In the seventeenth century the settlement of São Teodoro existed in the region. Gold mining was the main economic activity. In 1858 it was elevated to the status of district with the name of Nova Roma, belonging to the villa of Cavalcante. In 1943 the district changed its name to Guataçuba, changing back to Nova Roma again in 1947. In 1953 it was transferred to the municipality of Veadeiros, becoming dismembered in 1948 with its present name.
The economy is based on agriculture, cattle raising, services, modest transformation industries, and public employment. In 2006 there were 67,200 head of cattle. The main agricultural products were pumpkin, rice, banana, sugarcane, beans, manioc, and corn (1,500 hectares planted).
Hospitals: 01 with 14 beds
Infant mortality rate : 30.02, below the national average of 33.0.
Adult literacy rate: 81.9%, below the national average of 86.4%.
HDI-M: 0.679
State ranking: 223 (out of 242 municipalities)
National ranking: 3,323 (out of 5,507 municipalities)
