The Port of Tubarão, is owned and operated by CVRD - Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, and the port of Tubarão is the biggest ocean terminal in the world for the shipping of iron ore with a throughput of approximately 65 million tons per year!
CVRD's Southern System constitutes a complex infra-structure built to explore iron ore reserves in the States of Minas Gerais (five mines are responsible for the bulk of the production), and the exploration of iron ore by CVRD is carried out in open pit mines. Aproximately 90% of the production volume is transported via railroad to the ocean terminal of Tubarão.
The railroad system that links the mines in Minas Gerais to the port of Tubarão is called EFVM - Estrada de Ferro Vitoria Minas, the incoming iron ore arrives at the terminal of Tubarão in trains consisting of up to 90 cars assembled into blocks. This important terminal receives a lot of larges bulk carriers, and the biggest bulk carrier in the world, the BERGE STAHL. :-D

Location: city of Vitória, State of Espirito Santo (Brasil)
Date photo: 20/08/1997
* You can make an interactive visit acessing web-adress below:
http://www.vitoria.es.gov.br/negocios/investe6.htm
http://www.transportes.gov.br/bit/PORTOS/Tubarao/TUBAR.htm
http://ironnotes.cvrd.com.br/portosul/pgmnavio/posicaotubarao.nsf/vWeb/TubaraoIngles.htm
Observations: just for curiosity, the word TUBARÃO it´s meaning SHARK in Portuguese language.

Photo by Rogério Cordeiro 8-)