[2] In the region there was a spring with a dam that supplied water to the small settlement that had grown around a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Light, or Nossa Senhora da Luz.

The first name of the town was Nossa Senhora da Luz do Aterrado, or Our Lady of the Light of the Dam.

[3] The city center of Luz is located at an elevation of 675 meters a short distance south of federal highway BR-262.

*[4] Distances [5][6] Elevation Temperature Rainfall Topography Rivers Services, small industries, and agriculture are the most important economic activities.

The highest ranking municipality in Minas Gerais in 2000 was Poços de Caldas with 0.841, while the lowest was Setubinha with 0.568.

In more recent statistics (considering 5,507 municipalities) Manari in the state of Pernambuco has the lowest rating in the country—0,467—putting it in last place.