Aircraft Carrier Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais is the name of a Brazilian aircraft carrier which was sold to a Hong Kong-based company in 2002.

It started out its life as the HMS Vengeance, built by the United Kingdom during World War II. It was purchased by Brazil in 1956 for USD $9 million, and named after Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek's home state. He apparently made this decision as part of an (ultimately unsuccessful) effort to appease the Brazilian military, although this was only one of many extravagant projects Kubitschek carried out (such as Brasilia).

It served for 42 years in the Brazilian Navy, before being decommissioned. The hull of the Minas Gerais was widely considered not to be much more than scrap metal.

However, in 2002, it was sold at auction for USD $2 million to HK Jiexin Shipping, a Hong Kong company. The company claims it will anchor it in Zhoushan, China, near Shanghai and will convert it into a museum with shops and a bar.