João Monlevade, Brazil

With a population of just 59,340, João Monlevade is a small industrial hub in the interior of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The city's economy revolves around the massive ArcelorMittal steel plant, which has fueled rapid urbanization and population growth since the 1920s. While the municipality boasts a relatively high Human Development Index, crime remains a persistent headache, with a homicide rate of 24.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2008. Those drawn to João Monlevade's manufacturing jobs and educational opportunities should brace for a bureaucratic maze and occasional flooding during the rainy season.