelling along the camino novo (“new way”) near Juiz de Fora meet indigenous tribesman along the route.

The Bernardo Mascarenhas textile mill was built in 1888 in Juiz de Fora and was a major player in the industrial wealth of the city - after closing in 1980, it is now a cultural centre.

An aerial view of modern Juiz de Fora, demonstrating its significant growth as an industrial and manufacturing capital in recent years.

The Cine-Theatro Central in Juiz de Fora was built in 1927 and forms one of the original and most famous pieces of Art Deco architecture in the city. It is still popular and is use today.

1903 - Rua Halfeld, the main street running through Juiz de Fora, at the turn of the 20th century. It is still seen as the heart of the city today and retains many of its original buildings.

The traditional European architecture of the Juiz de Fora Town Hall demonstrates the strong Portuguese influences on the developing city, and those of other immigrants.

The Vila Iracema in Juiz de Fora is a good example of the varied European influences on the city, as developed by the mixed immigrant population throughout its history.