Rio de Janeiro
View of Rio de Janeiro
Flag Seal
Nickname: Cidade Maravilhosa ("The Marvelous City") or simply, Rio
Location of Rio de Janeiro City in the state of Rio de Janeiro
Coordinates: 22°54′30″S 43°11′47″W / -22.90833, -43.19639
Country	Brazil
Region	Southeast
State	Rio de Janeiro
Government
- Mayor	César Maia (Democrats)
Area
- City	1,260 km² (486. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Brazil is currently divided into five Regions (also called Macroregions by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica ( IBGE) The Southeast Region of Brazil is composed by the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The Federative Republic of Brazil is a union of twenty-six estados ("states" singular estado) and formed by the states and one district the Distrito Rio de Janeiro ( pron ˈhiu dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. This is a list of Mayors of Rio de Janeiro from the most recent chronologically backwards César Epitácio Maia (born July 18, 1945) is the current mayor of Rio de Janeiro. The Democrats ( Democratas) is a Political party in Brazil, considered the main Centre-right party of Brazil Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 5 sq mi)
Population (2007)
- City	6,093,472
- Density	4,781/km² (12,382. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7/sq mi)
- Metro	11,714,000
Time zone	UTC-3 (UTC-3)
- Summer (DST)	UTC-2 (UTC-2)
HDI (2000)	0. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Areas using UTC−3 Single zone countries without DST Suriname Single zone countries with DST Daylight saving time ( DST UTC−2 is used as offset for Argentina (DST only except for San Luis Province) Brazil: Ocean Islands - The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 842 – high
Website: Rio de Janeiro City

Rio de Janeiro ("River of January", pronounced [ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu] in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English), is the second major city of Brazil, behind São Paulo. Brazilian Portuguese ( Language code pt-BR Portuguese: português brasileiro or português do Brasil) is a group of Portuguese English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world The city is capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro ( pron ˈhiu dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It was the capital of Brazil for almost two centuries—from 1763 to 1822 while it was a Portuguese colony and from 1822 to 1960 as an independent nation. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. It was the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire from 1808 to 1821. The Portuguese Empire was the earliest and longest lived of the modern European colonial empires spanning almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta Commonly known as just Rio, the city is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa — "The Marvelous City. "

It is famous for its spectacular natural setting, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana and Ipanema, paved with decorated black and cream swirl pattern mosaics known locally as "pedra portuguesa". Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March Samba ( is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. It is widely viewed as Brazil's national musical style Copacabana is a Borough located in the southern zone of the city Rio de Janeiro, famous for its 4 km Beach. Ipanema is a neighborhood located on the southern region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between Leblon and Arpoador. Portuguese pavement ( Portuguese, Calçada Portuguesa) is the traditional paving used in most Pedestrian areas in Portugal and Some of the most famous local landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer ('Cristo Redentor') atop Corcovado mountain, which has recently been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a giant permanent parade stand used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Christ the Redeemer (O Cristo Redentor is a Statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Corcovado, meaning " Hunchback " in Portuguese, is a mountain in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. New Seven Wonders of the World is a project that attempts to revive the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a list of modern wonders Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese Pão de Açúcar) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the mouth of Guanabara Bay The Sambadrome ( Sambódromo in Portuguese, full name Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí) is a purpose-built parade area in downtown Rio de Janeiro The Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, commonly called Estádio do Maracanã ("Maracanã stadium" is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the Rio also boasts the two world's largest forests inside an urban area. The first is the forest in Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, or White Stone State Park. The second, almost connected to the first, is the famous Floresta da Tijuca, or 'Tijuca Forest'. The Tijuca Forest ( Floresta da Tijuca in Portuguese) is a mountainous hand-planted Rainforest in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ^[1]

The Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport connects Rio de Janeiro with many Brazilian cities and also operates several international flights. Rio de Janeiro/Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport better known as Galeão International Airport is Rio de Janeiro 's major international

Despite its charm and beauty, Rio is reputed to be one of the most violent cities in the world. ^[2][3][4]

Geography

Panoramic view of Praia de Botafogo (Botafogo Beach) with Pão de Açúcar and Morro da Urca in the background. Botafogo is a beachfront neighborhood ( bairro) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese Pão de Açúcar) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the mouth of Guanabara Bay Urca is a traditional and wealthy residential neighborhood with nearly 7000 inhabitants ( 2000 Census) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro is located at 22 degrees, 54 minutes south latitude, 43 degrees 14 minutes west longitude. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the Longitude (ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd or ˈlɒŋgɪˌtjuːd symbolized by the Greek character Lambda (λ is the east-west Geographic coordinate measurement The population of the City of Rio de Janeiro is about 6,136,652,^[5] occupying an area of 1,182. 3 square kilometres (456. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 5 sq mi). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. ^[6] The population of the larger metropolitan area is estimated at 11-12 million. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central It was Brazil's capital until 1960, when Brasília took its place. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau Residents of the city are known as Cariocas. Carioca ( is a Portuguese Adjective or Demonym word that refers to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The city's current mayor (2006) is Cesar Maia. César Epitácio Maia (born July 18, 1945) is the current mayor of Rio de Janeiro. The official song of Rio is "Cidade Maravilhosa" (translated as "Marvelous City").

Climate

Rio has a Tropical climate. The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 ^[7] The temperature occasionally reaches over 40°C (104°F) in inland areas of the city, and maximum temperatures above 30°C (86°F) can happen every month. In the main tourist areas (south side, where the beaches are located), the temperature is moderated by the cool sea-breezes from the ocean. The average annual minimum temperature is 20°C (68°F), the average annual maximum temperature is 26°C (79°F) and the average annual temperature is 23°C (73. 5°F). The average yearly precipitation is 1,086 mm. The minimum temperature ever registered was 4°C (40°F) in July 1928, but temperatures around 7°C (54°F) are rare in most of city, the absolute maximum reached 43. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 8°C (110°F) in January 1984. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) ^[8]

History

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Carioca Aqueduct, built in the first half of the 18th century. The Carioca Aqueduct (Aqueduto da Carioca is an Aqueduct in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Paço Imperial, 18th century palace that served as seat for the colonial government, King John IV of Portugal and the two Emperors of Brazil. The Paço Imperial ( BP: 'pasu ĩpeɾi'au EP: 'pasu ĩpɨɾi'aɫ English: Imperial Palace) is a historic building in the centre of the Marriages and descendants John married Luisa de Guzman, daughter of Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzman, 8th Duke of Medina-Sidonia. The Empire of Brazil was a political entity that comprised present-day Brazil under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II.

Candelária Church, in Rio de Janeiro.

Guanabara Bay was reached by Portuguese explorers in an expedition led by Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos on January 20, 1502; hence Rio de Janeiro, "January River. In Portuguese, Baía da Guanabara is an oceanic Bay located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The Portuguese people (os Portugueses literally the Portuguese) are the Ethnic group or Nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west Gaspar de Lemos ( 15th century) Portuguese explorer and captain of the supply ship of Pedro Álvares Cabral 's fleet that discovered Brazil. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. " There is a legend that the mariners named the place thus because they thought the mouth of the bay was actually the mouth of a river, but no experienced sailor would make that mistake. At the time, river was the general word for any large body of water.

An unofficial European presence in the area began not long after. In 1519 when Ferdinand Magellan resupplied his ships in the bay, French smugglers were already using the bay as a post for smuggling brazilwood. Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalhães fɨɾˈnɐ̃ũ dɨ mɐgɐˈʎɐ̃ĩʃ Fernando de Magallanes (Spring 1480 &ndash April 27 1521 Mactan Island, Cebu Brazilwood or Pau-Brasil, sometimes known as Pernambuco ( Caesalpinia echinata Syn When French naval officer Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon arrived in 1555 with a fleet of two ships and 600 soldiers and colonists, he founded the first permanent European settlement in the area. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon ( Villegaignon, Seine et Marne, France, 1510 &ndash Beauvais, January 9, 1571) was a French The colony was referred to as "France Antarctique". France Antarctique was the name of the failed French Colony south of the Equator, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which existed The colonists consisted of mainly French Huguenots and Swiss Calvinists. The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Villegaignon left in 1557 after disputes with some of the colonists.

The city was founded on March 1, 1565, by Portuguese knight Estácio de Sá, who called it São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro 20 (St Sebastian of the January 20th River), in honour of Saint Sebastian (day of death traditionally on January 20). Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. Estácio de Sá (1520-1567 was a Portuguese Soldier and officer who came to Brazil on orders of the Portuguese crown to wage War on the Saint Sebastian (traditionally died January 20, 287 was a Christian Saint and Martyr, who is said to have been killed while the Roman emperor For centuries, the settlement was commonly called São Sebastião — or even 'Saint Sebastian' — instead of the currently popular second half of its name. The city was founded as a base from which to invade the French settlement. They succeeded in 1567 and the French were expelled. Later, São Sebastião was frequently attacked by pirates and privateers, especially by then enemies of Portugal, such as the Netherlands and France. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering A privateer was a private Warship authorized by a country's Government by Letters of marque to attack foreign shipping The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

The exact place of Rio's foundation is at the foot of Pão-de-Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese Pão de Açúcar) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the mouth of Guanabara Bay Later, the whole city was moved within a palisade on top of a hill, imitating the medieval European defense strategy of fortified castles — the place has since then been called Morro do Castelo (Castle Hill). A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. Thus, the city developed from the current center (Downtown, see below) southwards and then westwards (with large parts built over reclaimed land); an urban movement which continues today.

In the late 16th century the Portuguese crown began treating the village as a strategic location for the Atlantic transit of ships between Brazil, the African colonies and Europe. Fortresses were built and an alliance was formed with nearby native tribes to defend the settlement. Invaders — Rio's neighbor, Niterói, for instance, was founded by Araribóia, a Tamoio Indian chief, for defensive purposes. Niterói is a city and a município (county in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast region of Brazil. Sugar cane was the first industry in the area. Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae First native, and later African, slaves were used for manual labor. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Eventually the industry dwindled as higher quality sugar cane from northern Brazil became more available.

Until early in the 18th century, the city was threatened or invaded by several, mostly French pirates and buccaneers, such as Jean-François Duclerc and René Duguay-Trouin. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering This article refers to the type of pirate For other uses see Buccaneer (disambiguation The buccaneers were Pirates who attacked Jean-François Duclerc, Guadeloupe ? - Rio de Janeiro, March 18 1711) was a French Privateer and knight in the Order René Trouin Sieur du Gué, usually called René Duguay-Trouin, ( Saint Malo, 10 June 1673 - 1736 was a famous French Corsair After 1720, when the Portuguese found gold and diamonds in the neighboring captaincy of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro became a much more useful port for exporting wealth than Salvador, Bahia, which is much farther to the north. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in A captaincy is a historical Administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese Colonial empires Each was governed by a Captain Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation Salvador (historic name São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos, in English "Holy Savior of All Saints' Bay" is a City on the northeast coast of Bahia (baˈia is one of the 26 States of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast In 1763, the colonial administration in Portuguese America was moved to Rio. The city remained primarily a colonial capital until 1808, when the Portuguese royal family and most of the associated Lisbon nobles, fleeing from Napoleon's invasion of Portugal, moved to Rio de Janeiro. Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The kingdom's capital was transferred to the city, which, thus, became the only European capital outside of Europe. As there was no physical space or urban structure to accommodate hundreds of noblemen who arrived suddenly, many inhabitants were simply evicted from their homes.

When Prince Pedro I proclaimed the independence of Brazil in 1822, he decided to keep Rio de Janeiro as the capital of his new empire. Pedro I (ˈpedɾuin Brazilian Portuguese and in European Portuguese; English: Peter of Alcantara Francis Anthony John Charles Xavier of Paula Rio continued as the capital of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy was replaced by a republic. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its

Until the early years of the 20th century the city was largely limited to the neighborhood now known as the historic Downtown business district (see below), on the mouth of Guanabara Bay. The city's center of gravity began to shift south and west to the so-called Zona Sul (South Zone) in the early part of the 20th century, when the first tunnel was built under the mountains located between Botafogo and the neighborhood now known as Copacabana. Botafogo is a beachfront neighborhood ( bairro) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That beach's natural beauty, combined with the fame of the Copacabana Palace Hotel, the luxury hotel of the Americas in the 1930s, helped Rio to gain the reputation it still holds today as a beach party town (though, this reputation has been somewhat tarnished in recent years by favela violence resulting from the narcotics trade). Favela (Portuguese and Spanish for slum) is a specifically Brazilian word for a Shanty town. The term narcotic (ναρκωτικός is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden causing loss Plans for moving the nation's capital city to the territorial centre had been occasionally discussed, and when Juscelino Kubitschek was elected president in 1955, it was partially on the strength of promises to build a new capital. Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (JK ( September 12, 1902 – August 22, 1976) was a prominent Brazilian politician who was Though many thought that it was just campaign rhetoric, Kubitschek managed to have Brasília built, at great cost, by 1960. A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group Rhetoric has had many definitions no simple definition can do it justice Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau On April 21 that year the capital of Brazil was officially moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date)

Between 1960 and 1975 Rio was a capital city, such as Vienna, Austria or Washington, D.C. (United States), under the name State of Guanabara (after the bay it borders). Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The State of Guanabara (in Portuguese Estado da Guanabara) was the name given to the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (now the city with the same name after However, for administrative and political reasons, a presidential decree known as "The Fusion" removed the city's federative status and merged it with the state of Rio de Janeiro in 1975. Rio de Janeiro ( pron ˈhiu dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. Even today, some Cariocas advocate the return of municipal autonomy. Carioca ( is a Portuguese Adjective or Demonym word that refers to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

City districts

A view of the Copacabana Beach.

View of Rio de Janeiro downtown. The conical building is the Rio de Janeiro Cathedral. The Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro ( Portuguese: Catedral Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro or Catedral de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro) is the seat of

Ipanema Beach, in the South Zone, as featured in the song The Girl from Ipanema by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes. " The Girl from Ipanema " (" Garota de Ipanema " is a well-known Bossa nova Song, a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s that won a Grammy Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim ( January 25, 1927 in Rio de Janeiro &ndash December 8, 1994 in Brazil) also Vinicius de Moraes, nicknamed O Poetinha (the little poet ( October 19, 1913 - July 9, 1980) born Marcus Vinicius da Cruz

Center zone, where a business district is located.

The city is commonly divided into the historic downtown (Centro); the tourist-friendly South Zone (Zona Sul), with its world-famous beaches; the residential North Zone (Zona Norte); and the West Zone (Zona Oeste), with the newer Barra da Tijuca district. Barra da Tijuca is a borough in the city capital of state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and also denominates an administrative region in which we find Barra de Tijuca

Downtown

(22°54′19″S 43°10′38″W / -22.905392, -43.177128 (Downtown)) Centro (Downtown in American English or CBD in other English use) is the historic centre of the city, as well as its financial centre. A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city Sites of interest include the Paço Imperial, built during colonial times to serve as a residence for the Portuguese governors of Brazil; many historic churches, such as the Candelária Church, the colonial Cathedral and the modern-style Rio de Janeiro Cathedral. The Paço Imperial ( BP: 'pasu ĩpeɾi'au EP: 'pasu ĩpɨɾi'aɫ English: Imperial Palace) is a historic building in the centre of the The Candelária Church ( Igreja da Candelária) is an important historical church in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. The Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro ( Portuguese full name Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo da antiga Sé) is an old Carmelite church which The Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro ( Portuguese: Catedral Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro or Catedral de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro) is the seat of Around the Cinelândia square there are several landmarks of the Belle Époque of Rio, such as the Municipal Theatre and the National Library building. Cinelândia is the popular name of a major public square in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Belle Époque (bɛːl e'pɔk French for "Beautiful Era" was a period in European history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until One of the most beautiful buildings in downtown Rio de Janeiro, the Teatro Municipal was founded in July 1909 A national library is a Library specifically established by the Government of a country to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that country Among its several museums, the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) and the Museu Histórico Nacional (National Historical Museum) are the most important. The Museu Nacional de Belas Artes ( National Museum of Fine Arts) is an art museum located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The National Historical Museum of Brazil (Museu Histórico Nacional created in 1922, is one of the most important historical museums in Brazil, consisting of Other important historical attractions in central Rio include its Passeio Público, an 18th century public garden, as well as the imposing arches of the Arcos da Lapa, a Roman-style aqueduct built around 1750. The Passeio Público is a public Park in the historic centre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Carioca Aqueduct (Aqueduto da Carioca is an Aqueduct in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. An aqueduct is an artificial channel that is constructed to convey water from one location to another A bondinho (tram) leaves from a city center station, crosses the aqueduct (converted to a tram viaduct in 1896) and rambles through the hilly streets of the Santa Teresa neighbourhood nearby. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Santa Teresa is the name of a neighbourhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Downtown remains the heart of the city's business community. Some of the largest companies in Brazil have their head offices here, including Petrobras and Vale (formerly Companhia Vale do Rio Doce), the two largest Brazilian corporations. Petrobras ( Bovespa: PETR3 / PETR4 ( NYSE: PBR / PBRA( Latibex: XPBR / XPBRA short for Petróleo Brasileiro S

South Zone

(22°58′27″S 43°11′58″W / -22.974199, -43.199444 (South Zone)) The South Zone of Rio de Janeiro (in portuguese: "Zona Sul") is composed of several districts, amongst which are São Conrado, Leblon, Ipanema, Arpoador, Copacabana and Leme, which compose Rio's famous Atlantic beach coastline. São Conrado is an affluent neighborhood in the South Zone (Zona Sul of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Leblon (named after a French plantation owner Le Blond, who owned this area is an affluent neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, just west of Ipanema Ipanema is a neighborhood located on the southern region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between Leblon and Arpoador. Arpoador (literally the harpoon thrower) is an affluent neighborhood located on the southern zone of the city Rio de Janeiro, in a small peninsula between Leme (which in Portuguese means helm) is a neighborhood in the Zona Sul of the City of Rio de Janeiro, next to Copacabana, Urca and Other districts in the South Zone are Glória, Flamengo, Botafogo and Urca, which border Guanabara Bay and Santa Teresa, Cosme Velho, Laranjeiras, Humaitá, Lagoa, Jardim Botânico and Gávea. Botafogo is a beachfront neighborhood ( bairro) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Urca is a traditional and wealthy residential neighborhood with nearly 7000 inhabitants ( 2000 Census) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In Portuguese, Baía da Guanabara is an oceanic Bay located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Cosme Velho is a traditional neighborhood in the Southern Zone of Rio de Janeiro, adjacent to Laranjeiras. Laranjeiras ( Portuguese for orange trees) is a primarily residential neighborhood located in the Southern Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Humaitá () is a residential district in the South Zone (Zona Sul of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lagoa ( Lagoon, in English) is an affluent residential neighbourhood located around the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. Gávea is an affluent residential neighborhood located in the Southern Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro. It is the richest region of the city and the most famous overseas.

The neighbourhood of Copacabana beach hosts one of the world's most spectacular New Year's Eve parties ("Reveillon"), as more than two million revelers crowd onto the sands to watch the fireworks display. New Year's Eve is on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year and the day before New Year's Day. A firework is classified as a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes As of 2001, the fireworks have been launched from boats, to improve the safety of the event. To the north of Leme, and at the entrance to Guanabara Bay, is the district of Urca and the Sugarloaf Mountain ('Pão de Açúcar'), whose name describes the famous mountain rising out of the sea. Urca is a traditional and wealthy residential neighborhood with nearly 7000 inhabitants ( 2000 Census) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese Pão de Açúcar) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the mouth of Guanabara Bay The summit can be reached via a two-stage cable car trip from Praia Vermelha, with the intermediate stop on Morro da Urca. An aerial tramway is a type of Aerial lift in which a cabin is suspended from a cable and is pulled by another cable It offers views second only to Corcovado mountain.

One of the highest hills in the city is the 842 metres (2,762 ft) high Pedra da Gávea (Crow's nest Rock) near the botanical gardens. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Pedra da Gávea (literally Rock of the Topsail) is an impressive rock rising 842 meters above Sea level at the highest point located in Floresta A crow's nest is a structure in the upper part of the Mainmast of a ship that is used as a lookout point Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of Plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes On the top of its summit is a huge rock formation (some, such as Erich von Däniken in his 1973 book, "In Search of Ancient Gods", claim it to be a sculpture) resembling a sphinx-like, bearded head that is visible for many kilometers around. Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (b Zofingen, Aargau, Switzerland, April 14 1935 is a controversial Swiss author best known for his books which present

Hang gliding is a popular activity on the nearby Pedra Bonita (Beautiful Rock). History See also History of hang gliding Summary: Hang gliding existed in China perhaps by the 4th century AD according to the writing of the After a short flight, gliders land on the Praia do Pepino (Cucumber Beach) in São Conrado. Since 1961, the Tijuca Forest ("Floresta da Tijuca"), the largest city-surrounded urban forest and the second largest urban forest in the world, has been a National Park. The Tijuca Forest ( Floresta da Tijuca in Portuguese) is a mountainous hand-planted Rainforest in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution The largest urban forest in the world is the Floresta da Pedra Branca (White Rock Forest), which is also located in the city of Rio de Janeiro. ^[9] The Catholic University of Rio (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro or PUC-Rio) is located at the edge of the forest, in the Gávea district. The 1984 film Blame it on Rio was filmed nearby, with the rental house used by the story's characters sitting at the edge of the forest on a mountain overlooking the famous beaches. Blame it on Rio is a 1984 Romantic comedy film written by Charlie Peters and Larry Gelbart and directed by Stanley Donen

North Zone

Maracanã Stadium. The Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, commonly called Estádio do Maracanã ("Maracanã stadium" is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The North Zone of Rio (in portuguese: "Zona Norte") is home to the Maracanã stadium, once the world's highest capacity football (soccer) venue, able to hold nearly 180,000 people, as it did the World Cup final of 1950. The Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, commonly called Estádio do Maracanã ("Maracanã stadium" is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football In modern times its capacity has been reduced to conform with modern safety regulations and the stadium has introduced seating for all fans. Currently undergoing renovation, it has now the capacity for 95,000 fans; it will eventually hold around 120,000 people. Maracanã was site for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and football competition of the 2007 Pan-American Games. The Pan American Games are a Multi-sport event, held every four years between competitors from all nations of The Americas.

Besides the Maracanã, the North Zone of Rio also holds other tourist and historical attractions, such as 'Manguinhos', the home of Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, a centenarian biomedical research institution with a main building fashioned like a Moorish palace, and the beautiful Quinta da Boa Vista, the park where the historical old Imperial Palace is located. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ is a scientific institution for research and development in biomedical sciences located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is considered Biomedicine, also known as theoretical medicine, is a term that comprises the knowledge and research which is more or less in common to the fields of human medicine The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent The Quinta da Boa Vista ( English: Park of the Nice View) is a public park of great historical importance in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Nowadays, the palace hosts the National Museum, specializing in Natural History, Archaeology and Ethnology. The National Museum of Brazil ("Museu Nacional" in Portuguese) is a centenarian Museum and Research institution located in the Quinta da

The International Airport of Rio de Janeiro (Galeão – Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport, named after the famous Brazilian musician "Tom" Jobim), the main campus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro at the Fundão Island, and the State University of Rio de Janeiro, in Maracanã, are also located in the Northern part of Rio. Rio de Janeiro/Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport better known as Galeão International Airport is Rio de Janeiro 's major international Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim ( January 25, 1927 in Rio de Janeiro &ndash December 8, 1994 in Brazil) also

This region is also home to most of the Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro such as Mangueira, Salgueiro, Império Serrano, Unidos da Tijuca, among others. The Samba schools ( Escolas de samba in Portuguese) are Samba clubs organised in the early half of the 20th century in Rio de Janeiro Some of the main neighbourhoods of Rio's North Zone are Tijuca — which shares the Tijuca Rainforest with the South Zone — Grajaú, Vila Isabel, Méier, São Cristovão Madureira and Olaria among others. For the Bird Genus, see Tijuca (bird. Tijuca (meaning Marsh or Swamp in Old Tupi) is The Tijuca Forest ( Floresta da Tijuca in Portuguese) is a mountainous hand-planted Rainforest in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil São Cristóvão is a traditional neighborhood located in the northern zone of Rio de Janeiro city

West Zone

Barra da Tijuca buildings.

The West Zone (in portuguese: "Zona Oeste") is the region furthest from the centre of Rio de Janeiro. It includes Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepaguá, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Vargem Grande, Vargem Pequena, Realengo, Padre Miguel, Bangu, Campo Grande, Jardim Sulacap, Paciência and Santa Cruz. Barra da Tijuca is a borough in the city capital of state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and also denominates an administrative region in which we find Barra de Tijuca Jacarepaguá, with a land area of 2927 square miles ( 7580 km²) is the 4th largest Neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Recreio dos Bandeirantes (or simply Recreio as the Cariocas call it is both the name of the Beach and Neighborhood in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro ' Realengo' is a Neighborhood located at the West Zone (Zona Oeste of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Bangu is a traditional neighborhood located in Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Campo Grande is a suburb of the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro of the city Neighbouring districts within the West Zone reveal stark differences between social classes. The area has industrial zones, but some agricultural areas still remain in its wide area.

Westwards from the older zones is Barra da Tijuca, a flat expanse of formerly undeveloped coastal land, which is currently experiencing a wave of new construction. It remains an area of accelerated growth, attracting some of the richer sectors of the population as well as luxury companies. High rise flats and sprawling shopping centres give the area a far more American feel than the crowded city centre. A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors The urban planning of the area, made in the late 1960s, resembles that of United States suburbs, though mixing zones of single-family houses with residential skyscrapers. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. The beaches of Barra da Tijuca are also popular with the city's residents. Barra da Tijuca is the home of Pan-American Village for the 2007 Pan American Games. The Pan American Games are a Multi-sport event, held every four years between competitors from all nations of The Americas.

Beyond the neighbourhoods of Barra da Tijuca and Jacarepaguá, another district that has exhibited economic growth is Campo Grande. Some sports competitions in the Pan-American Games of 2007 were held in the Miécimo da Silva Sports Centre, nicknamed the 'Algodão' (Cotton) Gymnasium, and others in the Ítalo del Cima Stadium, in Campo Grande. The Pan American Games are a Multi-sport event, held every four years between competitors from all nations of The Americas. The Estádio Ítalo del Cima is a football stadium inaugurated on April 29, 1960 in Campo Grande neighborhood, Rio de Janeiro,

Demographics

Christ the Redeemer, in Corcovado mountain. Christ the Redeemer (O Cristo Redentor is a Statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Corcovado, meaning " Hunchback " in Portuguese, is a mountain in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. New Seven Wonders of the World is a project that attempts to revive the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a list of modern wonders

According to the IBGE of 2007, there were 11,714,000 people residing in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics or IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Gehjgygmmliografia e Estatística is the agency responsible for Statistical Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The population density was 4. 781 inh. /km². The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following percentage: 6,278,704 White people (53. According to the 2006 census White Brazilians make up 497% of Brazil's population or around 93 million people 6%), 3,935,904 Brown people (33. In Brazil, the Pardos are a mixture of Whites Blacks and Amerindians, varying from light to dark complexion as used by the Brazilian Institute 6%), 1,440,822 Black people (12. Afro-Brazilian, or Black Brazilian, is the term used to racially categorize Brazilian citizens who are black or Multiracial 3%) and 58,000 Asian or Amerindian people (0. An Asian Brazilian is a Brazilian born person of Asian ancestry The Indigenous peoples in Brazil ( Portuguese: povos indígenas) comprise a large number of distinct Ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to 5%). ^[10]

Most of Rio de Janeiro's population is of Portuguese descent, with a large number of people of African descent and Multiracial of mixed Portuguese and African descent. Portuguese-Brazilian' (luso-brasileiro is a Portuguese born citizen with Brazilian citizenship or a Brazilian born citizen of Portuguese Afro-Brazilian, or Black Brazilian, is the term used to racially categorize Brazilian citizens who are black or Multiracial Brazil does not have a category for multiracial people but a Pardo (brown one which may include people of mixed European, African and Amerindian Other important ethnic groups are present in the city, such as Germans, Italians, Spaniards, Arabs, Jews, Asians (mostly Koreans, Japanese), mixed Amerindian, etc. A German Brazilian ( German: Deutschbrasilianer, Portuguese: teuto-brasileiro or germano-brasileiro) is a Brazilian An Italian Brazilian ( Italian: Ítalo-Brasiliano, Portuguese: Ítalo-Brasileiro) is a Brazilian citizen of full or partial Italian Spanish-Brazilian ( Spanish: hispanobrasileño, Portuguese: hispano-brasileiro) is a Brazilian person of full partial or predominantly An Arab Brazilian is a Brazilian-born person of Arab descent sometimes including other non-Arabic Middle Eastern peoples A Brazilian Jew ( Portuguese: Judeu Brasileiro) is a Brazilian person of full partial or predominantly Jew ancestry or a Jew-born person residing in Brazil An Asian Brazilian is a Brazilian born person of Asian ancestry Korean Brazilian ( Portuguese: Coreano-brasileiro) is a Brazilian person of full partial or predominantly Korean ancestry or a Korean-born A Japanese Brazilian' (日系ブラジル人 in Kanji and Kana Japanese writing nikkei burajiru-jin in Rōmaji Japanese The Indigenous peoples in Brazil ( Portuguese: povos indígenas) comprise a large number of distinct Ethnic groups who inhabited the country prior to

Source: PNAD.

Religion

Source: IBGE 2000. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics or IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Gehjgygmmliografia e Estatística is the agency responsible for Statistical ^[11]

Economy

Rio de Janeiro Stock Exchange.

Rio de Janeiro became an attractive place for companies to locate when it was the capital of Brazil, as important sectors of society and of the government were present in the city. The city was chosen as headquarters for state-owned companies such as Petrobras, Caixa Econômica Federal and Vale do Rio Doce (which was privatized in the 1990s). Petrobras ( Bovespa: PETR3 / PETR4 ( NYSE: PBR / PBRA( Latibex: XPBR / XPBRA short for Petróleo Brasileiro S Caixa Econômica Federal, also referred to as CAIXA is a Brazilian Bank, one of the largest government-owned financial institutions in Latin America Vale is a diversified Mining Multinational corporation and one of the largest Logistics operators in Brazil. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) After the transfer of the capital to Brasília, in 1960, it kept attracting more companies, especially after the discovery of oil in the Campos Basin, which produces most of the total oil production of Brazil. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is This made many oil and gas companies to be based in Rio de Janeiro, such as the Brazilian branches of Shell, EBX and Esso. Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known simply as Shell, is a multinational oil company of Dutch and British origins Esso (SO is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies The headquarters of BNDES, an important state institution, is also in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES is a federal public company that is associated to the Ministry of Development Industry and Foreign Trade The city is also the headquarters of large telecom companies, such as Intelig, Oi and Embratel. Embratel - Empresa Brasileira de Telecomunicações SA ( Portuguese for "Brazilian Telecommunications Company" is a second major Brazilian telecommunications

Major Brazilian entertainment organizations are based in Rio de Janeiro like TV Globo (Globosat, Globo News, SportTv, Telecine, Tv Brazil), NET, Sky and WayBrazil and also some of Brazil's major newspapers: Jornal do Brasil, O Globo, O Dia, and Business Rio. Rede Globo ( English: Globo Network, better known as TV Globo, Globo TV or simply Globo) is a Brazilian television network Globosat is a Multichannel cable and Satellite TV service in Brazil, created in 1991 after the creation of cable and satellite TV Telecine (ˈtɛləˌsɪni/ /ˌtɛləˈsɪni/ ˌtɛləˈsɪnə also /ˌtɛləˈsiːn/ — "tel-e-Sin-ee" "tel-e-Sin-a" as 'cine' is the same root as in 'cinema' Net Serviços de Comunicação SA is the largest Cable television operator in Latin America. The sky is the part of the Atmosphere or of Outer space visible from the surface of any Astronomical object. Jornal do Brasil, widely known as JB, is a daily Newspaper published by Editora JB in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. O Globo is a Brazilian newspaper based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil O Dia is a major daily Newspaper from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Major international pharmacuetical companies have their Brazilian headquarters in Rio such us Merck, Roche, Arrow, Darrow, Baxter, Mayne, and Mappel. Merck KGaA (EMD Chemicals in the United States and Canada is a German -based chemical and Pharmaceutical company. An arrow is a pointed Projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most Cultures. Darrow is a Surname, and may refer to Ann Darrow, fictional character from King Kong Benjamin Darrow, American

The GDP for the city was R$ 118,979,752,000 (2005). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[12]

The per capita income for the city was R$ 19,524 (2005). Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[13]

Education

The Palácio Universitário, a 19th century Neoclassical building that serves as campus of the UFRJ. The Institutes for Economy, Education and Administration, among others, are based here. An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency

Portuguese is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. But English and Spanish are part of the official high school curriculum. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution

Educational institutions

• Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ);
• Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica (CEFET-RJ)
• Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV);
• Universidade Candido Mendes (UCAM);
• Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM);
• Instituto Brasileiro de Mercados e Capitais (IBMEC);
• Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME);
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio);
• Universidade Gama Filho (UGF);
• Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ);
• Universidade do Grande Rio (UNIGRANRIO);
• Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO);
• Universidade Estácio de Sá
• Universidade Santa Úrsula
• Universidade Veiga de Almeida (UVA)
• and many others. Universidade Santa Úrsula is a University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Main article: List of Rio de Janeiro schools, colleges, universities and research centers

Culture

Music

The official song of Rio de Janeiro is "Cidade Maravilhosa", which means "marvelous city". This is full list of educational centers in Rio de Janeiro. Public colleges and universities Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológico Celso Suckow Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil The song is considered the "civic anthem" of Rio, and is always the favourite song during Rio's Carnival in February. The Brazilian Carnival, or Carnaval (Carnaval is an annual festival in Brazil held 4 days before Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning

Rio de Janeiro is a very important place when studying the urban music of Brazil. They are responsible for the creation of Funk Carioca, which means funk from Rio de Janeiro. This music became a representation of the current problems residents faced in Rio. It became the largest movement in the city because it gave an outlet to many young people to voice their feelings and make money at the same time. ^[14] It became a social outlet for the community of Rio de Janeiro. ^[15] It provided places for the community to come together and appreciate the music and the culture in a peaceful manner. Race and class are ignored and people just celebrate their culture to their music.

Rio was eternalized in the super smash hit song "Garota de Ipanema" (The Girl from Ipanema) composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and recognized worldwide and recorded by Astrud Gilberto and João Gilberto, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald. " The Girl from Ipanema " (" Garota de Ipanema " is a well-known Bossa nova Song, a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s that won a Grammy Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim ( January 25, 1927 in Rio de Janeiro &ndash December 8, 1994 in Brazil) also Astrud Gilberto (born March 29, 1940) is a Brazilian Singer best known for her Samba and Bossa nova music most famously João Gilberto (born João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira on June 10, 1931 in Juazeiro, Bahia) is a Grammy Award Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25 1917 &ndash June 15 1996 also known as " Lady Ella " and the "First Lady of Song" is considered one of the most influential This is also the main key song of the bossa nova, a musical genre that was born in Rio. Bossa nova ( is a style of Brazilian music popularized by Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto.

A genre unique to Rio and Brazil as a whole is Funk Carioca. Funk carioca (Funk from Rio favela funk and elsewhere in the world baile funk, is a type of dance music from Rio de Janeiro, derived from While samba music continues to act as the national unifying agent in Rio, Funk Carioca found a strong community following in Brazil. Samba ( is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. It is widely viewed as Brazil's national musical style Funk carioca (Funk from Rio favela funk and elsewhere in the world baile funk, is a type of dance music from Rio de Janeiro, derived from First introduced in the 1970s to refer to modern black pop music from the United States, such as James Brown, it evolved in the 1990s to describe a variety of electronic music associated with the current US black music scene including hip hop, modern soul, and house music. James Joseph Brown Jr (May 3 1933 – December 25 2006 commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" the "King of Funk" and "The Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Recognizable by the bass of the beat box, funk music could be heard in the alley ways of lower-class neighborhoods in Rio throughout the mid-1990s. Dancing and interclass mixing were significant in the "funk movement. "^[16]

Although not the capital city of Brazil, Rio has always been the symbol of Brazil’s nationality and diverse social structure. While Samba is the national unifying agent, as Brazilian national politics developed in Rio, other forms of music were implemented into the national culture of Brazil. Samba ( is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. It is widely viewed as Brazil's national musical style ^[17] Brazil’s return to democracy in 1985 after over 20 years if military authoritarian rule, and the subsequent end of rampant censorship, allowed for a new freedom of expression which promoted creativity and experimentation in expressive culture. ". This new expressive ability facilitated to access to better economic conditions and relative economic stability. This economic stability allowed for the consumption of imported goods such as hip hop. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Commercial and cultural imports from Europe and North America have often influenced Brazil's own cultural output. ^[18]. For example, the hip hop that has stemmed from New York is localied into various forms of musial production such as Funk Carioca and Brazilian hip hop. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Funk carioca (Funk from Rio favela funk and elsewhere in the world baile funk, is a type of dance music from Rio de Janeiro, derived from Thus, Rio has been the most important site as the melting pot of talented composers and performers of all different musical backgrounds. Democratic renewal also allowed for the recognition and acceptance of this diversification of Brazilian culture. ^[19]

In some cases, Funk Carioca is also connected to gang territorial dominance in Rio's slums. The gangs fund dance parties, known as bailes, to recruit new members, update each other on local news, and engage in selling drugs. ^[20]

Rio de Janeiro, representing one of the largest urban areas in Brazil, is populated with a medley of ethnic types and identities. This diversity allows for it to be the major site for the country's music industry to thrive. Many active scholars in the study of pop culture, such as Livio Sansone, Samuel Araújo, and Martha Ulhoa and internationally renown recording artists such as Rick Devin are located in the heart of this city, proving it to be an imperative place for any aspiring pop culture artist to be. ^[21]

Carnival

Carnival in Rio, famous for its production.

The Brazilian carnival (Carnaval, in Portuguese) is an annual celebration held 40 days before Easter and marking the beginning of Lent. The Brazilian Carnival, or Carnaval (Carnaval is an annual festival in Brazil held 4 days before Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Rio de Janeiro has many Carnival choices, including the famous Samba school (Escolas de Samba) parades in the sambadrome exhibition centre and the popular blocos de carnaval, which parade in almost every corner of the city. The Samba schools ( Escolas de samba in Portuguese) are Samba clubs organised in the early half of the 20th century in Rio de Janeiro The Sambadrome ( Sambódromo in Portuguese, full name Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí) is a purpose-built parade area in downtown Rio de Janeiro The most famous ones are:

• Cordão do Bola Preta: Parades in the centre of the city. It is one of the most traditional carnavals. In 2006, it gathered 200,000 people in one day.
• Suvaco do Cristo: Band that parades in the Botanic Garden, directly below the Redeemer statue's arm. The name, in English, translates as 'Christ's armpit', and was chosen for that reason.
• Carmelitas: Band that was supposedly created by nuns, but in fact it is just a theme chosen by the band. It parades in the hills of Santa Teresa, which have very nice views.
• Simpatia é Quase Amor: One of the most popular parades in Ipanema. Translates as 'Friendliness is almost love'.
• Banda de Ipanema: The most traditional in Ipanema. It attracts a wide range of revellers, including families and a wide spectrum of the gay population (notably spectacular drag queens).

In 1840 the first Carnaval was celebrated with a masked ball. As years passed, adorned floats and costumed revelers became a tradition amongst the celebrants. Carnaval is known as a historic root of Brazilian music. ^[22]

Cultural events

"Bloco Galinha do Meio-Dia": carnival block, in Copacabana

Apart from Carnaval, New Year is also a major event in Rio. Copacabana is a Borough located in the southern zone of the city Rio de Janeiro, famous for its 4 km Beach. It's celebrated with concerts and firework displays all around Rio, the largest one being in Copacabana beach. A firework is classified as a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes People wear white clothes, and some of them make offerings to Iemanjá, a deity in many of the Afro-Brazilian religions (e. Yemaja is an Orisha, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American religion. See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always g. Candomble, Umbanda, Macumba). Candomblé (pronounced /kɐ̃dõˈblɛ/is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion practiced chiefly in Brazil. Basic beliefs and practices The Umbanda creeds and practices are an eclectic mixture from three main sources from Catholicism Umbanda adopted the ideas of

There are several significant museums in Rio as well. Among them are the Quinta da Boa Vista (which includes the National Museum of Brazil), the Naive Art Museum (primitives, with the largest collection of naive paintings in the world^[23]), and the Indian Museum. The Quinta da Boa Vista ( English: Park of the Nice View) is a public park of great historical importance in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The National Museum of Brazil ("Museu Nacional" in Portuguese) is a centenarian Museum and Research institution located in the Quinta da ^[24]

Rio also has one of the world's most talked-about nightlife. Rio has a lot of nightclubs where the rich enjoy themselves and party the night away. Clubs like Baronneti, Nuth, and Catwalk are some of the country's best known and frequented by celebrities such as Ronaldo, Calvin Klein, Mick Jagger, and Naomi Campbell. Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima (xo'nawdʊ lu'iz na'zaɾjʊ dʒɪ 'limɐ born September 18, 1976. Calvin Klein Inc is an American fashion brand founded in 1968 by Calvin Klein. Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger, Kt (born 26 July 1943 is a Golden Globe -winning and two-time Grammy -winning English rock Naomi Campbell (born 22 May 1970 is an English model, Singer, Author, Actress, and Fashion designer.

Infrastructure

Airports

Rio's Galeão International Airport (GIG). Rio de Janeiro/Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport better known as Galeão International Airport is Rio de Janeiro 's major international

The City of Rio de Janeiro has five airports.

• Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport: used for all the international flights and some long-haul domestic flights;
• Santos Dumont Regional Airport: Rio de Janeiro's first airport, and formerly the International Airport. Rio de Janeiro/Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport better known as Galeão International Airport is Rio de Janeiro 's major international Santos Dumont Airport serves Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the city's second major Airport behind the Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport It is considered one of the best-located airports in the world because of its location between Sugar Loaf, Corcovado, the Aterro do Flamengo, and Guanabara Bay. Today it is used by the São Paulo — Rio de Janeiro Air Shuttle Service and some intrastate flights, especially to oil-producing cities in the north.
• Aeroporto de Jacarepaguá: In the Barra da Tijuca district. It is currently used by Aeroclube do Brasil (Brasil Flying Club) with small aircraft but is planned to be used for the Rio de Janeiro - São Paulo Air Shuttle Service since it is just inside Barra, the city's fastest-growing district. The Jacarepagua Airport is the biggest heliport of world too.
• Afonsos Air Base (Base Aérea dos Afonsos or Campo dos Afonsos): Military airport, where the Brazilian Air Force presents its aerobatic shows. It also holds the MUSAL (Museu Aero-Espacial), one of the largest aviation museums in Latin America.
• Santa Cruz Air Base (Base Aérea de Santa Cruz): Military airport.

Rio de Janeiro have other airports in other cities of state.

Transportation

In Rio de Janeiro, buses are the main means of mass transportation. There are nearly 440 municipal bus lines serving over four million passengers each day, in addition to intercity lines. Although cheap and frequent, Rio's transportation policy has been moving towards trains and subway in order to reduce traffic jams and increase capacity. Driving in Rio de Janeiro, as in most large cities of Brazil, is hazardous due to aggressive driving habits, poorly maintained roads and the risk of being intercepted by bandits, especially at traffic lights. ^[25]

Subway

Rio de Janeiro has two subway lines (Metro Rio) with 38,5 km and 32 stations plus several commuter rail lines. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The Rio de Janeiro Metro ( Metrô Rio) is a mass-transit underground railway network that serves the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns Future plans include building a third subway line to Niterói and São Gonçalo, including an underwater tunnel beneath Guanabara Bay to supplement the ferry service currently there. Niterói is a city and a município (county in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast region of Brazil. São Gonçalo is a Municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. In Portuguese, Baía da Guanabara is an oceanic Bay located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and </ref>

Train

Rio de Janeiro has a large and technologically advanced urban rail transportation system.

Highways

In Brazil, most interstate transportation is done by road. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld A large terminal for long-distance buses is in the Santo Cristo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. There are also two port facilities for cargo and passenger ships (Rio de Janeiro and Sepetiba port). Sepetiba is a neighborhood located in the western zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, surrounded by Santa Cruz and Guaratiba neighborhoods and by the Sepetiba From São Paulo: take the BR 116 (Presidente Dutra Federal Highway) or the BR-101 (Rio-Santos Federal Highway). São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world From Belo Horizonte: BR 040. Belo Horizonte ( Portuguese for "beautiful horizon", (bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi) is the capital of Minas Gerais state located in the From Salvador: BR-101 or BR-324/BR-116/BR-393/BR-040.

Distances

Port

The Port of Rio de Janeiro is visited by cruise boats, which travel along the Brazilian coast. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world Belo Horizonte ( Portuguese for "beautiful horizon", (bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi) is the capital of Minas Gerais state located in the

Sunrise over Guanabara Bay, viewed from Rio. In Portuguese, Baía da Guanabara is an oceanic Bay located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Sports

More notable sports events in Rio include the MotoGP Brazilian Grand Prix and the world beach volleyball finals. Overview A Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix was first organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM in 1949 The Brazilian Grand Prix (Grande Prêmio do Brasil is a Formula One championship race which occurs at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos Jacarepaguá was the place of Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix into 1978-1990 and the Champ Car event into 1996-1999. Jacarepaguá, with a land area of 2927 square miles ( 7580 km²) is the 4th largest Neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Brazilian Grand Prix (Grande Prêmio do Brasil is a Formula One championship race which occurs at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis WCT/WQS Surf championships were contested on the beaches from 1985-2001. The World Surfing Champion is a title awarded annually to the best competition surfer for the year today based on points earned for placings at events on the Association of Surfing SURF (Speeded Up Robust Features is a robust image descriptor that can be used in computer vision tasks The city has built a new stadium, Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, to hold 45,000 people. A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting Estádio Olímpico João Havelange (João Havelange Olympic Stadium also known as Engenhão, is a multi-use stadium located in the Engenho de Dentro neighborhood It was named after Brazilian ex-FIFA president João Havelange. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid de Havelange (born May 8, 1916) usually known as João Havelange, was the president of FIFA from 1974 to The stadium is owned by the City of Rio de Janeiro, but it is rented to Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas for 20 years. Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas is a Brazilian multi-sport club from Rio de Janeiro. ^[26]

Rio de Janeiro was an applicant city for the 2012 Summer Olympics but failed to make the shortlist of official candidate cities. Copacabana beach would have been the site of the triathlon and beach volleyball, while yachting competitions would have been held in Guanabara Bay. A triathlon is an endurance sports event consisting of Swimming, cycling and Running over various distances Yachting is an activity involving boats It may be racing Sailing boats cruising to distant shores or day-sailing along a coast On September 2006, it was announced that Rio would bid for 2016 Summer Olympics. Depending on the quantity and the quality of bids IOC will receive from other NOCs, IOC will probably announce a shortlist of official candidate cities in early 2008, and conduct voting for the host city in 2009.

Rio de Janeiro has also a multi-purpose arena, the HSBC Arena. This article is about the arena in Rio de Janeiro Brazil For the arena in Buffalo New York see HSBC Arena.

Sports are very popular pastime in Rio de Janeiro. The most popular one is futebol (soccer). Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Rio de Janeiro is home to five traditional Brazilian soccer clubs: América Football Club, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama. América Football Club, or América as it is usually called is a traditional Brazilian football team from Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro state Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas is a Brazilian multi-sport club from Rio de Janeiro. Clube de Regatas do Flamengo is a Brazilian Multisport club located in Rio de Janeiro. Fluminense Football Club is a Sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Engenhão Stadium. A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting

The Brazilian dance/sport/martial art capoeira is very popular. Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat. Capoeira (kapuˈejɾɐ is a brazilian art form that ritualizes movement from Martial arts, Games, and Dance. Other popular sports are beach football, beach volleyball, surfing, kitesurfing, hang gliding, motor racing, jiu-jitsu, recreational sailing, and competitive rowing. Surfing is a surface water sport in which the participant is carried along the face of a breaking wave, most commonly using a Surfboard, although wave-riders Kitesurfing, kiteboarding, uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small Surfboard or a kiteboard (which is like a Wakeboard) History See also History of hang gliding Summary: Hang gliding existed in China perhaps by the 4th century AD according to the writing of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ( BJJ) is a Martial art and Combat sport that focuses on Grappling and especially Ground fighting with the goal Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 Another sport that is highly popular in beaches of Rio is called "frescobol" (IPA: [fres.ko.'bɔu̯], matkot), a type of beach tennis. Matkot, or Beach paddleball or kadima (מטקה in Hebrew, pl

Rio de Janeiro is also paradise for rock climbers, with hundreds of routes all over the town, ranging from easy boulders to highly technical big wall climbs, all inside the city. Rock climbing is a Sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made rock walls with the goal of reaching the The most famous, Rio's granite mountain, the Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar), is an example, with routes from the easy 3rd grade (American 5. Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese Pão de Açúcar) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the mouth of Guanabara Bay Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese Pão de Açúcar) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the mouth of Guanabara Bay 4, French 3) to the extremely difficult 9th grade (5. 13/8b), up to 280 metres.

The 2007 Pan American Games Opening Ceremony. The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, is a major International Multi-sport event which was celebrated

Hang gliding in Rio de Janeiro started in mid 1970s and quickly proved to be perfectly suited for this town, because of its geography: steep mountains encounter the Atlantic Ocean, which provide excellent take-off locations and great landing zones on the beach. History See also History of hang gliding Summary: Hang gliding existed in China perhaps by the 4th century AD according to the writing of the Starting with amateur flights, this activity soon turned into a profitable industry of tandem hang gliding with some very experienced pilots at a cost for a ride around US$100. In the Summer, between December and March, booking in advance is recommended.

Fishing is a very popular activity in Brazil. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. In Rio de Janeiro, one can expect to catch a plethora of famous Brazilian copperfish, known as peixe de cobre. The Brazilian Copperfish also known as peixes de cobre is a mild-mannered breed of fish which lives primarily in the area around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Many markets sell peixes de cobre and these fish are quite popular for traditional meals. No license is required for fishing in Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the 18 remaining candidates to host games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup that will be hosted in Brazil. The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld ^[27]

Team Black House is located in Rio de Janeiro. The black house ( Scottish Gaelic: taigh dubh (formerly "tigh" is a traditional type of house which used to be common in Highland Scotland, Current members are UFC standouts Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Lyoto Machida. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC is a US -based Mixed martial arts (MMA organization currently recognized as the largest MMA promotion in the world Anderson "The Spider" Silva (born April 14 1975 is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and mixed martial artist. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (born June 2 1976 in Vitória da Conquista, Brazil) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist known for his technical mastery Lyoto Carvalho Machida (born May 30, 1978) is a Brazilian professional Mixed martial arts fighter Former UFC star Vitor Belfort is also a member. Vitor Vieira Belfort (born April 1, 1977 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has fought both in Japan

Social conditions

There are enormous disparities between rich and poor in Rio de Janeiro. ^[28] Although the city clearly ranks among the world's major metropolises, a large proportion of the city's 6. 1 million inhabitants live in poverty. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and The poorest of the areas are the slums and shanty towns known as favelas; often crowded onto the hillsides, where sturdy buildings are difficult to build, accidents from heavy rainfall are frequent, and access to the sanitation and electricity can be inconsistent. A slum, as defined by the United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security Shanty towns (also called Squatter camps or Favelas are settlements (sometimes illegal or unauthorized of impoverished people who live in improvised Favela (Portuguese and Spanish for slum) is a specifically Brazilian word for a Shanty town. ^[29]

Panoramic photo of Rocinha shanty town ("favela"), one of the largest in the world. Panoramic photography is a format of Photography that aims to create images with exceptionally wide fields of view, but has also come to refer to any photograph that Rocinha (literally Portuguese for small ranch) is the largest Favela in Brazil Favela (Portuguese and Spanish for slum) is a specifically Brazilian word for a Shanty town.

A unique aspect of Rio's favelas is their close proximity to the city's wealthiest districts. ^[30] Upper-class neighbourhoods such as Ipanema and Copacabana are squeezed in between the beach and the hills, the latter of which are covered with poor neighbourhoods. Ipanema is a neighborhood located on the southern region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between Leblon and Arpoador. Copacabana is a Borough located in the southern zone of the city Rio de Janeiro, famous for its 4 km Beach. Bad public education, a poor health system combined with the saturation of the penitentiary system contribute to the overall poverty of the favelas. But the North Side, the poorest area of Rio that tourists rarely see, gathers the vast majority of Rio's famished and impoverished masses. This social contrast creates a clash between rich and poor. ^[31]

Crime

BOPE policemen training.

Rio has high crime rates, especially homicide, in poor areas dominated by drug lords, primarily in the North Zone. List of countries by homicide rate Homicide ( Latin homicidium, homo human being + caedere to cut kill refers to the act of killing another ^[32] As of 2007, the homicide rate of the greater metropolitan area stood at nearly 30 victims per week, with the majority of victims falling to mugging, stray bullets or narcoterrorism. Narcoterrorism is a term coined by former President Fernando Belaúnde Terry of Peru in 1983 when describing terrorist-type attacks against his nation's anti-narcotics ^[33][34] In 2006, 2,273 people were murdered in the city giving it a murder rate of 37. 7 cases for every 100,000 people,^[35] down from 45 cases as registered in 2001; as a comparison, London's murder rate in 2004 was 2. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 4 cases for every 100,000 population. ^[36] According to federal government research,^[37] the city itself ranks 206th in the list of the 5565 most violent cities in Brazil and first in total number of firearm-related deaths. Between 1978 and 2000, 49,900 people were killed in Rio. ^[38] The Urban Warfare involves drug-traffic battle with police fighting against outlaws, or even corrupt policemen on their side. The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs

Rio de Janeiro's low paid and ill-equipped police are violent as well, it has been said. ^[39] In 2007, the police allegedly killed 1,330 people in the state,^[40] an increase of 25 percent over 2006 when 1,063 people were killed, in 2003 that number plateaued at 1,195. In comparison the American police killed just 347 people in whole of the United States during 2006. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[41][42] The average Rio policeman earns only R$874 a month or R$10,488 (around US$6,000) a year. ^[43] Compounding the problem of crime is impunity. Only 3 percent of the murders are solved by Rio's police. ^[44]

Human development

Copacabana Palace in Copacabana.

The human development of Rio varies greatly by locality. There are neighborhoods that had very high human development indexes in 2000 (equal to or greater than the indexes of some Scandinavian countries), but also those in the medium range (in line with, for example, North Africa). The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Maghreb (المغرب العربي al-Maġrib al-ʿArabī) also rendered Maghrib (or rarely Moghreb) meaning "place of Sunset ^[45]

Top neighborhoods and localities

• Gávea (0. 970)
• Leblon (0. 967)
• Jardim Guanabara (0. 963)
• Ipanema (0. 962)
• Lagoa (0. 959)

Neighborhoods and localities in last place:

• Complexo do Alemão (0. 711)

Lists

Parks and squares

Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro in the central Cinelândia square. One of the most beautiful buildings in downtown Rio de Janeiro, the Teatro Municipal was founded in July 1909 Cinelândia is the popular name of a major public square in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

• Flamengo Park - Large park in the Flamengo neighbourhood, beside Guanabara Bay. In Portuguese, Baía da Guanabara is an oceanic Bay located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
• Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden – Magnificent park founded in the early 19th century. The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden was founded in 1808 by John VI of Portugal.
• Quinta da Boa Vista - Site of the palace used by the emperors of Brazil. The Quinta da Boa Vista ( English: Park of the Nice View) is a public park of great historical importance in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Zoological Garden of Rio de Janeiro - Located in the Quinta da Boa Vista.
• Passeio Público - 18th century public garden in central Rio. The Passeio Público is a public Park in the historic centre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Arpoador Park
• Parque Lage – Contains areas of woodland, gardens, aquaria and a children's playground. The Environmental Protection Area (APA of Copacabana and Arpoador Promontories, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was created to protect its rocky coast and native Parque Lage (in full "Parque Enrique Lage" is a public park in the city of Rio De Janeiro, located in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood at the foot of the The School of Visual Art (Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage) occupies a luxurious early 20th century building faced with Italian marble and tiles. Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage is a Brazilian university founded in 1975 in Rio de Janeiro from the Instituto de Belas Artes do Rio de Janeiro The buildings are protected as national monuments.
• Tijuca Forest - A huge rainforest that covers highlands which rise in the middle of the city. The Tijuca Forest ( Floresta da Tijuca in Portuguese) is a mountainous hand-planted Rainforest in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil It is the first world's largest urban rainforest. There, people can find beauty, peace and they can gaze the luxurious variety of fauna and flora. Unfortunately, through the years, the forest is being threatened by illegal occupation, mainly slum which grows by the borders and put the integrity of the forest in danger. Besides it, the place remains wonderful and magic. A highly adviseble place to visit.

Famous Cariocas

Sugarloaf Mountain
(Pão de Açúcar)

View from Corcovado: Sugarloaf Mountain, left; Copacabana beach, center

Cariocas, as residents of Rio de Janeiro are called in Brazil, have made extensive contributions to Brazil's history, culture, music, literature, education, science, technology etc. Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese Pão de Açúcar) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the mouth of Guanabara Bay Corcovado, meaning " Hunchback " in Portuguese, is a mountain in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. – particularly when Rio de Janeiro was the federal capital and a great hub of Brazilian growth and innovation in all these areas. Some important Cariocas, who were born in Rio, are:

Miscellaneous

Rio has been used as a backdrop for many films, such as Academy Award-nominated Central do Brasil (Central Station, 1998) and Cidade de Deus (City of God, 2002); Moonraker (1979), Blame It on Rio (1984), Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad, 2007), The Incredible Hulk (2008), and of course classics like Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus, 1959) and L'Homme de Rio (Man From Rio, 1964). Adolfo Lutz was a Brazilian Physician, 1855-1940 father of Tropical medicine and medical Zoology in Brazil Adriano Leite Ribeiro (born February 17 1982 in Rio de Janeiro) known simply as Adriano, is a Brazilian striker who plays for Italian Bruno Barreto (born March 16, 1955) is a Brazilian Film director born in Rio de Janeiro. Carlos Chagas Filho ( September 19, 1910 – February 16, 2000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was a Brazilian Physician Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda ( April 30, 1914 – May 21, 1977) was a Brazilian Journalist and Politician Carlos Tufvesson is a renowned Fashion designer in Brazil. He attended Domus Academy, in Milan, Italy. Fashion design is the Applied art dedicated to Clothing and lifestyle Accessories created within the cultural and social influences of a specific time A designer is a person who designs something Perhaps the broadest definition is that provided by Herbert Simon: ‘Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Carolina Solberg Salgado (Born August 6, 1987 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian Beach Angenor de Oliveira, known as Cartola ( Portuguese for Top hat) ( October 11, 1908 – November 30, 1980 Cazuza ( April 4, 1958 &mdash July 7, 1990) was a Brazilian Composer, Singer and Poet, born Agenor Miranda Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born June 19, 1944 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) popularly known as Chico Buarque, is a Singer Bruno Campos (born December 3 1973) is a Brazilian Actor, best known for his role as Dr Fernanda Montenegro (born Arlete Pinheiro Esteves da Silva; October 16 1929 is an Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated Berlin's Silver Fernando Henrique Cardoso, PC (born June 18, 1931) - also known by his initials FHC - was the President of the Federative Republic of Hélio Oiticica ( July 26, 1937 – March 22, 1980) was a Brazilian painter, sculptor and Performance Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5 1887 &ndash November 17 1959 was a Brazilian Composer, possibly the best-known classical composer born in South America Ivan Guimarães Lins (b June 16, 1945) is a Brazilian musician Sérgio Jaguaribe, known as Jaguar, (born February 29, 1932) is a Brazilian Cartoonist and Comics artist. You may be looking for Joe Soares. José Eugênio Soares, best known as Jô Soares (born January 16, 1938) is a Jorge Ben Jor (born March 22, 1942 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian popular musician Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, pron. ʒoa'kĩ ma'riɐ ma'ʃadu dʒi a'sis often known as Machado de Assis, Machado, or Bruxo do Cosme Velho Marisa de Azevedo Monte (born July 1, 1967 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian popular singer Millôr Fernandes (born August 16, 1923) sometimes called only Millôr, is a Brazilian Cartoonist, Humorist and Playwright Milton Nascimento (born October 26, 1942) is a self-taught Grammy Award -winning Singer, Songwriter, and Guitarist Nelson Piquet Souto Maior (born August 17, 1952) more commonly known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver who was Formula Noel de Medeiros Rosa ( December 11, 1910 - May 4, 1937) was a Brazilian Songwriter, Singer, and Guitar Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (born December 15, 1907) is a Brazilian Architect who is considered one of the most important Paulinho da Viola (born Paulo César Batista de Faria on November 12, 1942) is a Brazilian sambista, singer/songwriter Paulo Coelho (ˈpau̯lu ˈko̯eʎu (born August 24, 1947) is a Brazilian Lyricist and Novelist. Pedro II, (ˈpedɾu seˈgũdu December 2, 1825 December 5, 1891) was the second and last Emperor of Brazil. Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho, better known as Pixinguinha, ( April 23, 1897 - February 7, 1973) was a Choro Chôro ('ʃoɾu literally "cry" in Portuguese, meaning "lament" traditionally called chorinho ("little cry" Ricardo Arona (born July 17, 1978 in Brazil) is a Brazilian Mixed martial arts fighter and PRIDE FC middleweight grad Rita de Cássia Coutinho, known as Rita Cadillac ( June 13 1954, Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian dancer and singer Royce Gracie (born December 12, 1966) is a professional Mixed martial arts (MMA fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Romário de Souza Faria (born January 29 1966 in Rio de Janeiro) better known simply as Romário, is a former Brazilian football Center Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima (xo'nawdʊ lu'iz na'zaɾjʊ dʒɪ 'limɐ born September 18, 1976. Sérgio Vieira de Mello ( March 15 1948 &ndash August 19 2003) was an illustrious Brazilian United Nations (UN Sílvio Santos (real name Senor Abravanel, born in December 12 1930) is a TV show host in Brazil and owner of SBT, Tim Maia (pronounced tʃĩ majɐ September 28, 1942 &ndash March 15, 1998) born Sebastião Rodrigues Maia in Rio de Janeiro Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim ( January 25, 1927 in Rio de Janeiro &ndash December 8, 1994 in Brazil) also Vinicius de Moraes, nicknamed O Poetinha (the little poet ( October 19, 1913 - July 9, 1980) born Marcus Vinicius da Cruz Walter Moreira Salles Jr (born April 12 1956, Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian Filmmaker and Film producer of international Arthur Antunes Coimbra ɐ̃'tũnis ko'ĩbrɐ (born in March 3, 1953) better known as Zico, is a former Brazilian footballer Fabrizio Moretti is the drummer of American Alternative rock band The Strokes. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. City of God (Cidade de Deus is a 2002 Brazilian crime drama Film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund Moonraker, released in 1979, is the eleventh film in the James Bond series and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional Blame it on Rio is a 1984 Romantic comedy film written by Charlie Peters and Larry Gelbart and directed by Stanley Donen Tropa de Elite ('trɔpɐ ʤi̯e'litʃI English title The Elite Squad. The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 Superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Black Orpheus ( Orfeu Negro in Portuguese) is a Film made in Brazil by French director Marcel Camus. That Man From Rio (L'Homme de Rio is a popular 1964 Adventure film, directed by Philippe de Broca and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo

In The Simpsons episode "Blame it on Lisa", the family visited Rio de Janeiro in a search of a missing Brazilian orphan boy that Lisa had been secretly sponsoring. Blame It on Lisa is the 15th episode from the thirteenth season of The Simpsons in which the family goes to Brazil in search

In CSI: Miami episode "Rio" the cops arrived in the city to hunt down a drug trafficker. CSI Miami is a spin-off of the CBS network series. CSI Miami airs new episodes Mondays at 10 PM ET/PT on CBS.

Featured/recreated in the video games Driver 2, Forza Motorsport, SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Driver 2 The Wheelman is Back (named Driver 2 Back on the Streets in Europe) is the second installment of the Driver Forza Motorsport is a racing simulator Video game developed by Turn 10 for the Xbox gaming system SOCOM II US Navy SEALs is a third person Tactical shooter Video game for the PlayStation 2 and a Sequel to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, often called THPS3 or Tony Hawk 3, is a Video game in the ''Tony Hawk's'' series Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam is a video game in the ''Tony Hawk'' series. The popular Half-life game mod, Counter-strike featured a level (cs_rio) that pictured a favela in Rio de Janeiro, which caused an order to prohibit sales of the game in Brazil. Half-Life (computer-game page here It's already listed in the disambiguation page Counter-Strike (commonly abbreviated to CS) is a tactical First-person shooter Video game which originated from a ^[46]. In the game World of Warcraft there is a place in Stranglethorn Vale called Janerio's Point, with a statue of a goblin in the same pose as the Redeeming Christ statue. World of Warcraft (commonly acronymed as WoW) is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG

The Harbour of Rio de Janeiro was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World by CNN. Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner

Rio de Janeiro was also mentioned in Mel Brooks' The Producers as being the place the Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom would escape to after their sure-fire-flop musical. The Producers is a 1968 feature-length Comedy film written and directed by Mel Brooks. In the 2005 version, they sing a song about Rio entitled "You'll Find Your Happiness in Rio".

In the popular Ender's Shadow series, Rio de Janeiro is the location of Peter Wiggin's Hegemon Headquarters. Ender's Shadow (1999 is a parallel Science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card with a plot covering some of the events in In the Science fiction story Ender's Game and its sequels Peter Wiggin is Ender 's (or Andrew's older brother

In the series Lupin III, Rio is visited on many occasions. is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Kazuhiko Kato under the Pen name of " Monkey Punch " One time for a robbery of the Maracana Stadium, where they stuffed the ticket money inside the famous Christ the Redeemer statue and nearly escaped.

References

See also

• List of mayors of Rio de Janeiro
• Niteroi
• Rio de Janeiro (state)

Sister cities

Rio de Janeiro's sister cities are:

• Unofficially twinned with Leith, Scotland. This is a list of Mayors of Rio de Janeiro from the most recent chronologically backwards Niterói is a city and a município (county in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast region of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro ( pron ˈhiu dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Bogotá —officially named Bogotá DC (DC for " Distrito Capital " which means "Capital District" formerly called Santa Fe de Bogotá Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Lagos ( pron ˈleɪgɒs or /ˈlɑːgoʊs/ overseas is the most populous Conurbation in Nigeria with Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. 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External links

Official

• (Portuguese) Official homepage (some pages available in (English))
• Rio De Janeiro Webcams
• Riotur
• Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE)

Education

• (Portuguese) CGMAX - Computer Graphics University at Rio de Janeiro
• (Portuguese) UVA-Rio - Veiga de Almeida University of Rio de Janeiro
• (Portuguese) PUC-Rio - the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
• (Portuguese) UFRJ Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
• (Portuguese) UFRRJ Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
• (Portuguese) UERJ - University of Rio de Janeiro State
• (Portuguese) UNIRIO - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State
• (Portuguese) UCAM - Universidade Candido Mendes
• (English) Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro - (American School of Rio de Janeiro)
• (Portuguese) Universidade Estácio de Sá - (Estacio de Sa University)

Photos

• Images of Rio— Hundreds of images from the 1920s to the present
• Corcovado Immersive Virtual Tour
• Images of Rio de Janeiro

Tourism

• Rio de Janeiro travel guide from Wikitravel
• (Portuguese) Maplink - Rio de Janeiro Street Guide and Maps

Coordinates: 22°54′S 43°14′W / -22.9, -43.233 (Rio de Janeiro)