{"history":[{"id":"c572a40b-6d6d-4073-ac8a-8b1b69c8f555","wordChanged":"Rio","newWord":":::summary\n**Name:** Rio de Janeiro \n**Settlement Type:** [Municipality](https://bliptext.com/articles/municipalities-of-brazil) \n**Named For:** [Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) \n**Official Name:** Municipality of Rio de Janeiro \n**Nicknames:** Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous City), Princesa Maravilhosa (Marvellous Princess), Cidade dos Brasileiros (City of Brazilians) \n**Image Flag:** Bandeira da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg \n**Image Shield:** Brasão da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg \n**Image Map:** RiodeJaneiro Municip RiodeJaneiro.svg \n**Mapsize:** 250px \n**Map Caption:** Location in the state of Rio de Janeiro \n**Blank Emblem Type:** Logo \n**Pushpin Map:** Brazil#South America \n**Pushpin Relief:** 1 \n**Pushpin Mapsize:** 250 \n**Pushpin Map Caption:** Location within Brazil##Location within South America \n**Subdivision Type:** [Country](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-sovereign-states) \n**Subdivision Name:** [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil) \n**Subdivision Type 1:** [Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/regions-of-brazil) \n**Subdivision Name 1:** [Southeast](https://bliptext.com/articles/southeast-region-brazil) \n**Subdivision Type 2:** [State](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-brazil) \n**Subdivision Name 2:** [Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) \n**Subdivision Type 3:** Historic countries \n**Subdivision Name 3:** [Kingdom of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-portugal) United [Kingdom of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-portugal), Brazil and the Algarves [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) \n**Established Title:** Settled \n**Established Date:** 1555 \n**Established Title 1:** Founded \n**Established Date 1:** March 1, 1565 \n**Government Type:** [Mayor-council](https://bliptext.com/articles/mayor-council-government) \n**Governing Body:** [Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/municipal-chamber-of-rio-de-janeiro) \n**Leader Title:** [Mayor](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-mayors-of-rio-de-janeiro) \n**Leader Name:** [Eduardo Paes](https://bliptext.com/articles/eduardo-paes) \n**Leader Party:** [PSD](https://bliptext.com/articles/social-democratic-party-brazil-2011) \n**Leader Title 1:** Vice Mayor \n**Leader Name 1:** Nilton Caldeira ([PL](https://bliptext.com/articles/liberal-party-brazil-2006)) \n**Area Total Km 2:** 1221 \n**Area Total Sq Mi:** 486.5 \n**Area Metro Sq Mi:** 1759.6 \n**Population As Of:** 2022 \n**Population Metro:** 12,280,702 (2nd) \n**Area Metro Km 2:** 4539.8 \n**Population Total:** 6,211,223 \n**Population Rank:** [4th](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-south-america) in South America · [2nd](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-brazil) in Brazil \n**Population Urban:** 11,616,000 \n**Population Density Km 2:** 5174.6 \n**Population Density Metro Km 2:** 2705.1 \n**Population Demonym:** [Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca) \n**Demographics Type 1:** [GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)](https://bliptext.com/articles/gdp) \n**Demographics 1 Title 1:** Year \n**Demographics 1 Info 1:** 2023 \n**Demographics 1 Title 2:** Total (Metro) \n**Demographics 1 Info 2:** $285.9 billion \n**Demographics 1 Title 3:** Per capita \n**Demographics 1 Info 3:** $23,700 \n**Timezone:** [BRT](https://bliptext.com/articles/time-in-brazil) \n**Utc Offset:** −3 \n**Elevation M:** 2 \n**Elevation Min M:** 0 \n**Elevation Max M:** 1020 \n**Elevation Ft:** 7 \n**Elevation Min Ft:** 0 \n**Elevation Max Ft:** 3349 \n**Area Code:** 21 \n**Postal Code Type:** Postal Code \n**Postal Code:** 20000-001 to 23799-999 \n**Blank Name:** [**HDI**](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-development-index) (2010) \n**Blank Info:** 0.799 – high \n**Blank 1 Name Sec 1:** [Nominal 2018 GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) (City) \n**Blank 1 Info Sec 1:** US$ 93.9 billion (2nd) \n**Blank 2 Name Sec 1:** Per capita \n**Blank 2 Info Sec 1:** US$14,046 (2nd) \n**Website:** https://en.prefeitura.rio \n:::\n\n# \n****Rio** de Janeiro**, or simply **Rio**, is the capital of the state of ****Rio** de Janeiro**.\nIt is the [second-most-populous city](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-brazil-by-population) in [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil) (after [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo)) and the [sixth-most-populous city](https://bliptext.com/articles/largest-cities-in-the-americas) in the Americas.\nFounded in 1565 by the [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people), the city was initially the seat of the [Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/captaincy-of-rio-de-janeiro), a domain of the [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people) Empire.\nIn 1763, it became the capital of the [State of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-of-brazil), a [state of the Portuguese Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-states-of-the-portuguese-empire).\nIn 1808, when the [Portuguese Royal Court moved to Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/transfer-of-the-portuguese-court-to-brazil), Rio-Dih-Janeiro de Janeiro became the seat of the court of Queen [Maria I of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/maria-i-of-portugal).\nShe subsequently, under the leadership of her son the [prince regent](https://bliptext.com/articles/prince-regent) [John VI of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-vi-of-portugal), raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom, within the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves).\nRio remained as the capital of the [pluricontinental](https://bliptext.com/articles/pluricontinentalism) monarchy until 1822, when the [Brazilian War of Independence](https://bliptext.com/articles/war-of-independence-of-brazil) began.\nThis is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonizing country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies.\nRio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the independent monarchy, the [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil), until 1889, and then the capital of a republican Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia).\nRio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal [GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) in the country, and 30th-largest in the world in 2008.\nThis is estimated at [R$](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-real)343 billion.\nIn the city are the headquarters of Brazilian oil, mining, and telecommunications companies, including two of the country's major corporations, [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras) and [Vale](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-s-a), and Latin America's largest telemedia conglomerate, [Grupo Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/grupo-globo).\nThe home of many universities and institutes, it is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil, accounting for 17 percent of national scientific output according to 2005 data.\nDespite the high perception of crime, the city actually has a lower [incidence of crime](https://bliptext.com/articles/crime-in-brazil) than most state capitals in Brazil.\nRio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the [Southern Hemisphere](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-hemisphere) and is known for its natural settings, [carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival), [samba](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba), [bossa nova](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossa-nova), and [balneario](https://bliptext.com/articles/balneario) beaches such as [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca-rio-de-janeiro), [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro), [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema-rio-de-janeiro), and [Leblon](https://bliptext.com/articles/leblon-rio-de-janeiro).\nIn addition to the beaches, landmarks include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop [Corcovado](https://bliptext.com/articles/corcovado) mountain, named one of the [New Seven Wonders of the World](https://bliptext.com/articles/new7wonders-of-the-world); [Sugarloaf Mountain](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) with its [cable car](https://bliptext.com/articles/aerial-lift); the [Sambódromo](https://bliptext.com/articles/sambadrome-marqu-s-de-sapuca) (Sambadrome), a permanent grandstand-lined parade avenue which is used during Carnival; and [Maracanã Stadium](https://bliptext.com/articles/maracan-stadium), one of the [world's largest football stadiums](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-association-football-stadiums-by-capacity).\nRio de Janeiro was the host of the [2016 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics) and the [2016 Summer Paralympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-paralympics), making the city the first South American and [Portuguese-speaking city](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-countries-where-portuguese-is-an-official-language) to ever host the events, and the third time the Olympics were held in a Southern Hemisphere city.\nThe Maracanã Stadium held the finals of the [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup) and [2014](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup) FIFA World Cups, the [2013 FIFA Confederations Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/2013-fifa-confederations-cup), and the [XV Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games).\nThe city will host the [G20 summit in 2024](https://bliptext.com/articles/2024-g20-rio-de-janeiro-summit), and the [FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027](https://bliptext.com/articles/2027-fifa-women-s-world-cup).\n\n# History\n\n## Pre-Cabraline period\nThe region of Rio was inhabited by the [Tupi](https://bliptext.com/articles/tupi-people), [Puri](https://bliptext.com/articles/pur-people), [Botocudo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botocudo-people) and [Maxakalí](https://bliptext.com/articles/maxakal-language) peoples.\n\n## Colonial period\nEuropeans first encountered [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) on 1 January 1502 (hence Rio de Janeiro, \"January River\"), during a [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people) expedition under explorer [Gaspar de Lemos](https://bliptext.com/articles/gaspar-de-lemos), captain of a ship in [Pedro Álvares Cabral](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-lvares-cabral)'s fleet, or under [Gonçalo Coelho](https://bliptext.com/articles/gon-alo-coelho).\nAllegedly the Florentine explorer [Amerigo Vespucci](https://bliptext.com/articles/amerigo-vespucci) participated as an observer at the invitation of [King Manuel I](https://bliptext.com/articles/manuel-i-of-portugal) in the same expedition.\nIn 1555, one of the islands of Guanabara Bay, now called [Villegagnon Island](https://bliptext.com/articles/villegagnon-island), was occupied by 500 French colonists under the French [admiral](https://bliptext.com/articles/admiral) [Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon](https://bliptext.com/articles/nicolas-durand-de-villegaignon).\nConsequently, Villegagnon built [Fort Coligny](https://bliptext.com/articles/fort-coligny) on the island when attempting to establish the [France Antarctique](https://bliptext.com/articles/france-antarctique) colony.\nEventually this French settlement became too much of a threat to the established Portuguese colony and in 1560 the order was made to get rid of them.\nA years-long military aggression was then initiated by the new Governor General of Brazil Mem De Sa, and later continued by his nephew Estacio De Sa.\nOn 20 January 1567, a final defeat was imposed on the French forces and they were decisively expelled from Brazil for good.\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro proper was founded on 1 March 1565 by the Portuguese, led by [Estácio de Sá](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-cio-de-s), including Antônio de Mariz.\nIt was named São [Sebastião](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-portugal) do Rio de Janeiro, in honor of St. Sebastian, the [saint who was the namesake and patron](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-s-name) of the Portuguese then-monarch [Sebastião](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-portugal).\nRio de Janeiro was the name of Guanabara Bay.\nUntil early in the 18th century, the city was threatened or invaded by several mostly French pirates and buccaneers, such as [Jean-François Duclerc](https://bliptext.com/articles/jean-fran-ois-duclerc) and [René Duguay-Trouin](https://bliptext.com/articles/ren-duguay-trouin).\nIn the late 17th century, still during the Sugar Era, the [Bandeirantes](https://bliptext.com/articles/bandeirantes) discovered gold and diamonds in the neighboring [captaincy](https://bliptext.com/articles/captaincy) of [Minas Gerais](https://bliptext.com/articles/minas-gerais), thus Rio de Janeiro became a much more practical port for exporting wealth (gold, precious stones, besides the sugar) than [Salvador, Bahia](https://bliptext.com/articles/salvador-bahia), much farther northeast.\nOn 27 January 1763, the colonial administration in Portuguese America was moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro.\nThe city remained primarily a colonial capital until 1808, when the Portuguese royal family and most of the associated [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) nobles, fleeing from [Napoleon](https://bliptext.com/articles/napoleon-i)'s invasion of Portugal, [moved](https://bliptext.com/articles/transfer-of-the-portuguese-court-to-brazil) to Rio de Janeiro.\n# [Founding of Rio de Janeiro on 1 March 1565 | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Pal%C3%A1cio///Pedro///Ernesto///-///Funda%C3%A7%C3%A3o///da///Cidade.jpg]\n# [Between 500 thousand and one million slaves landed at Valongo Wharf through the Atlantic slave trade | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Cais///do///Valongo///e///da///Imperatriz.jpg]\n\n## Portuguese royal period\nThe kingdom's capital was transferred to the city, which, thus, became the only [Europe](https://bliptext.com/articles/europe)an capital outside of [Europe](https://bliptext.com/articles/europe).\nAs there was no physical space or urban structure to accommodate hundreds of noblemen who arrived suddenly, many inhabitants were simply evicted from their homes.\nIn the first decade, several educational establishments were created, such as the Military Academy, the Royal School of Sciences, Arts and Crafts and the [Imperial Academy of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-imperial-de-belas-artes), as well as the [National Library of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil) – with the largest collection in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america) – and The [Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-botanical-garden).\nThe first printed newspaper in Brazil, the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro, came into circulation during this period.\nWhen Brazil was elevated to Kingdom in 1815, it became the capital of the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves) until the return of the [Portuguese Royal Family](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-royal-family) to [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) in 1821, but remained as capital of the [Kingdom of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-brazil).\nFrom the colonial period until the first independent era, Rio de Janeiro was a city of slaves.\nThere was a large influx of [African slaves](https://bliptext.com/articles/slavery-in-brazil) to Rio de Janeiro: in 1819, there were 145,000 slaves in the captaincy.\nIn 1840, the number of slaves reached 220,000 people.\nBetween 1811 and 1831, 500,000 to a million slaves arrived in Rio de Janeiro through [Valongo Wharf](https://bliptext.com/articles/valongo-wharf), which is now a [World Heritage Site](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-heritage-site).\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro was the largest port of slaves in America.\n# [The Portuguese Royal Family escaped the Napoleonic Wars ravaging Europe when Queen Maria I of Portugal and Prince Regent John transferred the Portuguese royal court to Brazil, in 1807. It remained in Rio until its return to Portugal in 1821. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Departure///of///H.R.H.///the///Prince///Regent///of///Portugal///for///the///Brazils///%28Campaigns///of///the///British///Army///in///Portugal%2C///London%2C///1812%29///-///Henry///L%27Ev%C3%AAque%2C///F.///Bartollozzi.png]\n\n## Imperial period\nWhen [Prince Pedro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-i-of-brazil) proclaimed the [independence of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-declaration-of-independence) in 1822, he decided to keep Rio de Janeiro as the capital of his [new empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) while the place was enriched with sugar cane agriculture in the Campos region and, especially, with the new coffee cultivation in the [Paraíba Valley](https://bliptext.com/articles/para-ba-valley).\nIn order to separate the province from the capital of the Empire, the city was converted in Neutral Municipality in 1834, passing the [province of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) to have [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i) as capital.\nAs a political center of the country, Rio concentrated the political-partisan life of the Empire.\nIt was the main stage of the abolitionist and republican movements in the last half of the 19th century.\nAt that time the number of slaves was drastically reduced and the city was developed, with modern drains, animal trams, train stations crossing the city, gas and electric lighting, telephone and telegraph wiring, water and river plumbing.\nRio continued as the capital of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy was [replaced](https://bliptext.com/articles/proclamation-of-the-republic-brazil) by a republic.\nOn 6 February 1889 the Bangu Textile Factory was founded, with the name of Industrial Progress Company of Brazil (Companhia Progresso Industrial do Brasil).\nThe factory was officially opened on 8 March 1893, in a complex with varying architectural styles like [Italianate](https://bliptext.com/articles/italianate-architecture), [Neo-Gothic](https://bliptext.com/articles/gothic-revival-architecture) and a tower in [Mansard Roof](https://bliptext.com/articles/mansard-roof) style.\nAfter the opening in 1893, workers from [Great Britain](https://bliptext.com/articles/great-britain) arrived in Bangu to work in the textile factory.\nThe old farms became worker villages with red-bricks houses, and a neo-gothic church was created, which still exists as the Saint Sebastian and Saint Cecilia Parish Church.\nStreet cinemas and cultural buildings also appeared.\nIn May 1894, [Thomas Donohoe](https://bliptext.com/articles/thomas-donohoe), a British worker from [Busby](https://bliptext.com/articles/busby-east-renfrewshire), Scotland, arrived in Bangu.\nDonohoe was amazed to discover that there was absolutely no knowledge of football among Brazilians.\nSo he wrote to his wife, Elizabeth, asking her to bring a football when she joined him.\nAnd shortly after her arrival, in September 1894, the first football match in Brazil took place in the field beside the textile factory.\nIt was a five-a-side match between British workers, and took place six months before the first game organized by [Charles Miller](https://bliptext.com/articles/charles-william-miller) in São Paulo.\nHowever, the Bangu Football Club was not formally created until 1904.\n\n## Republican period\nAt the time Brazil's [Old Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/first-brazilian-republic) was established, the city lacked [urban planning](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-planning) and [sanitation](https://bliptext.com/articles/sanitation), which helped spread several diseases, such as [yellow fever](https://bliptext.com/articles/yellow-fever), [dysentery](https://bliptext.com/articles/dysentery), [variola](https://bliptext.com/articles/variola), [tuberculosis](https://bliptext.com/articles/tuberculosis) and even [black death](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-death).\n[Pereira Passos](https://bliptext.com/articles/francisco-pereira-passos), who was named mayor in 1902, imposed reforms to modernize the city, demolishing the [cortiços](https://bliptext.com/articles/corti-o) where most of the poor population lived.\nThese people then moved to live in the city's hills, creating the first [favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favelas).\nInspired by the city of [Paris](https://bliptext.com/articles/paris), Passos built the [Municipal Theatre](https://bliptext.com/articles/theatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro), the [National Museum of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes) and the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil) in the city's center; brought [electric power](https://bliptext.com/articles/electric-power) to Rio and created larger avenues to adapt the city to [automobiles](https://bliptext.com/articles/automobiles).\nPassos also named [Oswaldo Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/oswaldo-cruz) as Director General of Public Health.\nCruz's plans to clean the city of diseases included compulsory vaccination of the entire population and forced entry into houses to kill mosquitoes and rats.\nThe people of the city rebelled against Cruz's policy, in what would be known as the [Vaccine Revolt](https://bliptext.com/articles/vaccine-revolt).\nIn 1910, Rio saw the [Revolt of the Lash](https://bliptext.com/articles/revolt-of-the-lash), where [Afro-Brazilian](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) crew members in the [Brazilian Navy](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-navy) mutinied against the heavy use of [corporal punishment](https://bliptext.com/articles/corporal-punishment), which was similar to the punishment slaves received.\nThe mutineers took control of the battleship Minas Geraes and threatened to fire on the city.\nAnother military revolt occurred in 1922, the [Copacabana Fort revolt](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-fort-revolt), a march against the Old Republic's [coronelism](https://bliptext.com/articles/coronelism) and [café com leite politics](https://bliptext.com/articles/caf-com-leite-politics).\nThis revolt marked the beginning of [Tenentism](https://bliptext.com/articles/tenentism), a movement that resulted in the [Brazilian Revolution of 1930](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-revolution-of-1930) that started the [Vargas Era](https://bliptext.com/articles/vargas-era).\nUntil the early years of the 20th century, the city was largely limited to the neighborhood now known as the historic city center (see below), on the mouth of Guanabara Bay.\nThe city's center of gravity began to shift south and west to the so-called [Zona Sul](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-zone-rio-de-janeiro) (South Zone) in the early part of the 20th century, when the first tunnel was built under the mountains between [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo) and the neighborhood that is now known as [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro).\nExpansion of the city to the north and south was facilitated by the consolidation and electrification of Rio's streetcar transit system after 1905.\nBotafogos natural environment, combined with the fame of the [Copacabana Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/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.\nThis reputation has been somewhat tarnished in recent years by favela violence resulting from the narcotics trade and [militias](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-police-militias).\nPlans for moving the nation's capital city from Rio de Janeiro to the center of Brazil had been occasionally discussed, and when [Juscelino Kubitschek](https://bliptext.com/articles/juscelino-kubitschek) was elected president in 1955, it was partially on the strength of promises to build a new capital.\nThough many thought that it was just [campaign](https://bliptext.com/articles/political-campaign) rhetoric, Kubitschek managed to have Brasília and a new [Federal District](https://bliptext.com/articles/distrito-federal-brazil) built, at great cost, by 1960.\nOn 21 April of that year, the capital of Brazil was officially moved to Brasília.\nThe territory of the former Federal District became its own state, Guanabara, after the bay that borders it to the east, encompassing just the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nAfter the [1964 coup d'état](https://bliptext.com/articles/1964-brazilian-coup-d-tat) that installed a [military dictatorship](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-military-government), the [city-state](https://bliptext.com/articles/city-state) was the only state left in Brazil to oppose the military.\nThen, in 1975, a presidential decree known as \"The Fusion\" removed the city's federative status and merged it with the [State of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state), with the city of Rio de Janeiro replacing [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i) as the state's capital, and establishing the [Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro).\nIn 1992, Rio hosted the [Earth Summit](https://bliptext.com/articles/earth-summit), a [United Nations](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-nations) conference to fight [environmental degradation](https://bliptext.com/articles/environmental-degradation).\nTwenty years later, in 2012, the city hosted another conference on [sustainable development](https://bliptext.com/articles/sustainable-development), named [United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-nations-conference-on-sustainable-development).\nThe city hosted the [World Youth Day in 2013](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-youth-day-2013), the second [World Youth Day](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-youth-day) in [South America](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-america) and first in Brazil.\nIn the sports field, Rio de Janeiro was the host of the [2007 Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games) and the [2014 FIFA World Cup Final](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup-final).\nOn 2 October 2009, the [International Olympic Committee](https://bliptext.com/articles/international-olympic-committee) [announced](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2016-summer-olympics) that Rio de Janeiro would host the [2016 Olympic Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics) and the [2016 Paralympic Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-paralympics), beating competitors [Chicago](https://bliptext.com/articles/chicago), [Tokyo](https://bliptext.com/articles/tokyo), and [Madrid](https://bliptext.com/articles/madrid).\nThe city became the first South American city to host the event and the second Latin American city (after [Mexico City](https://bliptext.com/articles/mexico-city) in [1968](https://bliptext.com/articles/1968-summer-olympics)) to host the Games.\nSince the early 2010s, Rio de Janeiro has been inscribed as a [UNESCO World Heritage Site](https://bliptext.com/articles/unesco-world-heritage-site) for its arts, urban culture and [designed landscapes](https://bliptext.com/articles/designed-landscape) set around a natural environment.\n# [Rio de Janeiro, c. 1910s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Rio///de///Janeiro///ca1910s///photo///from///USA///Library///of///Congress///19301u.jpg]\n# [Carioca Aqueduct in the 1920s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Aqueduto///da///Carioca%2C///Santa///Teresa///e///Gl%C3%B3ria///%28007A5P3F13-029%29.jpg]\n# [The Sugarloaf Cable Car in the 1940s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Bondinho///Rio///1940.jpg]\n# [A convoy of M41 Walker Bulldog tanks along the streets of the city in 1968 during the military rule. At the time, Rio de Janeiro was a city-state, capital of Guanabara. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Tanques///ocupam///a///Avenida///Presidente///Vargas%2C///1968-04-04.jpg]\n\n# Geography\nRio de Janeiro is near the west end of a strip (from [Cabo Frio](https://bliptext.com/articles/cabo-frio) to just east of [Ilha Grande](https://bliptext.com/articles/ilha-grande)) of Brazil's Atlantic coast close to the [Tropic of Capricorn](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropic-of-capricorn) where the shoreline is oriented east and west; the city thus faces largely south.\nIt was founded at the entrance to an inlet, [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) (Baía de Guanabara), which is marked by a point of land called Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) – a \"calling card\" of the city.\nThe population of the city of Rio de Janeiro, occupying an area of 1182.3 km2, is about 6,000,000.\nThe population of the greater metropolitan area is estimated at 11–13.5 million.\nResidents of the city are known as [cariocas](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca).\nThe official song of Rio is \"[Cidade Maravilhosa](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-maravilhosa)\", by composer [André Filho](https://bliptext.com/articles/andr-filho).\n# [Satellite view of Greater Rio de Janeiro at night seen from ISS | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/ISS-67///City///lights///of///Rio///De///Janeiro%2C///Brazil.jpg]\n\n## Parks\nThe city has parks and ecological reserves such as the Tijuca National Park, the world's first urban forest and [UNESCO](https://bliptext.com/articles/unesco) Environmental Heritage and Biosphere Reserve; [Pedra Branca State Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedra-branca-state-park), which houses the highest point of Rio de Janeiro, the peak of Pedra Branca; the [Quinta da Boa Vista](https://bliptext.com/articles/quinta-da-boa-vista) complex; the [Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/botanical-garden-of-rio-de-janeiro); Rio's Zoo; [Parque Lage](https://bliptext.com/articles/parque-lage); and the [Passeio Público](https://bliptext.com/articles/passeio-p-blico-rio-de-janeiro), the first public park in the [Americas](https://bliptext.com/articles/americas).\nIn addition the [Flamengo Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/flamengo-park) is the largest landfill in the city, extending from the center to the south zone, and containing museums and monuments, in addition to much vegetation.\nSince 1961, the [Tijuca National Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest) (Parque Nacional da Tijuca), the largest city-surrounded [urban forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-forest) and the second largest [urban forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-forest) in the world, has been a National Park.\nThe largest urban forest in the world is the Floresta da Pedra Branca (White Rock Forest), which is located in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro.\n\n## Environment\nDue to the high concentration of industries in the metropolitan region, the city has faced serious problems of environmental pollution.\nThe [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) has lost mangrove areas and suffers from residues from domestic and industrial sewage, oils and heavy metals.\nAlthough its waters renew when they reach the sea, the bay is the final receiver of all the tributaries generated along its banks and in the basins of the many rivers and streams that flow into it.\nThe levels of particulate matter in the air are twice as high as that recommended by the [World Health Organization](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-health-organization), in part because of the large numbers of vehicles in circulation.\nThe waters of Sepetiba Bay are slowly following the path traced by Guanabara Bay, with sewage generated by a population of the order of 1.29 million inhabitants being released without treatment in streams or rivers.\nWith regard to industrial pollution, highly toxic wastes, with high concentrations of heavy metals – mainly [zinc](https://bliptext.com/articles/zinc) and [cadmium](https://bliptext.com/articles/cadmium) – have been dumped over the years by factories in the industrial districts of [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), [Itaguaí](https://bliptext.com/articles/itagua) and [Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u), constructed under the supervision of State policies.\nThe Marapendi lagoon and the [Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodrigo-de-freitas-lagoon) have suffered with the leniency of the authorities and the growth in the number of apartment buildings close by.\nThe illegal discharge of sewage and the consequent deaths of algae diminished the oxygenation of the waters, causing fish mortality.\nThere are, on the other hand, signs of decontamination in the lagoon made through a [public-private partnership](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-private-partnership) established in 2008 to ensure that the lagoon waters will eventually be suitable for bathing.\nThe decontamination actions involve the transfer of sludge to large craters present in the lagoon itself, and the creation of a new direct and underground connection with the sea, which will contribute to increase the daily water exchange between the two environments.\nHowever, during the Olympics the lagoon hosted the rowing competitions and there were numerous concerns about potential infection resulting from human sewage.\n\n## Climate\nRio has a [tropical savanna climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropical-savanna-climate) (Aw) that closely borders a [tropical monsoon climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropical-monsoon-climate) (Am) according to the [Köppen climate classification](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-ppen-climate-classification), and is often characterized by long periods of heavy rain between December and March.\nThe city experiences hot, humid summers, and warm, sunny winters.\nIn inland areas of the city, temperatures above 40 °C are common during the summer, though rarely for long periods, while maximum temperatures above 27 °C can occur on a monthly basis.\nAlong the coast, the breeze, blowing onshore and offshore, moderates the temperature.\nBecause of its geographic situation, the city is often reached by cold fronts advancing from [Antarctica](https://bliptext.com/articles/antarctica), especially during autumn and winter, causing frequent weather changes.\nIn summer there can be strong rains, which have, on some occasions, provoked catastrophic floods and landslides.\nThe mountainous areas register greater rainfall since they constitute a barrier to the humid wind that comes from the Atlantic.\nThe city has had rare [frosts](https://bliptext.com/articles/frost) in the past.\nSome areas within [Rio de Janeiro state](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) occasionally have falls of [snow grains](https://bliptext.com/articles/snow-grains) and [ice pellets](https://bliptext.com/articles/ice-pellets) (popularly called granizo) and [hail](https://bliptext.com/articles/hail).\nDrought is very rare, albeit bound to happen occasionally given the city's strongly seasonal tropical climate.\nThe Brazilian drought of 2014–2015, most severe in the [Southeast Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/southeast-region-brazil) and the worst in decades, affected the entire metropolitan region's water supply (a diversion from the [Paraíba do Sul](https://bliptext.com/articles/para-ba-do-sul) River to the [Guandu](https://bliptext.com/articles/guandu-river-rio-de-janeiro) River is a major source for the state's most populous mesoregion).\nThere were plans to divert the Paraíba do Sul to the [Sistema Cantareira](https://bliptext.com/articles/sistema-cantareira) (Cantareira system) during the water crisis of 2014 in order to help the critically drought-stricken [Greater São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-s-o-paulo) area.\nHowever, availability of sufficient rainfall to supply tap water to both metropolitan areas in the future is merely speculative.\nRoughly in the same suburbs ([Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u) and surrounding areas, including parts of Campo Grande and Bangu) that correspond to the location of the March 2012, February–March 2013 and January 2015 pseudo-hail (granizo) falls, there was a [tornado](https://bliptext.com/articles/tornado)-like phenomenon in January 2011, for the first time in the region's recorded history, causing structural damage and long-lasting [blackouts](https://bliptext.com/articles/power-outage), but no fatalities.\nThe [World Meteorological Organization](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-meteorological-organization) has advised that Brazil, especially its southeastern region, must be prepared for increasingly [severe weather](https://bliptext.com/articles/severe-weather) occurrences in the near future, since events such as the catastrophic [January 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides](https://bliptext.com/articles/january-2011-rio-de-janeiro-floods-and-mudslides) are not an isolated phenomenon.\nIn early May 2013, winds registering above 90 km/h caused blackouts in 15 neighborhoods of the city and three surrounding municipalities, and killed one person.\nRio saw similarly high winds (about 100 km/h) in January 2015.\nTemperature also varies according to elevation, distance from the coast, and type of vegetation or land use.\nDuring the winter, cold fronts and dawn/morning sea breezes bring mild temperatures; cold fronts, the [Intertropical Convergence Zone](https://bliptext.com/articles/intertropical-convergence-zone) (in the form of winds from the [Amazon Forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/amazon-forest)), the strongest sea-borne winds (often from an [extratropical cyclone](https://bliptext.com/articles/extratropical-cyclone)) and summer [evapotranspiration](https://bliptext.com/articles/evapotranspiration) bring showers or storms.\nThus the monsoon-like climate has dry and mild winters and springs, and very wet and warm summers and autumns.\nAs a result, temperatures over 40 °C, that may happen about year-round but are much more common during the summer, often mean the actual \"feels-like\" temperature is over 50 °C, when there is little wind and the [relative humidity](https://bliptext.com/articles/relative-humidity) percentage is high.\nAccording to data from the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), since 1931, the absolute minimum temperature recorded in Rio de Janeiro was 6.4 °C on August 18, 1933, at the meteorological station in the [Bangu](https://bliptext.com/articles/bangu-rio-de-janeiro) neighborhood (deactivated in March 2004).\nThis same station, located in the city's hottest neighborhood, recorded a maximum temperature of 43.1 °C on January 14, 1984, which held the record for the highest temperature in the city until December 26, 2012, when 43.2 °C was recorded at the [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro) station.\nThe record for rainfall within 24 hours is 349.4 mm, recorded on February 26, 1971, at the former station in the [Engenho de Dentro](https://bliptext.com/articles/engenho-de-dentro) neighborhood.\n# [Night storm with lightning in Rio de Janeiro, view from Sugarloaf Mountain | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Tempestade///no///Rio///de///Janeiro///visto///do///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar.jpg]\n# [Copacabana Beach on a sunny day | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Praia///de///Copacabana///-///Rio///de///Janeiro%2C///Brasil.jpg]\n# [Sugarloaf Cable Car approaching the summit | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Bondinho///do///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar///by///Diego///Baravelli.jpg]\n\n# Demographics\nAccording to the [2010 IBGE Census](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics), there were 5,940,224 people residing in the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nSince 1960, when it was surpassed by [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), the city of Rio de Janeiro has been the second-most populous city in Brazil.\n\n## Ethnic groups\nThe [2022 census](https://bliptext.com/articles/2022-brazilian-census) revealed the following numbers: [White Brazilian](https://bliptext.com/articles/white-brazilian) (45.4% or 2,821,619); [Mixed](https://bliptext.com/articles/pardo-brazilian) (38.7% or 2,403,895); [Black](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) (15.6% or 968,428); [Asian](https://bliptext.com/articles/asian-brazilian) (10,514 or 0.2%); [Indigenous](https://bliptext.com/articles/native-brazilian) (6,531 or 0.1%).\nThe population of Rio de Janeiro was 53.2% [female](https://bliptext.com/articles/fe[male](https://bliptext.com/articles/male)) and 46.8% [male](https://bliptext.com/articles/male).\nThe [black community](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) was formed by residents whose ancestors had been brought as slaves, mostly from [Angola](https://bliptext.com/articles/angola) and [Mozambique](https://bliptext.com/articles/mozambique), as well by people of [Angola](https://bliptext.com/articles/angola)n, Mozambican and [West African](https://bliptext.com/articles/west-african) descent who moved to Rio from other parts of Brazil.\nNearly half of the city's population is by phenotype mixed or black.\n[White](https://bliptext.com/articles/white-brazilian) in Brazil is defined more by having a European-looking [phenotype](https://bliptext.com/articles/phenotype) rather than ancestry, and two full [siblings](https://bliptext.com/articles/sibling) can be of different \"racial\" categories in a [skin color](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-skin-color) and [phenotype](https://bliptext.com/articles/phenotype) continuum from pálido (branco) or fair-skinned, through branco [moreno](https://bliptext.com/articles/moreno) or swarthy Caucasian, mestiço claro or lighter skinned multiracial, pardo (mixed race) to negro or [black](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-people).\n[Pardo](https://bliptext.com/articles/pardo), for example, in popular usage includes those who are [caboclos](https://bliptext.com/articles/caboclo) ([mestizos](https://bliptext.com/articles/mestizo)), mulatos ([mulattoes](https://bliptext.com/articles/mulattoes)), [cafuzos](https://bliptext.com/articles/cafuzo) ([zambos](https://bliptext.com/articles/zambo)), juçaras (archaic term for [tri-racials](https://bliptext.com/articles/multiracial)) and westernized [Amerindians](https://bliptext.com/articles/indigenous-peoples-of-brazil) (which are called [caboclos](https://bliptext.com/articles/caboclo) as well), being more of a skin color rather than a racial group in particular.\n\n## Immigration and migration\nDifferent ethnic groups contributed to the formation of the population of Rio de Janeiro.\nBefore European colonization, there were at least seven different [indigenous peoples](https://bliptext.com/articles/indigenous-peoples-in-brazil) speaking 20 languages in the region.\nA part of them joined the Portuguese and the other the French.\nThose who joined the [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-brazilian) were then exterminated by the Portuguese, while the other part was assimilated.\nRio de Janeiro is home to the largest [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-brazilian) population outside of [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) in Portugal.\nAfter independence from Portugal, Rio de Janeiro became a destination for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Portugal, mainly in the early 20th century.\nThe immigrants were mostly poor peasants who subsequently found prosperity in Rio as city workers and small traders.\nThe Portuguese cultural influence is still seen in many parts of the city (and many other parts of the state of Rio de Janeiro), including architecture and [language](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-language).\nMost Brazilians with some cultural contact with Rio know how to easily differentiate between the local dialect, fluminense, and other Brazilian dialects.\nPeople of [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-brazilian) ancestry predominate in most of the state.\nThe Brazilian census of 1920 showed that 39.7% of the Portuguese who lived in Brazil lived in Rio de Janeiro.\nIncluding all of the Rio de Janeiro, the proportion raised to 46.3% of the Portuguese who lived in Brazil.\nThe numerical presence of the Portuguese was extremely high, accounting for 72% of the foreigners who lived in the capital.\nPortuguese born people accounted for 20.4% of the population of Rio, and those with a Portuguese father or a Portuguese mother accounted for 30.8%.\nIn other words, native born Portuguese and their children accounted for 51.2% of the inhabitants of Rio, or a total of 267,664 people in 1890.\nAs a result of the influx of immigrants to Brazil from the late 19th to the early 20th century, also found in Rio de Janeiro and [its metropolitan area](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro) are communities of [Levantine Arabs](https://bliptext.com/articles/arab-brazilian) who are mostly [Christian](https://bliptext.com/articles/arab-christians) or [Irreligious](https://bliptext.com/articles/irreligion-in-brazil), [Spaniards](https://bliptext.com/articles/spanish-immigration-to-brazil), [Italians](https://bliptext.com/articles/italian-brazilian), [Germans](https://bliptext.com/articles/german-brazilian), [Japanese](https://bliptext.com/articles/japanese-brazilians),\nAccording to an autosomal DNA study from 2009, conducted on a school in the poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro, the \"pardos\" there were found to be on average about 80% European, and the \"whites\" (who thought of themselves as \"very mixed\") were found to carry very little Amerindian and/or African admixtures.\nThe results of the tests of genomic ancestry are quite different from the self made estimates of European ancestry.\nIn general, the test results showed that European ancestry is far more important than the students thought it would be.\nThe \"pardos\" for example thought of themselves as 1/3 European, 1/3 African and 1/3 Amerindian before the tests, and yet their ancestry on average reached 80% European.\nOther studies showed similar results\n# [Portuguese immigrant in Rio de Janeiro, considered the largest \"Portuguese city\" outside Portugal | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Afot3602.jpg]\n\n## Religion\nReligion in Rio de Janeiro is diverse, with [Catholic Christianity](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-christianity) being the majority religion.\nAccording to data from the [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics) (IBGE), in 2010 the population of Rio de Janeiro had 3,229,192 [Roman Catholics](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-church-in-brazil) (51.1%), 1,477,021 [Protestants](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestantism-in-brazil) (23.4%), 372.851 [Spiritists](https://bliptext.com/articles/kardecist-spiritism) (5.9%), 37,974 [Jehovah's Witnesses](https://bliptext.com/articles/jehovah-s-witnesses) (0.6%), 75,075 [Buddhists](https://bliptext.com/articles/buddhism-in-brazil) (0.2%), 52,213 [Umbanda](https://bliptext.com/articles/umbanda) (0.8%), 21,800 [Jews](https://bliptext.com/articles/judaism) (0.3%), 25,743 [Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-catholic-apostolic-church) (0.4%), 16,776 new eastern religious (0.2%), 28,843 [Candomblé](https://bliptext.com/articles/candombl) (0.4%), 3,853 [Mormons](https://bliptext.com/articles/mormon) (<0.1%), 5,751 [Eastern Orthodox](https://bliptext.com/articles/eastern-orthodox) Christians (<0.1%), 7,394 spiritualists (0.1%), 964 [Muslims](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam-in-brazil) (<0.1%), 5,662 esoteric (<0.1%) and 802 [Hindus](https://bliptext.com/articles/hindu) (<0.1%).\n858,704 had no religion (13.5%), and 113,530 followed other forms of Christianity (1.8%).\nRio de Janeiro has had a rich and influential Catholic tradition.\nThe [Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-sebasti-o-do-rio-de-janeiro) is the second largest archdiocese in Brazil after [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-paulo).\nThe [Rio de Janeiro Cathedral](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-cathedral) was inaugurated in 1979, in the central region of the city.\nIts installations have a collection of great historical and religious value: the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art and the Archdiocesan Archive.\nIn a [Contemporary architecture](https://bliptext.com/articles/contemporary-architecture), it has a conical shape, with 96 meters of internal diameter and capacity to receive up to 20 thousand faithful.\nThe splendor of the building, with straight and sober lines, is due to the changing stained glass windows carved on the walls up to the dome.\nIts design and execution was coordinated by [Monsignor](https://bliptext.com/articles/monsignor) Ivo Antônio Calliari (1918–2005).\n[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) is recognized as the city's [patron saint](https://bliptext.com/articles/patron-saint), which is why it received the canonical name of \"[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) of Rio de Janeiro.\"\nMany [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant) creeds coexist in the city, [Presbyterian](https://bliptext.com/articles/presbyterian), [Congregational](https://bliptext.com/articles/congregational-churches), [Lutheran](https://bliptext.com/articles/lutheran) and [Anglican](https://bliptext.com/articles/anglican) Churches.\nIn addition to evangelical churches such as the [Baptist](https://bliptext.com/articles/baptist), [Methodist](https://bliptext.com/articles/methodist), [Seventh-day Adventist](https://bliptext.com/articles/seventh-day-adventist) and [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostal) churches, such as the [Universal Church of the Kingdom of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-church-of-the-kingdom-of-god), [Assembly of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/assembly-of-god), [Christian Congregation in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-congregation-in-brazil) and [The Foursquare Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-foursquare-church).\nAfro-Brazilian religions such as [Umbanda](https://bliptext.com/articles/umbanda) and [Candomblé](https://bliptext.com/articles/candombl) find support in various social segments, although professed by less than 2% of the population, many Cariocas simultaneously observe those practices with Roman Catholicism.\n# [Christ the Redeemer | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Aerial///view///of///the///Statue///of///Christ///the///Redeemer.jpg]\n\n### Christianity\nThe [Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-sebasti-o-do-rio-de-janeiro), the Metropolitan See of its respective [Ecclesiastical Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/ecclesiastical-province), belongs to the Regional Episcopal Council Leste I of the [National Conference of Bishops of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-conference-of-bishops-of-brazil) (CNBB) (headquartered in Rio until 1977).\nFounded in 1676, it covers a territory of 1,721 km2.\nThe [Cathedral of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/cathedral-of-st-sebastian-of-rio-de-janeiro), or Metropolitan Cathedral, was inaugurated in 1979 in the [central region](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-region-rio-de-janeiro) of the city.\nIts facilities house a collection of great historical and religious value: the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art and the Archdiocesan Archive.\nThe Banco da Providência and the Archdiocesan Caritas are also based there.\nIn a contemporary architectural style, it has a conical shape, with an internal diameter of 96 meters and a capacity to hold up to 20,000 worshippers.\nThe splendor of the building, with its straight and sober lines, is due to the changing [stained glass windows](https://bliptext.com/articles/stained-glass-windows) carved into the walls up to the [dome](https://bliptext.com/articles/dome).\nIts design and execution were coordinated by [Monsignor](https://bliptext.com/articles/monsignor) [Ivo Antônio Calliari](https://bliptext.com/articles/ivo-ant-nio-calliari) (1918–2005).\n[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-narbonne) is recognized as the [patron saint](https://bliptext.com/articles/patron-saint) of the city, which is why it received the canonical name \"São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro\".\nThe city is home to various [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestantism) or reformed denominations, exemplified by the [Presbyterian](https://bliptext.com/articles/presbyterian-church-of-brazil), [Congregational](https://bliptext.com/articles/congregational-church), [Lutheran](https://bliptext.com/articles/lutheran) and [Anglican](https://bliptext.com/articles/anglican) churches.\nThere are also evangelical churches such as the [Baptist](https://bliptext.com/articles/baptist), [Methodist](https://bliptext.com/articles/methodist), [Seventh-day Adventist](https://bliptext.com/articles/seventh-day-adventist) churches, and those of [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostalism) origin: [Universal Church of the Kingdom of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-church-of-the-kingdom-of-god), [Assembly of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/assemblies-of-god), [Christian Congregation in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-congregation-in-brazil), [Foursquare Gospel](https://bliptext.com/articles/foursquare-church), [House of Blessing](https://bliptext.com/articles/tabernacle-evangelical-church-of-jesus), God is Love [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostalism) Church, [Christian Maranatha](https://bliptext.com/articles/maranatha-christian-church), and New Life.\n# [Igreja Presbiteriana do Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Catedral///Presbiteriana%2C///Rio///de///Janeiro.jpg]\n\n## Education\nThe [Portuguese language](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-language) is the official and [national language](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-language), and thus the primary language taught in schools.\n[English](https://bliptext.com/articles/english-language) and [Spanish](https://bliptext.com/articles/spanish-language) are also part of the official curriculum.\nThere are also international schools, such as the [American School of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/american-school-of-rio-de-janeiro), Our Lady of Mercy School, SIS Swiss International School, the Corcovado German School, the Lycée Français and the British School of Rio de Janeiro.\nThe city has several universities and research institutes.\nThe [Ministry of Education](https://bliptext.com/articles/ministry-of-education-brazil) has certified approximately 99 upper-learning institutions in Rio.\nThe most prestigious university is the [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro).\nIt is the fifth-best in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america); the second-best in Brazil, second only to the [University of São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-s-o-paulo); and the best in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america), according to the [QS World University Rankings](https://bliptext.com/articles/qs-world-university-rankings).\nSome notable higher education institutions are [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (UFRJ); [Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/universidade-federal-do-estado-do-rio-de-janeiro) (UNIRIO); [Rio de Janeiro State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state-university) (UERJ); [Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/universidade-federal-rural-do-rio-de-janeiro) (UFRRJ, often nicknamed Rural); [Fluminense Federal University](https://bliptext.com/articles/fluminense-federal-university) (UFF); [Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pontifical-catholic-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (PUC-Rio); [Getúlio Vargas Foundation](https://bliptext.com/articles/funda-o-get-lio-vargas) (FGV); [Military Institute of Engineering](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-militar-de-engenharia) (IME); [Superior Institute of Technology in Computer Science of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-superior-de-tecnologia-em-ci-ncias-da-computa-o-do-rio-de-janeiro) (IST-Rio); College of Publicity and Marketing (ESPM); [The Brazilian Center for Research in Physics](https://bliptext.com/articles/centro-brasileiro-de-pesquisas-f-sicas) (CBPF); [National Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-de-matem-tica-pura-e-aplicada) (IMPA); Superior institute of Education of Rio de Janeiro (ISERJ) and [Federal Center of Technological Education Celso Suckow da Fonseca](https://bliptext.com/articles/centro-federal-de-educa-o-tecnol-gica-celso-suckow-da-fonseca) (CEFET/RJ).\nThere are more than 137 upper-learning institutions in whole Rio de Janeiro state.\nThe [Rio de Janeiro State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state-university) (public), [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (public), Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets (private) and [Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pontifical-catholic-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (private) are among the country's top institutions of higher education.\nOther institutes of higher learning include the Colégio Regina Coeli in Usina, notable for having its own [narrow gauge](https://bliptext.com/articles/narrow-gauge-railway) [funicular](https://bliptext.com/articles/funicular) railway on its grounds.\nPrimary schools are largely under municipal administration, while the state plays a more significant role in the extensive network of secondary schools.\nThere are also a small number of schools under federal administration, as is the case of Pedro II School, Colégio de Aplicação da UFRJ and the Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica of Rio de Janeiro (CEFET-RJ).\nIn addition, Rio has an ample offering of private schools that provide education at all levels.\nRio is home to many colleges and universities.\nThe literacy rate for [cariocas](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca) aged 10 and older is nearly 95 percent, well above the national average.\nIn Rio, there were 1,033 primary schools with 25,594 teachers and 667,788 students in 1995.\nThere are 370 secondary schools with 9,699 teachers and 227,892 students.\nThere are 53 University-preparatory schools with 14,864 teachers and 154,447 students.\nThe city has six major universities and 47 private schools of higher learning.\n# [Center for Human Science of the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Centro///ci%C3%AAncias///humanas.JPG]\n# [Superior institute of Education of Rio de Janeiro (ISERJ) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Patioiserj.jpg]\n\n## Social issues\nThere are significant disparities between the rich and the poor in Rio de Janeiro, and different socioeconomic groups are largely segregated into different neighborhoods.\nAlthough the city clearly ranks among the world's major metropolises, large numbers live in slums known as [favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favela), where 95% of the population are poor, compared to 40% in the general population.\nThere have been a number of government initiatives to counter this problem, from the removal of the population from favelas to [housing projects](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-housing) such as [Cidade de Deus](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-de-deus-rio-de-janeiro) to the more recent approach of improving conditions in the favelas and bringing them up to par with the rest of the city, as was the focus of the \"Favela Bairro\" program and deployment of [Pacifying Police Units](https://bliptext.com/articles/pacifying-police-unit).\nRio has more people living in slums than any other city in Brazil, according to the 2010 Census.\nMore than 1,500,000 people live in its 763 favelas, 22% of Rio's total population.\n[São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), the largest city in Brazil, has more favelas (1,020), but proportionally has fewer people living in favelas than Rio.\nRio also has a large proportion of state-sanctioned violence, with about 20% of all killings committed by state security.\nIn 2019, police killed an average of five people each day in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with a total of 1,810 killed in the year.\nThis was more police killings than any year since official records started in 1998.\n# [Rocinha, the largest slum (favela) in Brazil | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/1///rocinha///aerial///pano///2014.jpg]\n\n# Politics\n\n## Municipal government\nIn Rio de Janeiro, the executive power is represented by the mayor and the cabinet of secretaries, in accordance with the model proposed by the Federal Constitution.\nThe Organic Law of the Municipality and the current Master Plan, however, stipulate that the public administration must provide the population with effective tools for the exercise of participatory democracy.\nIn this way, the city is divided into subprefectures, each of which is headed by a sub-mandatory appointed directly by the mayor.\nLegislative power is constituted by the municipal council, composed of 51 councilors elected for four-year terms (in compliance with the provisions of article 29 of the Constitution, which disciplines a minimum number of 42 and a maximum of 55 for municipalities with more than five million inhabitants).\nIt is up to the House to prepare and vote on fundamental laws for the administration and the Executive, especially the participatory budget (Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias).\nAlthough the veto power is granted to the mayor, the process of voting on the laws that oppose him usually generates conflicts between the Executive and the Legislative.\nThere are also municipal councils, which complement the legislative process and the work engendered in the secretariats.\nCompulsorily formed by representatives of various sectors of organized civil society, they are on different fronts — although their effective representation is sometimes questioned.\nThe following are currently in operation: Municipal Council for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (CMPC), Defense of the Environment (CONDEMAM), Health (CMS), the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CMDCA), Education (CME), Social Assistance (CMAS) and Anti-Drugs.\n\n## State government\nAs the capital of the homonymous state, the city is the seat of the state government.\nThe [Guanabara Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-palace) (formerly known as Paço Isabel) is located in the Laranjeiras neighborhood, in the south zone, and is the official seat of the Rio de Janeiro executive power.\nNot to be confused with Palácio Laranjeiras, situated in the same neighborhood, which is the official residence of the governor of Rio de Janeiro.\nThe [Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/legislative-assembly-of-rio-de-janeiro) (ALERJ) is the state legislative body and is headquartered at [Tiradentes Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/tiradentes-palace), where the [Chamber of Deputies of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/chamber-of-deputies-of-brazil) previously functioned.\nThe Court of Justice of the State of Rio de Janeiro (TJRJ) is the highest body of the judiciary in the state.\nIts central court is located in downtown Rio de Janeiro, but, from 2013 to July 2018, some of the courts of this court were moved to Cidade Nova.\n\n## Federal government\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro was successively the capital of the Portuguese colony of the [State of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-of-brazil) (1621–1815), after the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves) (1815–1822), the [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) (1822–1889) and from the Republic of the United States of Brazil (1889–1968) until 1960, when the seat of government was definitively transferred to the then newly built [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia).\nDespite the change in the federal capital, 59% of civil servants in the Executive Branch of federal agencies and public companies remained in the city.\nRio de Janeiro is also the only Brazilian state where the number of federal employees exceeds the number of state employees.\nAbout a third of all federal public bodies and companies remain in the former capital, with 50 public offices, including agencies, autarchies, foundations and public companies, such as the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil), the [National Nuclear Energy Commission](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-nuclear-energy-commission), [Fiocruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/fiocruz), [BNDES](https://bliptext.com/articles/bndes), [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [IBGE](https://bliptext.com/articles/ibge), [Casa da Moeda](https://bliptext.com/articles/casa-da-moeda-do-brasil), the [National Archives](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-national-archives), among others.\n\n## Subdivisions\nZoneamento da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg, [Campo Grande](https://bliptext.com/articles/campo-grande-rio-de-janeiro) and the wealthy newer [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca) district. Rio de Janeiro is administratively divided into 33 distritos (districts) named Regiões Administrativas (\"Administrative Regions\") and 165 bairros (neighborhoods).\nSubprefectures are officially grouped into four regions (or \"zones\"), taking into account geographic position and occupation history; however these do not have any administrative or political power over the municipality.\nThe official political division of the municipality takes into account historical-cultural characteristics to divide the neighborhoods.\nMost of its population is concentrated in the neighborhoods of Campo Grande, Santa Cruz, Bangu, Tijuca, Realengo, Jacarepaguá, Copacabana, Barra da Tijuca, Maré, Guaratiba and Taquara together, these eleven neighborhoods concentrate a population of 1.5 million inhabitants, according to the 2010 census.\nCentro or Downtown is the historic core of the city, as well as its [financial center](https://bliptext.com/articles/financial-center).\nSites of interest include the [Paço Imperial](https://bliptext.com/articles/pa-o-imperial), built during colonial times to serve as a residence for the Portuguese governors of Brazil; many historic churches, such as the [Candelária Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/candel-ria-church) (the former cathedral), São Jose, Santa Lucia, Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Santa Rita, São Francisco de Paula, and the monasteries of Santo Antônio and São Bento.\nThe Centro also houses the modern concrete [Rio de Janeiro Cathedral](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-cathedral).\nAround the [Cinelândia](https://bliptext.com/articles/cinel-ndia) square, there are several landmarks of the [Belle Époque](https://bliptext.com/articles/belle-poque) of Rio, such as the [Municipal Theatre](https://bliptext.com/articles/teatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro) and the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library) building.\nAmong its several museums, the [Museu Nacional de Belas Artes](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes) (National Museum of Fine Arts) and the [Museu Histórico Nacional](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-historical-museum-brazil) (National Historical Museum) are the most important.\nThe [South Zone](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-zone-rio-de-janeiro) (Zona Sul) is composed of several districts, among which are [São Conrado](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-conrado), [Leblon](https://bliptext.com/articles/leblon), [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema), [Arpoador](https://bliptext.com/articles/arpoador), [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro), and [Leme](https://bliptext.com/articles/leme-rio-de-janeiro), which compose Rio's Atlantic beach coastline.\nThe neighborhood 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](https://bliptext.com/articles/fireworks).\nFrom 2001, the fireworks have been launched from boats, to improve the safety of the event.\nThe North Zone (Zona Norte) begins at Grande [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca) (the middle class residential and commercial bairro of [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca)), just west of the city center, and sprawls for miles inland until [Baixada Fluminense](https://bliptext.com/articles/baixada-fluminense) and the city's Northwest.\nThis region is home to the Maracanã (located in Grande Tijuca), once the world's highest capacity [football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) venue, able to hold nearly 199,854 people, as it did for the [World Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/fifa-world-cup) [final](https://bliptext.com/articles/uruguay-v-brazil-[1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup)-fifa-world-cup) of [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup).\nThis region is also home to most of the [samba schools](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba-school) of Rio de Janeiro such as Mangueira, Salgueiro, Império Serrano, Unidos da Tijuca, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, among others.\nSome of the main neighborhoods of Rio's North Zone are Alto da Boa Vista which shares the [Tijuca Rainforest](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest) with the South and Southwest Zones; Tijuca, Vila Isabel, Méier, [São Cristovão](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-crist-v-o-rio-de-janeiro-neighborhood), Madureira, Penha, Manguinhos, Fundão, Olaria among others.\nMany of Rio de Janeiro's [slums](https://bliptext.com/articles/slums) ([favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favelas)), are located in the North Zone.\nWest Zone (Zona Oeste) of Rio de Janeiro is a vaguely defined area that covers some 50% of the city's entire area, including Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhoods.\nThe West Side of Rio has many historic sites because of the old \"Royal Road of Santa Cruz\" that crossed the territory in the regions of Realengo, Bangu, and Campo Grande, finishing at the Royal Palace of Santa Cruz in the Santa Cruz region.\nThe highest peak of the city of Rio de Janeiro is the Pedra Branca Peak (Pico da Pedra Branca) inside the [Pedra Branca State Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedra-branca-state-park).\nIt has an altitude of 1024m.\nThe Pedra Branca State Park (Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca) is the biggest urban state park in the world comprising 17 neighborhoods in the west side, being a \"giant lung\" in the city with trails, waterfalls and historic constructions like an old aqueduct in the Colônia Juliano Moreira in the neighborhood of [Taquara](https://bliptext.com/articles/taquara-rio-de-janeiro) and a dam in [Camorim](https://bliptext.com/articles/camorim).\nSanta Cruz and Campo Grande Region have exhibited economic growth, mainly in the [Campo Grande neighborhood](https://bliptext.com/articles/campo-grande-rio-de-janeiro).\nIndustrial enterprises are being built in lower and lower middle class residential [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), one of the largest and most populous of Rio de Janeiro's neighborhoods, most notably [Ternium Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ternium), a new steel mill with its own private docks on Sepetiba Bay, which is planned to be South America's largest steel works.\nA tunnel called Túnel da Grota Funda, opened in 2012, creating a [public transit](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-transit) facility between Barra da Tijuca and Santa Cruz, lessening travel time to the region from other areas of Rio de Janeiro.\n# [Aerial view of Fort Copacabana, with Copacabana (right) and Ipanema (left, background) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Forte///de///Copacabana///panorama.jpg]\n# [Barra da Tijuca with Pedra da Gávea in background | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Praia///da///Barra///e///Montanhas///do///Parque///Nacional///da///Tijuca.jpg]\n\n# International relations\n\n## Twin towns – sister cities\nRio de Janeiro is [twinned](https://bliptext.com/articles/twin-towns-and-sister-cities) with:\n\n## Partner cities\nRio de Janeiro has the following partner/friendship cities:\n\n## Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities\nRio de Janeiro is a part of the [Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities](https://bliptext.com/articles/union-of-ibero-american-capital-cities).\n\n# Economy\nRio de Janeiro has the second-largest [GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) of any city in Brazil, surpassed only by [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo).\nAccording to the [IBGE](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics), it was approximately US$201 billion in 2008, equivalent to 5.1% of the national total.\nTaking into consideration the network of influence exerted by the urban [metropolis](https://bliptext.com/articles/metropolis) (which covers 11.3% of the population), this share in GDP rises to 14.4%, according to a study released in October 2008 by the IBGE.\nGreater Rio de Janeiro, as perceived by the IBGE, has a GDP of US$187 billion, constituting the second largest hub of national wealth.\nPer capita GDP is US$11,786.\nIt concentrates 68% of the state's economic strength and 7.9% of all goods and services produced in the country.\nThe services sector comprises the largest portion of GDP (65.5%), followed by commerce (23.4%), industrial activities (11.1%) and agriculture (0.1%).\nBenefiting from the federal capital position it had for a long period (1763–1960), the city became a dynamic administrative, financial, commercial and cultural center.\nRio 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.\nThe city was chosen as headquarters for [state-owned](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-property) companies such as [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [Caixa Econômica Federal](https://bliptext.com/articles/caixa-econ-mica-federal), [National Economic and Social Development Bank](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-development-bank) and [Vale](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-mining-company) (which was privatized in the 1990s).\nThe [Rio de Janeiro Stock Exchange](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-stock-exchange) (BVRJ), which currently trades only government securities, was the first stock exchange founded in Brazil in 1845.\nThe off-shore oil exploration in the [Campos Basin](https://bliptext.com/articles/campos-basin) began in 1968 and became the main site for oil production of Brazil.\nThis caused many oil and gas companies to be based in Rio de Janeiro, such as the Brazilian branches of [Shell](https://bliptext.com/articles/royal-dutch-shell), [EBX](https://bliptext.com/articles/ebx-group) and [Esso](https://bliptext.com/articles/esso).\nFor many years Rio was the second largest industrial hub of Brazil, with [oil refineries](https://bliptext.com/articles/oil-refineries), shipbuilding industries, steel, [metallurgy](https://bliptext.com/articles/metallurgy), petrochemicals, cement, [pharmaceutical](https://bliptext.com/articles/pharmaceutic), textile, processed foods and furniture industries.\nMajor international pharmaceutical companies have their Brazilian headquarters in Rio such as: [Merck](https://bliptext.com/articles/merck-kgaa), [Roche](https://bliptext.com/articles/roche-applied-science), Arrow, Darrow, [Baxter](https://bliptext.com/articles/baxter-international), Mayne, and Mappel.\nRecent decades have seen a sharp transformation in its economic profile, which is becoming more and more one of a major national hub of services and businesses.\nThe city is the headquarters of large telecom companies, such as [Intelig](https://bliptext.com/articles/intelig-telecom), [Oi](https://bliptext.com/articles/oi-telecommunications) and [Embratel](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel).\nMajor Brazilian entertainment and media organizations are based in Rio de Janeiro like [Organizações Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/organiza-es-globo) and also some of Brazil's major newspapers: [Jornal do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/jornal-do-brasil), [O Dia](https://bliptext.com/articles/o-dia), and Business Rio.\nTourism and entertainment are other key aspects of the city's economic life.\nThe city is the nation's top tourist attraction for both Brazilians and foreigners.\nIn Greater Rio, which has one of the highest per capita incomes in Brazil, retail trade is substantial.\nMany of the most important retail stores are located in the center, but others are scattered throughout the commercial areas of the other districts, where shopping centers, supermarkets, and other retail businesses handle a large volume of consumer trade.\nRio de Janeiro is the second largest exporting municipality in Brazil.\nAnnually, Rio exported a total of $7.49B (USD) worth of goods.\nThe top three goods exported by the municipality were [crude petroleum](https://bliptext.com/articles/petroleum) (40%), [semi finished iron product](https://bliptext.com/articles/semi-finished-casting-products) (16%), and semi finished steel products (11%).\nMaterial categories of mineral products (42%) and metals (29%) make up 71% of all exports from Rio.\nCompared to other cities, Rio de Janeiro's economy is the second-largest in Brazil, behind [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), and the [30th largest in the world](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-by-gdp) with a GDP of [R$](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-real) 201,9 billion in 2010.\nThe per capita income for the city was R$22,903 in 2007 (around US$14,630).\nLargely because of the strength of Brazil's currency at the time, [Mercer](https://bliptext.com/articles/mercer-consulting-firm)'s [city rankings of cost of living for expatriate employees](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-most-expensive-cities-for-expatriate-employees), reported that Rio de Janeiro ranked 12th among the most expensive cities in the world in 2011, up from the 29th position in 2010, just behind São Paulo (ranked 10th), and ahead of London, Paris, [Milan](https://bliptext.com/articles/milan), and New York.\nRio also had the most expensive hotel rates in Brazil, and the daily rate of its [five star hotels](https://bliptext.com/articles/five-star-hotel) were the second most expensive in the world after only New York.\n# [Downtown Rio, in the financial district of the city | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Urca%2C///Rio///de///Janeiro///-///State///of///Rio///de///Janeiro%2C///Brazil///-///panoramio///%2814%29.jpg]\n# [Botafogo with the Sugarloaf Mountain | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7ucar///-///Sugarloaf///Mountain///-///Zuckerhut///-///Botafago.jpg]\n# [Largo da Carioca, in Downtown Rio | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Convento///de///Santo///Ant%C3%B4nio///do///Largo///da///Carioca///19.jpg]\n# [Barra da Tijuca | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Barra///da///Tijuca///-///panoramio.jpg]\n\n## Highlighted Sectors\nRio de Janeiro is home to many of Brazil's largest business conglomerates.\nAmong them are the three largest multinationals in the energy and mining sectors: [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Vale S.A.](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-s-a), and the [EBX Group](https://bliptext.com/articles/ebx-group); the largest media and communications group in Latin America, [Grupo Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/grupo-globo); and major telecommunications companies like [CorpCo](https://bliptext.com/articles/corpco) (owner of [Oi](https://bliptext.com/articles/oi-company) and [Portugal Telecom](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal-telecom)), [TIM](https://bliptext.com/articles/tim-brasil), [Embratel](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel), [Intelig](https://bliptext.com/articles/intelig), and [Star One](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel-star-one) (the largest satellite management company in Latin America).\nIn the petrochemical sector, there are more than 700 companies, including Brazil's largest ([Shell](https://bliptext.com/articles/shell-plc), [Esso](https://bliptext.com/articles/esso), [Ipiranga](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipiranga-company), [Chevron](https://bliptext.com/articles/chevron-corporation), [PRIO](https://bliptext.com/articles/prio), [Repsol](https://bliptext.com/articles/repsol)).\nMost maintain research centers throughout the state and together produce over four-fifths of the petroleum and fuels distributed at service stations nationwide.\nThe [Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional](https://bliptext.com/articles/companhia-sider-rgica-nacional) (CSN), [Ternium Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ternium-brasil) (the largest steel mill in Latin America ) and the Brazilian branch of [BHP Billiton](https://bliptext.com/articles/bhp) play significant roles in the mining sector.\nThe city also hosts the main national and international groups of the [shipbuilding industry](https://bliptext.com/articles/shipbuilding-industry) and the largest shipyards in the state and throughout Brazil, which produce about 90% of the ships and [offshore](https://bliptext.com/articles/offshore-construction) equipment in Brazil.\n[Americanas](https://bliptext.com/articles/americanas), [Coca-Cola Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/coca-cola-brasil), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [Michelin](https://bliptext.com/articles/michelin), [Neoenergia](https://bliptext.com/articles/neoenergia), [Xerox do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/xerox), GE Oil & Gas, [Light](https://bliptext.com/articles/light-s-a), [Chemtech](https://bliptext.com/articles/chemtech), [Transpetro](https://bliptext.com/articles/transpetro), [BAT Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/bat-brasil), [Grupo SulAmérica](https://bliptext.com/articles/sulam-rica-seguros) and [Vibra Energia](https://bliptext.com/articles/vibra-energia) are among the major companies headquartered in the city.\nThe city has a significant number of pharmaceutical industries, including [Schering-Plough](https://bliptext.com/articles/schering-plough), [GlaxoSmithKline](https://bliptext.com/articles/glaxosmithkline), [Roche](https://bliptext.com/articles/hoffmann-la-roche), and [Merck](https://bliptext.com/articles/merck-kgaa).\nRio de Janeiro has inherited a strong cultural vocation from its past.\nIt currently hosts the main production centers of Brazilian television: the [Estúdios Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-dios-globo) of [TV Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/tv-globo), the [Casablanca Estúdios](https://bliptext.com/articles/casablanca-est-dios) of [Record](https://bliptext.com/articles/record-tv-network), and the Polo de Cinema de Jacarepaguá — responsible for creating about 10,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs.\nIn 2006, 65% of Brazilian cinema production was done exclusively by studios in Rio, generating 91 million reais in federal funds through [tax incentive laws](https://bliptext.com/articles/rouanet-law).\nA significant part of the Brazilian editorial graphic industry is also present.\nIn the phonographic industry, companies such as [EMI](https://bliptext.com/articles/emi), [Universal Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-music-group), [Sony Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/sony-music), [Warner Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/warner-music-brasil) and [Som Livre](https://bliptext.com/articles/som-livre) are present.\nMany state-owned companies, public foundations, and federal autarchies have their headquarters in the city, including the [National Bank for Economic and Social Development](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-bank-for-economic-and-social-development) (BNDES), the [Casa da Moeda do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/casa-da-moeda-do-brasil), the [Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ind-strias-nucleares-do-brasil) (INB), the [Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos](https://bliptext.com/articles/financiadora-de-estudos-e-projetos) (FINEP), the [Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-brasileiro-de-geografia-e-estat-stica) (IBGE), the [Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-de-metrologia-qualidade-e-tecnologia) (Inmetro), the [Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-da-propriedade-industrial-brasil) (INPI), the [Comissão de Valores Mobiliários](https://bliptext.com/articles/comiss-o-de-valores-mobili-rios) (CVM), and the [Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear](https://bliptext.com/articles/comiss-o-nacional-de-energia-nuclear) (CNEN).\n# [Headquarters building of Petrobras | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Edise.jpg]\n# [Replica of the Ganges River at the scenic city of Projac, the second-largest television complex in Latin America | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Projac%2C///Globo.jpg]\n\n## Tourism\nRio de Janeiro is Brazil's primary tourist attraction and resort.\nIt receives the most visitors per year of any city in South America with 2.82 million international tourists a year.\nAttractions in the city include approximately 80 kilometers of beaches, [Corcovado](https://bliptext.com/articles/corcovado) and [Sugarloaf](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) mountains, and the [Maracanã Stadium](https://bliptext.com/articles/maracan-stadium).\nWhile the city had in past had a thriving tourism sector, the industry entered a decline in the last quarter of the 20th century.\nAnnual international airport arrivals dropped from 621,000 to 378,000 and average hotel occupancy dropped to 50% between 1985 and 1993.\nThe fact that [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia) replaced Rio de Janeiro as the Brazilian capital in 1960 and that [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo) replaced Rio as the country's commercial, financial and main cultural center during the mid-20th century, has also been cited as a leading cause of the decline.\nRio de Janeiro's government has since undertaken to modernize the city's economy, reduce its chronic social inequalities, and improve its commercial standing as part of an initiative for the regeneration of the tourism industry.\nRio de Janeiro is an international hub of highly active and diverse [nightlife](https://bliptext.com/articles/nightlife) with [bars](https://bliptext.com/articles/bar-establishment), dance [bars](https://bliptext.com/articles/bar-establishment) and [nightclubs](https://bliptext.com/articles/nightclub) staying open well past midnight.\nThe city is an important global [LGBT destination](https://bliptext.com/articles/lgbt-tourism), with 1 million LGBT tourists visiting each year.\nThe Farme de Amoedo Street \"Rua Farme de Amoedo\" is located in Ipanema, a neighborhood in the South Zone of the city.\nThe street and the nearby beach are popular in the LGBT community.\n# [Ipanema beach | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Ipanema///Paradise.jpg]\n# [Museum of Tomorrow | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Museu///do///Amanh%C3%A3///-///entrada///%2828044443423%29.jpg]\n\n# Infrastructure\n\n## Transportation\n\n### Airports\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro is served by the following airports for use:\nMilitary airports include:\n# [Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Aeroporto///galeao///rj///ME.jpg]\n# [Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont National Airport | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Aeroporto///do///Rio///de///Janeiro///RJ///Santos///Dumont///2.jpg]\n\n### Ports\nThe [Port of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/port-of-rio-de-janeiro) is Brazil's third busiest port in terms of cargo volume, and it is the center for cruise vessels.\nLocated on the west coast of the [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay), it serves the States of Rio de Janeiro, [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo-state), Minas Gerais, and [Espírito Santo](https://bliptext.com/articles/esp-rito-santo).\nThe port is managed by Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro.\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro covers territory from the Mauá Pier in the east to the Wharf of the Cashew in the north.\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro contains almost 7 e3m of continuous wharf and an 883 m pier.\nThe Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro administers directly the Wharf of the Gamboa general [cargo terminal](https://bliptext.com/articles/container-terminal); the wheat terminal with two warehouses capable of moving 300 tons of grains; General Load Terminal 2 with warehouses covering over 20 e3m2; and the Wharves of Are Cristovao with terminals for wheat and liquid bulk.\nAt the Wharf of Gamboa, leaseholders operate terminals for sugar, paper, iron and steel products.\nLeaseholders at the Wharf of the Cashew operate terminals for [roll-on/roll-off](https://bliptext.com/articles/roll-on-roll-off) cargoes, containers, and liquid bulk.\nIn 2004, the Port of Rio de Janeiro handled over seven million tons of cargo on almost 1700 vessels.\nIn 2004, the Port of Rio de Janeiro handled over two million tons of containerized cargo in almost 171 thousand TEUs.\nThe port handled 852 thousand tons of wheat, more than 1.8 million tons of iron and steel, over a million tons of liquid bulk cargo, almost 830 thousand tons of dry bulk, over five thousand tons of paper goods, and over 78 thousand vehicles.\nIn 2003, over 91 thousand passengers moved through the Port of Rio Janeiro on 83 cruise vessels.\n# [Port of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Cruise///Ship///Costa///Serena///docked///in///Rio///de///Janeiro///%28city%29///-///Feb.///2011.jpg]\n\n### Public transportation\nIn Rio de Janeiro, buses are the main form of [public transportation](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-transportation).\nThere are nearly 440 municipal bus lines serving over four million passengers every day, in addition to intercity lines.\nAlthough cheap and frequent, Rio's transportation policy has been moving towards trains and subway in order to reduce surface congestion and increase carrier capacity.\nRio's public transportation service has been a target of many critics and the motive of the [2013 protests and manifestations](https://bliptext.com/articles/2013-protests-in-brazil) that started in São Paulo and spread through the entire country.\nAccording to the people, the raise in the bus and subway fares are invalid, seeing that the amount charged is too high for the low quality of the services.\nThe average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Rio de Janeiro, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 95 min. 32% of public transit riders, ride for more than two hours every day.\nThe average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 19 min, while 35% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day.\nThe average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 12.3 km, while 37% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.\n# [Public transport map of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Public///transport///map///of///Rio///de///Janeiro.png]\n\n#### Urban rail\nThe Rio de Janeiro Metro has three [subway](https://bliptext.com/articles/rapid-transit) lines with 58 km and 41 stations plus several [commuter rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/commuter-rail) lines.\nThe [Metro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rapid-transit) is Rio's safest and cleanest form of public transport in the city.\nThe first line runs from [General Osório](https://bliptext.com/articles/tom-jobim-station) in [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema) to Uruguai Station in [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca); the second runs from [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo) terminating at Pavuna in northern Rio; and the third line [General Osório](https://bliptext.com/articles/tom-jobim-station) to [Jardim Oceânico Station](https://bliptext.com/articles/jardim-oce-nico-station), in Barra da [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca) neighborhood.\nIntegration with buses are possible in several forms.\nThe city also has a [commuter rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/commuter-rail) system operated by SuperVia that connects the city of Rio with other locations in [Greater Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro) with surface trains.\nIt has 8 lines and 270 km, with 102 stations.\nIt carries around 750,000 [passengers](https://bliptext.com/articles/passenger) a day on a railroad network comprising 104 stations in 12 cities: Rio de Janeiro, [Duque de Caxias](https://bliptext.com/articles/duque-de-caxias-rio-de-janeiro), [Guapimirim](https://bliptext.com/articles/guapimirim), [Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u), [Nilópolis](https://bliptext.com/articles/nil-polis), [Mesquita](https://bliptext.com/articles/mesquita-rio-de-janeiro), [Queimados](https://bliptext.com/articles/queimados), [São João de Meriti](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-jo-o-de-meriti), [Belford Roxo](https://bliptext.com/articles/belford-roxo), [Japeri](https://bliptext.com/articles/japeri), [Paracambi](https://bliptext.com/articles/paracambi) and [Magé](https://bliptext.com/articles/mag).\nThe Rio de Janeiro Light Rail is a modern [light rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/light-rail) system serving with 28 km, 42 stations, distributed in 3 lines.\nThe trams are the first in the world to use a combination of ground-level power supply (APS) and on-board supercapacitor energy storage (SRS), in order to eliminate overhead lines along the entire route.\nThe network uses 32 [Alstom Citadis](https://bliptext.com/articles/alstom-citadis) 402 [low-floor trams](https://bliptext.com/articles/low-floor-tram) carrying 420 passengers each.\nThey are [bi-directional](https://bliptext.com/articles/bi-directional-vehicle), [air-conditioned](https://bliptext.com/articles/air-conditioning), have seven sections, and eight doors per side.\nThe Santa Teresa Tram is the oldest operating electric [tramway](https://bliptext.com/articles/tram) in Latin America, commenced electric operation in 1896, replacing [horse-drawn trams](https://bliptext.com/articles/horsecar) and extending the route.\nAt this time the gauge was altered to, which remains the case today.\nIt was designated a national historic monument in 1985.\nAfter a [derailment](https://bliptext.com/articles/derailment) occurred on 27 August 2011, which left six dead, tram service was suspended to improve the system.\nThe elderly tramcars, which dated from the 1950s, were retired and replaced with newly built replicas that have the appearance of the old fleet but with new mechanical equipment and additional safety features; delivery began in 2014.\nThe line's track was also rebuilt, and after some delays, about one-third of the line reopened in July 2015.\nMore sections reopened later in stages, following repair of additional sections of track.\nThe line was restored to its full pre-2011 length of 6 km in January 2019.\n\n#### Ferry\nThe most geographically close sister city to Rio that is on the other side of [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) is [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i).\nMany people who live in Niterói, as well its neighboring municipalities [São Gonçalo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-gon-alo-rio-de-janeiro) and [Maricá](https://bliptext.com/articles/maric), commute to Rio de Janeiro to study and work.\nThere are several ferry services that operate between the Rio Centro ([Praça XV](https://bliptext.com/articles/pra-a-xv-station)) and Niterói (Centro and Charitas).\nThere is a traditional boat as well as several \"fast cat\" [hydrofoil](https://bliptext.com/articles/hydrofoil) boats.\nOne of the city neighborhoods is [Paquetá Island](https://bliptext.com/articles/paquet-island), which can only be accessed by ferryboats or hydrofoil boats.\nThe ferryboat to Paquetá leaves every hour, from early in the morning until around midnight.\nThere is also a ferry to [Cocotá](https://bliptext.com/articles/cocot).\n# [Rio de Janeiro ferry | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Barca///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar///%282%29.jpg]\n\n#### Buses\nCity buses, which come in both non-air conditioned and air conditioned versions, cost about R$4,30 to ride.\nThe system may be relatively safe by day but less so at night.\nIntegration of bus lines has been recently implemented, allowing users to take two non-air conditioned bus rides in two hours paying just one ticket.\nIt is necessary to have a registered electronic card (the \"Bilhete Único Carioca (BUC)\") in order to benefit of this system.\nAnother type of local bus is called the \"Frescão\" (air-conditioned).\nThese buses run several routes, the main being from Centro through Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema to Leblon (and vice versa), and from the International Airport to Barra, through the beach road.\nThey are air conditioned – about 22 °C – more upscale/comfortable and cost between R$13.35–R$19.95.\nHowever, it is only available during weekdays.\nThe buses also run more frequently during the rush hours in the morning and evening.\nGoing in the direction of Centro (city center), the bus can be flagged down on the beach road (buses with plaques showing \"Castelo\").\n# [TransOeste Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Rio///01///2013///TransOeste///5811.JPG]\n\n### Road transport\nDriving in Rio de Janeiro, as in most large cities of Brazil, might not be the best choice because of the large car numbers.\nThe city is served by a number of expressways, like Linha Vermelha, Linha Amarela, [Avenida Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/avenida-brasil-rio-de-janeiro), Avenida das Américas and Avenida Infante Dom Henrique ([Aterro do Flamengo](https://bliptext.com/articles/aterro-do-flamengo)); in spite of this, traffic jams are very common.\nBecause of the organization of the [2016 Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-olympics) the city is installing four [BRT](https://bliptext.com/articles/bus-rapid-transit) systems to link [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca) with other major neighborhoods: [TransOlimpica](https://bliptext.com/articles/transolimpica) (between Barra and [Deodoro](https://bliptext.com/articles/deodoro-rio-de-janeiro)); TransBrasil (over the [Avenida Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/avenida-brasil-rio-de-janeiro) expressway); [TransCarioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/transcarioca) (between Barra and the Galeão International Airport); and [TransOeste](https://bliptext.com/articles/transoeste) (between Barra and [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), over Avenida das Américas).\nIn Brazil, most interstate transportation is done by road.\nA large terminal for long-distance buses is in the Santo Cristo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.\nThere are also two port facilities for cargo and passenger ships (Rio de Janeiro and [Sepetiba](https://bliptext.com/articles/sepetiba) port).\nRio has roads to all neighbor [States](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-brazil).\nSome roads (like [Via Dutra](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodovia-presidente-dutra), to São Paulo, and a stretch of the BR-101 which covers the Rio-Niterói bridge) were chartered to private enterprises.\nThe quality of the highways improved much, but was accompanied by a significant increase of the toll fees.\nFrom [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo): take the BR-116 (Presidente Dutra Federal Highway) or the [BR-101](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-highway-system) (Rio-Santos Federal Highway).\nFrom [Belo Horizonte](https://bliptext.com/articles/belo-horizonte): BR-040.\nFrom [Salvador](https://bliptext.com/articles/salvador-bahia): BR-101 or [BR-324](https://bliptext.com/articles/br-324)/BR-116/BR-393/BR-040.\n# [Rio-Niterói Bridge | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Bridge///to///Niteroi.jpg]\n\n### Bicycles\nThe city has 160 km of cycle paths that, wherever they exist, are very much preferable to riding in the city's traffic.\nMost paths run alongside beaches and extend intermittently from the [Marina da Glória](https://bliptext.com/articles/marina-da-gl-ria), Centro, through Flamengo, Copacabana and Ipanema, to Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes.\n6 km of cycle paths traverse the [Tijuca National Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest).\nThe [Bike Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/bike-rio) began operations in October 2011.\nThis [bicycle sharing system](https://bliptext.com/articles/bicycle-sharing-system) is sponsored by the municipal government of Rio de Janeiro in partnership with [Banco Itaú](https://bliptext.com/articles/ita-unibanco).\nThe bike sharing system has 600 bicycles available at 60 rental stations in 14 neighborhoods throughout the city.\n# [Bike Rio rental station in Mauá Square, Downtown Rio | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/BikeRio///11///2015///Pra%C3%A7a///Mau%C3%A1///706.JPG]\n\n## Water and sanitation\nonly 65% of sewage was properly treated, leaving 35% to be improperly discharged.\nthere were at least 400 illicit sewage disposal points in the drainage network.\nNational policy changes in 2020–2021 for the universalization of sanitation kept the 2007 policy defining the municipality as the provider of sanitation service, delegating the organization, supervision, and provision of services to third parties.\nThe National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) is responsible for the setting standards regulating basic public sanitation services.\nIn 2021–2022, distribution and treatment of sewage of the [Rio State](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) Water and Sewage Company (CEDAE) was divided into four blocks and auctioned to Aegea (Águas do Rio) and Iguá; CEDAE remained in control of water collection and treatment of drinking water.\nThe Rio State Environmental Institute (INEA) has primary responsibility for water pollution monitoring and enforcement.\n\n# Culture\nRio de Janeiro is a main cultural hub in Brazil.\nIts architecture embraces churches and buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, blending with the world-renowned designs of the 20th century.\nRio was home to the [Portuguese Imperial family](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal) and capital of the country for many years, and was influenced by [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/architecture-of-portugal), [English](https://bliptext.com/articles/architecture-of-england), and [French architecture](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-architecture).\nRio de Janeiro has inherited a strong cultural role from the past.\nIn the late 19th century, there were sessions held of the first Brazilian film and since then, several production cycles have spread out, eventually placing Rio at the forefront of experimental and national cinema.\nThe [Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-international-film-festival) has been held annually since 1999.\nRio currently brings together the main production centers of Brazilian television.\nMajor international films set in Rio de Janeiro include [Blame it on Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/blame-it-on-rio); the [James Bond film](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-bond-in-film) Moonraker; the Oscar award-winning, critically acclaimed [Central Station](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-station-film) by [Walter Salles](https://bliptext.com/articles/walter-salles), who is also one of Brazil's best-known directors; and the Oscar award-winning historical drama, [Black Orpheus](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-orpheus), which depicted the early days of Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.\nInternationally distributed Brazilian-made movies illustrating a darker side of Rio de Janeiro include [Elite Squad](https://bliptext.com/articles/elite-squad) and City of God.\nRio has many important cultural landmarks, such as the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library), one of the largest libraries in the world with collections totalling more than 9 million items; the [Theatro Municipal](https://bliptext.com/articles/teatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro); the [National Museum of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes); the [Carmen Miranda Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/carmen-miranda-museum); the [Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-botanical-garden); the [Parque Lage](https://bliptext.com/articles/parque-lage); the [Quinta da Boa Vista](https://bliptext.com/articles/quinta-da-boa-vista); the [Imperial Square](https://bliptext.com/articles/pa-o-imperial); the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras); the [Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/museum-of-modern-art-rio-de-janeiro); and the [Natural History Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-museum-of-brazil).\n# [Museum of Modern Art | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/MAM///-///Museu///de///Arte///Moderna///do///Rio///de///Janeiro///02.jpg]\n# [National Museum of Fine Arts | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Esculturas%2C///Museu///Nacional///de///Belas///Artes///02.jpg]\n# [Christ the Redeemer | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Rio///de///Janeiro///-///Cristo///Redentor///01.jpg]\n\n## Literature\nAfter Brazilian independence from Portugal in 1822, Rio de Janeiro quickly developed a [European-style](https://bliptext.com/articles/culture-of-europe) bourgeois cultural life, including numerous newspapers, in which most 19th-century novels were initially published in serial.\n[Joaquim Manuel de Macedo](https://bliptext.com/articles/joaquim-manuel-de-macedo)'s [A Moreninha](https://bliptext.com/articles/a-moreninha-novel) (1844) was perhaps the first successful novel in Brazil and inaugurates a recurrent 19th-century theme: a romantic relationship between idealistic young people in spite of cruelties of social fortune.\nThe first notable work of realism focusing on the urban [lower-middle class](https://bliptext.com/articles/lower-middle-class) is [Manuel Antônio de Almeida](https://bliptext.com/articles/manuel-ant-nio-de-almeida)'s [Memórias de um sargento de milícias](https://bliptext.com/articles/mem-rias-de-um-sargento-de-mil-cias) (1854), which presents a series of picaresque scenes, and evokes the transformation of a town into a city with suggestive nostalgia.\nRomantic and realist modes both flourished through the late 19th century and often overlapped within works.\n[Machado de Assis](https://bliptext.com/articles/machado-de-assis) is from Rio de Janeiro, and is widely regarded as the greatest writer of [Brazilian literature](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-literature) and considered the founder of [Realism](https://bliptext.com/articles/realism-arts) in Brazil, with the publication of [The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-posthumous-memoirs-of-bras-cubas) (1881).\nHe commented on and criticized the political and social events of the city and country such as the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the transition from [Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) to Republic with his numerous [chronicles](https://bliptext.com/articles/chronicle) published in newspapers of the time.\nMany of his short stories and novels, like [Quincas Borba](https://bliptext.com/articles/quincas-borba) (1891) and [Dom Casmurro](https://bliptext.com/articles/dom-casmurro) (1899), are placed in Rio.\nThe headquarters of the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras) is based in Rio de Janeiro.\nIt was satirized by the novelist [Jorge Amado](https://bliptext.com/articles/jorge-amado) in [Pen, Sword, Camisole](https://bliptext.com/articles/pen-sword-camisole).\nAmado, himself, went on to be one of the 40 members of the academy.\nThe Biblioteca Nacional ([National Library of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil)) ranks as one of the largest libraries in the world.\nIt is also the largest library in all of Latin America.\nLocated in [Cinelândia](https://bliptext.com/articles/cinel-ndia), the National Library was originally created by the King of Portugal, in 1810.\nAs with many of Rio de Janeiro's cultural monuments, the library was originally off-limits to the general public.\nThe most valuable collections in the library include: 4,300 items donated by Barbosa Machado including a precious collection of rare brochures detailing the [History of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/history-of-portugal) and [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/history-of-brazil); 2,365 items from the 17th and 18th centuries that were previously owned by Antônio de Araújo de Azevedo, the \"Count of Barca\", including the 125-volume set of prints \"Le Grand Théâtre de l'Univers;\" a collection of documents regarding the Jesuítica Province of Paraguay and the \"Region of Prata;\" and the Teresa Cristina Maria Collection, donated by [Emperor Pedro II](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-ii-of-brazil).\nThe collection contains 48,236 items.\nIndividual items of special interest include a rare first edition of [Os Lusíadas](https://bliptext.com/articles/os-lus-adas) by [Luis de Camões](https://bliptext.com/articles/lu-s-de-cam-es), published in 1584; two copies of the Mogúncia Bible; and a first edition of Handel's Messiah.\nThe Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (Portuguese Royal Reading Library) is located at Rua Luís de Camões, in the Centro (Downtown).\nThe institution was founded in 1837 by a group of forty-three [Portuguese immigrants](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people), [political refugees](https://bliptext.com/articles/political-refugee), to promote culture among the Portuguese community in the then capital of the Empire.\nThe history of the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras) is linked to the Real Gabinete, since some of the early meetings of the academy were held there.\n# [Brazilian Academy of Letters | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/AcademiaBrasileira1.jpg]\n# [National Library of Brazil | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Biblioteca///nacional///rio///janeiro.jpg]\n# [Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AA%E3%81%AE%E5%B9%BB%E6%83%B3%E5%9B%B3%E6%9B%B8%E9%A4%A8///Real///Gabinete///Portugues///de///Leitura///%288735773218%29.jpg]\n\n## Music\nThe official song of Rio de Janeiro is \"[Cidade Maravilhosa](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-maravilhosa)\", which means \"marvelous city\".\nThe song is considered the civic anthem of Rio, and is always the favorite song during Rio's [Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-carnival) in February.\nRio de Janeiro and São Paulo, are considered the center of the [urban music](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-contemporary) movement in Brazil.\n\"Rio was popularized by the hit song \"[The Girl from Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-girl-from-ipanema)\", composed by [Antônio Carlos Jobim](https://bliptext.com/articles/ant-nio-carlos-jobim) and [Vinicius de Moraes](https://bliptext.com/articles/vinicius-de-moraes) and recorded by [Astrud Gilberto](https://bliptext.com/articles/astrud-gilberto) and [João Gilberto](https://bliptext.com/articles/jo-o-gilberto), [Frank Sinatra](https://bliptext.com/articles/frank-sinatra), and [Ella Fitzgerald](https://bliptext.com/articles/ella-fitzgerald). It is also the main key song of the [bossa nova](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossa-nova), a [music genre](https://bliptext.com/articles/music-genre) born in Rio. A genre unique to Rio and Brazil as a whole is [Funk Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/funk-carioca). While [samba](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba) music continues to act as the national unifying agent in Rio, [Funk Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/funk-carioca) found a strong community following in Brazil. With its genesis in the 1970s as the modern black pop music from the United States, it evolved in the 1990s to describe a variety of [electronic music](https://bliptext.com/articles/electronic-music) associated with the current US [black music](https://bliptext.com/articles/african-american-music) scene, including [hip hop](https://bliptext.com/articles/hip-hop), modern soul, and [house music](https://bliptext.com/articles/house-music).\"\nBrazil's return to democracy in 1985 allowed for a new music expression which promoted creativity and experimentation in expressive culture, in a wave of Rock'n'roll that swept the 80s.\n[Lobão](https://bliptext.com/articles/lob-o-musician) emerged as the most legendary rocker in Brazil.\nCommercial and cultural imports from Europe and North America have often influenced Brazil's own cultural output.\nFor example, the hip hop that has stemmed from New York is localized into forms of musical production such as Funk Carioca and [Brazilian hip hop](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-hip-hop).\nBands from Rio de Janeiro also had influence in the mid-to-late development of the [Punk in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/punk-in-brazil), and that of [Brazilian thrash metal](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-thrash-metal).\nDemocratic renewal also allowed for the recognition and acceptance of this diversification of Brazilian culture.\nSome of the best artists in the history of Brazilian popular music hail from Rio de Janeiro, including aforementioned Lobão, [Tim Maia](https://bliptext.com/articles/tim-maia), [Agepê](https://bliptext.com/articles/agep), [Emílio Santiago](https://bliptext.com/articles/em-lio-santiago), [Evandro Mesquita](https://bliptext.com/articles/evandro-mesquita), [Byafra](https://bliptext.com/articles/byafra), [Erasmo Carlos](https://bliptext.com/articles/erasmo-carlos), [Elymar Santos](https://bliptext.com/articles/elymar-santos), [Kátia Cega](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-tia-garcia-oliveira), [Ivan Lins](https://bliptext.com/articles/ivan-lins), [Marcos Valle](https://bliptext.com/articles/marcos-valle), [Jorge Ben Jor](https://bliptext.com/articles/jorge-ben) e [Wilson Simonal](https://bliptext.com/articles/wilson-simonal).\n# [Tim Maia, the greatest representative of soul music in the country's history, from Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/TIM///MAIA///SONIA///D%27ALMEIDA///1987.jpg]\n\n## Theater\nRio de Janeiro's [Theatro Municipal](https://bliptext.com/articles/theatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro) is one of the most attractive buildings in the central area of the city.\nHome of one of the largest stages in Latin America and one of Brazil's best-known venues for opera, ballet, and classical music, the building was inspired by the [Palais Garnier](https://bliptext.com/articles/palais-garnier), home of the [Paris Opera](https://bliptext.com/articles/paris-opera).\nConstruction of the Theatro Municipal began in 1905 following designs of the architect Francisco Pereira Passos.\nThe statues on the top, of two women representing Poetry and Music, are by [Rodolfo Bernardelli](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodolfo-bernardelli), and the interior is rich with furnishings and fine paintings.\nInaugurated in 1909, the Teatro Municipal has close to 1,700 seats.\nIts interior includes turn of the century stained glass from France, ceilings of rose-colored marble and a 1,000 pound crystal bead chandelier surrounded by a painting of the \"[Dance of the Hours](https://bliptext.com/articles/dance-of-the-hours)\".\nThe exterior walls of the building are dotted with inscriptions bearing the names of famous Brazilians as well as many other international celebrities.\n[Cidade das Artes](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-da-m-sica) (City of Arts) is a cultural complex in Barra da Tijuca in the Southwest Zone of Rio de Janeiro, which was originally planned to open in 2004.\nFormally known as \"Cidade da Música\" (City of Music), it was finally inaugurated at the beginning of 2013.\nThe project will host the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra becoming a main center for music as will be the largest modern concert hall in South America, with 1,780 seats.\nThe complex spans approximately 90 e3m2 and also features a chamber music hall, three theaters, and 12 rehearsal rooms.\nFrom the terrace there is a panoramic view of the zone.\nThe building was designed by the French architect [Christian de Portzamparc](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-de-portzamparc) and construction was funded by the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nA series of covered theaters collectively known as [Lona Cultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/lona-cultural), administered by the city's Municipal Secretary of Culture, serve throughout the city as venues for cultural activities such as concerts, plays, workshops, art and craft fairs, and courses.\n# [Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Teatro///Municipal///-///panoramio///%284%29.jpg]\n# [City of Arts | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Cidade///das///Artes///by///Diego///Baravelli-08188.jpg]\n\n## Events\nEvery 31 December, 2.5 million people gather at [Copacabana Beach](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-beach) to celebrate New Year's in Rio de Janeiro.\nThe crowd, mostly dressed in white, celebrates all night at the hundreds of different shows and events along the beach.\nIt is the second-largest celebration only next to the [Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival).\nPeople celebrate the New Year by sharing chilled champagne.\nIt is considered good luck to shake the champagne bottle and spray around at midnight.\nChilled champagne adds to the spirit of the festivities.\n[Rio Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival) is an annual celebration in the Roman Catholic tradition that allows merry-making and red meat consumption before the more sober 40 days of Lent penance which culminates with Holy or Passion Week and Easter.\nThe tradition of Carnaval parades was probably influenced by the French or German courts and the custom was brought by the Portuguese or Brazilian Imperial families who had French and Austrian German ancestors.\nUp until the time of the [marchinhas](https://bliptext.com/articles/marchinha), the revelry was more of a high class and Caucasian-led event.\nThe influence of the African-Brazilian drums and music became more noticeable from the first half of the 20th century.\nRio de Janeiro has many Carnaval choices, including the [samba school](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba-school) (Escolas de Samba) parades in the [sambadrome](https://bliptext.com/articles/sambadrome-marqu-s-de-sapuca) exhibition center and the popular [blocos de carnaval](https://bliptext.com/articles/carnival-block), street revelry, which parade in almost every corner of the city.\nIn 1840, the first Carnival was celebrated with a masked ball.\nAs years passed, adorned floats and costumed revelers became a tradition among the celebrants.\nCarnival is known as a historic root of [Brazilian music](https://bliptext.com/articles/music-of-brazil).\n[Rock in Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/rock-in-rio) is a music festival conceived by entrepreneur Roberto Medina for the first time in 1985, and since its creation, recognized as the largest music festival in the Latin world and the largest in the world, with 1.5 million people attending the first event, 700,000 attending the second and fourth, about 1.2 million attending the third, and about 350,000 people attending each of the 3 [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) events.\nIt was originally organized in Rio de Janeiro, from where the name comes from, has become a world level event and, in 2004, had its first edition abroad in [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon), [Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal), before [Madrid](https://bliptext.com/articles/madrid), [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain) and [Las Vegas](https://bliptext.com/articles/las-vegas), [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states).\nThe festival is considered the eighth best in the world by the specialized site Fling Festival.\n# [New Year's Eve fireworks at Copacabana Beach | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Rio///New///Year///Fireworks.jpg]\n\n## Sports\nAs in the rest of Brazil, [association football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) is the most popular sport.\nThe city's major teams are [Flamengo](https://bliptext.com/articles/clube-de-regatas-do-flamengo), [Vasco da Gama](https://bliptext.com/articles/cr-vasco-da-gama), [Fluminense](https://bliptext.com/articles/fluminense-fc) and [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo-de-futebol-e-regatas).\n[Madureira](https://bliptext.com/articles/madureira-esporte-clube), [Bangu](https://bliptext.com/articles/bangu-atl-tico-clube), [Portuguesa](https://bliptext.com/articles/associa-o-atl-tica-portuguesa-rj), [America](https://bliptext.com/articles/america-football-club-rj) and [Bonsucesso](https://bliptext.com/articles/bonsucesso-futebol-clube) are small clubs.\nPlayers born in the city include [Zico](https://bliptext.com/articles/zico-footballer), [Romário](https://bliptext.com/articles/rom-rio) and [Ronaldo](https://bliptext.com/articles/ronaldo-brazilian-footballer).\nRio de Janeiro was one of the host cities of the [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup) and [2014 FIFA World Cups](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup), for which on both occasions Brazil was the host nation.\nIn 1950, the Maracanã Stadium hosted 8 matches, including all but one of the host team's matches.\nThe Maracanã was also the location of the tournament-deciding match between [Uruguay](https://bliptext.com/articles/uruguay-national-football-team) and [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil-national-football-team), where [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil-national-football-team) only needed a draw to win the final group stage and the whole tournament.\nBrazil ended up losing 2–1 in front of a home crowd of more than 199,000.\nIn 2014, the Maracanã hosted seven matches, including [the final](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup-final), where [Germany](https://bliptext.com/articles/germany-national-football-team) beat [Argentina](https://bliptext.com/articles/argentina-national-football-team) 1–0.\nOn 2 October 2009, the [International Olympic Committee](https://bliptext.com/articles/international-olympic-committee) selected Rio de Janeiro to host the [2016 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics).\nRio made their first bid for the [1936 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/1936-summer-olympics), but lost to Berlin.\nThey later made bids for the [2004](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2004-summer-olympics) and [2012](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2012-summer-olympics) Games, but failed to become a candidate city both times.\nThose games were awarded to [Athens](https://bliptext.com/articles/athens) and [London](https://bliptext.com/articles/london) respectively.\nRio is the first Brazilian and South American city to host the Summer Olympics.\nRio de Janeiro also became the first city in the [southern hemisphere](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-hemisphere) outside of Australia to host the games – [Melbourne](https://bliptext.com/articles/melbourne) in [1956](https://bliptext.com/articles/1956-summer-olympics) and [Sydney](https://bliptext.com/articles/sydney) in [2000](https://bliptext.com/articles/2000-summer-olympics).\nIn July 2007, Rio successfully organized and hosted the [XV Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games).\nRio de Janeiro also hosted the [2011 Military World Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2011-military-world-games) from 15 to 24 July 2011.\nThe 2011 [Military World Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/military-world-games) were the largest military sports event ever held in Brazil, with approximately 4,900 athletes from 108 countries competing in 20 sports.\nRio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.\nThe Olympic Games were held from 5 to 21 August 2016.\nThe Paralympics were held from 7 to 18 September 2016.\nThe city has a history as host of major international sports events.\nThe [Ginásio do Maracanãzinho](https://bliptext.com/articles/gin-sio-do-maracan-zinho) was the host arena for the official [FIBA Basketball World Championship](https://bliptext.com/articles/fiba-basketball-world-championship) for its [1954](https://bliptext.com/articles/1954-fiba-world-championship) and [1963](https://bliptext.com/articles/1963-fiba-world-championship) editions.\nLater, the [Jacarepaguá](https://bliptext.com/articles/aut-dromo-internacional-nelson-piquet) circuit in Rio de Janeiro was the site for the [Formula One](https://bliptext.com/articles/formula-one) [Brazilian Grand Prix](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-grand-prix) from 1978 to 1989.\nRio de Janeiro also hosted the [MotoGP](https://bliptext.com/articles/grand-prix-motorcycle-racing) [Brazilian Grand Prix](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-grand-prix) from 1995 to 2004 and the [Champ Car](https://bliptext.com/articles/champ-car) event from 1996 to 1999.\n[WCT/WQS](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-of-[surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing)-professionals) [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing) championships were contested on the beaches from 1985 to 2001.\nThe [Rio Champions Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-champions-cup) Tennis tournament is held in the spring.\nAs part of its preparations to host the [2007 Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games), Rio built a new stadium, [Estádio Olímpico João Havelange](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-dio-ol-mpico-jo-o-havelange), to hold 45,000 people.\nIt was named after Brazilian ex-[FIFA](https://bliptext.com/articles/fifa) president [João Havelange](https://bliptext.com/articles/jo-o-havelange).\nThe stadium is owned by the city of Rio de Janeiro, but it was rented to [Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo-de-futebol-e-regatas) for 20 years.\nRio de Janeiro has also a multi-purpose arena, the [HSBC Arena](https://bliptext.com/articles/hsbc-arena-rio-de-janeiro).\nThe Brazilian [martial art](https://bliptext.com/articles/martial-art) [capoeira](https://bliptext.com/articles/capoeira) is very popular.\nOther popular sports are [basketball](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball), [beach football](https://bliptext.com/articles/beach-soccer), [beach volleyball](https://bliptext.com/articles/beach-volleyball), Beach American Football, [footvolley](https://bliptext.com/articles/footvolley), [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing), kite [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing), [hang gliding](https://bliptext.com/articles/hang-gliding), [motor racing](https://bliptext.com/articles/motor-racing), [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-jiu-jitsu), [Luta Livre](https://bliptext.com/articles/luta-livre), [sailing](https://bliptext.com/articles/sailing-sport), and competitive [rowing](https://bliptext.com/articles/rowing-sport).\nAnother sport that is highly popular in beaches of Rio is called frescobol, a type of beach tennis.\nRio de Janeiro is also a popular location for [Rock climbing](https://bliptext.com/articles/rock-climbing), with hundreds of routes all over the city, ranging from easy boulders to technical climbs.\n[Sugarloaf Mountain](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) is an example, with routes from the easy third grade (American 5.4, French 3) to the extremely difficult ninth grade (5.13/8b), up to 280 m.\n# [Maracanã Stadium | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Maracana///2022.jpg]\n# [Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Rio2016///Gerais///030///8069///-c-2016///GabrielHeusi///HeusiAction.jpg]\n# [Barra Olympic Park, built for 2016 Summer Olympics | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Parque///Ol%C3%ADmpico///Rio///2016///%282%29.jpg]","wordIndex":75,"createdAt":"2025-04-02T04:16:15.981Z","user":{"id":"LXlQRdWd7UteQp9YmhCapafj1hb5PUfd","name":"Hello Matie","image":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a/ACg8ocJuonXr3xZbMfBgmekLX0vu6pmLsndvaHdOYNfeTTLThJoums0=s96-c"}}],"article":{"id":"9a24c594-cf54-4d50-a522-9e6c53eefdeb","title":"Rio de Janeiro","slug":"rio-de-janeiro","content":":::summary\n**Name:** Rio de Janeiro \n**Settlement Type:** [Municipality](https://bliptext.com/articles/municipalities-of-brazil) \n**Named For:** [Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) \n**Official Name:** Municipality of Rio de Janeiro \n**Nicknames:** Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous City), Princesa Maravilhosa (Marvellous Princess), Cidade dos Brasileiros (City of Brazilians) \n**Image Flag:** Bandeira da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg \n**Image Shield:** Brasão da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg \n**Image Map:** RiodeJaneiro Municip RiodeJaneiro.svg \n**Mapsize:** 250px \n**Map Caption:** Location in the state of Rio de Janeiro \n**Blank Emblem Type:** Logo \n**Pushpin Map:** Brazil#South America \n**Pushpin Relief:** 1 \n**Pushpin Mapsize:** 250 \n**Pushpin Map Caption:** Location within Brazil##Location within South America \n**Subdivision Type:** [Country](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-sovereign-states) \n**Subdivision Name:** [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil) \n**Subdivision Type 1:** [Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/regions-of-brazil) \n**Subdivision Name 1:** [Southeast](https://bliptext.com/articles/southeast-region-brazil) \n**Subdivision Type 2:** [State](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-brazil) \n**Subdivision Name 2:** [Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) \n**Subdivision Type 3:** Historic countries \n**Subdivision Name 3:** [Kingdom of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-portugal) United [Kingdom of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-portugal), Brazil and the Algarves [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) \n**Established Title:** Settled \n**Established Date:** 1555 \n**Established Title 1:** Founded \n**Established Date 1:** March 1, 1565 \n**Government Type:** [Mayor-council](https://bliptext.com/articles/mayor-council-government) \n**Governing Body:** [Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/municipal-chamber-of-rio-de-janeiro) \n**Leader Title:** [Mayor](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-mayors-of-rio-de-janeiro) \n**Leader Name:** [Eduardo Paes](https://bliptext.com/articles/eduardo-paes) \n**Leader Party:** [PSD](https://bliptext.com/articles/social-democratic-party-brazil-2011) \n**Leader Title 1:** Vice Mayor \n**Leader Name 1:** Nilton Caldeira ([PL](https://bliptext.com/articles/liberal-party-brazil-2006)) \n**Area Total Km 2:** 1221 \n**Area Total Sq Mi:** 486.5 \n**Area Metro Sq Mi:** 1759.6 \n**Population As Of:** 2022 \n**Population Metro:** 12,280,702 (2nd) \n**Area Metro Km 2:** 4539.8 \n**Population Total:** 6,211,223 \n**Population Rank:** [4th](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-south-america) in South America · [2nd](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-brazil) in Brazil \n**Population Urban:** 11,616,000 \n**Population Density Km 2:** 5174.6 \n**Population Density Metro Km 2:** 2705.1 \n**Population Demonym:** [Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca) \n**Demographics Type 1:** [GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)](https://bliptext.com/articles/gdp) \n**Demographics 1 Title 1:** Year \n**Demographics 1 Info 1:** 2023 \n**Demographics 1 Title 2:** Total (Metro) \n**Demographics 1 Info 2:** $285.9 billion \n**Demographics 1 Title 3:** Per capita \n**Demographics 1 Info 3:** $23,700 \n**Timezone:** [BRT](https://bliptext.com/articles/time-in-brazil) \n**Utc Offset:** −3 \n**Elevation M:** 2 \n**Elevation Min M:** 0 \n**Elevation Max M:** 1020 \n**Elevation Ft:** 7 \n**Elevation Min Ft:** 0 \n**Elevation Max Ft:** 3349 \n**Area Code:** 21 \n**Postal Code Type:** Postal Code \n**Postal Code:** 20000-001 to 23799-999 \n**Blank Name:** [**HDI**](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-development-index) (2010) \n**Blank Info:** 0.799 – high \n**Blank 1 Name Sec 1:** [Nominal 2018 GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) (City) \n**Blank 1 Info Sec 1:** US$ 93.9 billion (2nd) \n**Blank 2 Name Sec 1:** Per capita \n**Blank 2 Info Sec 1:** US$14,046 (2nd) \n**Website:** https://en.prefeitura.rio \n:::\n\n# \n****Rio** de Janeiro**, or simply **Rio**, is the capital of the state of ****Rio** de Janeiro**.\nIt is the [second-most-populous city](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-brazil-by-population) in [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil) (after [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo)) and the [sixth-most-populous city](https://bliptext.com/articles/largest-cities-in-the-americas) in the Americas.\nFounded in 1565 by the [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people), the city was initially the seat of the [Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/captaincy-of-rio-de-janeiro), a domain of the [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people) Empire.\nIn 1763, it became the capital of the [State of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-of-brazil), a [state of the Portuguese Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-states-of-the-portuguese-empire).\nIn 1808, when the [Portuguese Royal Court moved to Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/transfer-of-the-portuguese-court-to-brazil), Rio-Dih-Janeiro de Janeiro became the seat of the court of Queen [Maria I of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/maria-i-of-portugal).\nShe subsequently, under the leadership of her son the [prince regent](https://bliptext.com/articles/prince-regent) [John VI of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-vi-of-portugal), raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom, within the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves).\nRio remained as the capital of the [pluricontinental](https://bliptext.com/articles/pluricontinentalism) monarchy until 1822, when the [Brazilian War of Independence](https://bliptext.com/articles/war-of-independence-of-brazil) began.\nThis is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonizing country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies.\nRio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the independent monarchy, the [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil), until 1889, and then the capital of a republican Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia).\nRio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal [GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) in the country, and 30th-largest in the world in 2008.\nThis is estimated at [R$](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-real)343 billion.\nIn the city are the headquarters of Brazilian oil, mining, and telecommunications companies, including two of the country's major corporations, [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras) and [Vale](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-s-a), and Latin America's largest telemedia conglomerate, [Grupo Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/grupo-globo).\nThe home of many universities and institutes, it is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil, accounting for 17 percent of national scientific output according to 2005 data.\nDespite the high perception of crime, the city actually has a lower [incidence of crime](https://bliptext.com/articles/crime-in-brazil) than most state capitals in Brazil.\nRio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the [Southern Hemisphere](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-hemisphere) and is known for its natural settings, [carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival), [samba](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba), [bossa nova](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossa-nova), and [balneario](https://bliptext.com/articles/balneario) beaches such as [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca-rio-de-janeiro), [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro), [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema-rio-de-janeiro), and [Leblon](https://bliptext.com/articles/leblon-rio-de-janeiro).\nIn addition to the beaches, landmarks include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop [Corcovado](https://bliptext.com/articles/corcovado) mountain, named one of the [New Seven Wonders of the World](https://bliptext.com/articles/new7wonders-of-the-world); [Sugarloaf Mountain](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) with its [cable car](https://bliptext.com/articles/aerial-lift); the [Sambódromo](https://bliptext.com/articles/sambadrome-marqu-s-de-sapuca) (Sambadrome), a permanent grandstand-lined parade avenue which is used during Carnival; and [Maracanã Stadium](https://bliptext.com/articles/maracan-stadium), one of the [world's largest football stadiums](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-association-football-stadiums-by-capacity).\nRio de Janeiro was the host of the [2016 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics) and the [2016 Summer Paralympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-paralympics), making the city the first South American and [Portuguese-speaking city](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-countries-where-portuguese-is-an-official-language) to ever host the events, and the third time the Olympics were held in a Southern Hemisphere city.\nThe Maracanã Stadium held the finals of the [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup) and [2014](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup) FIFA World Cups, the [2013 FIFA Confederations Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/2013-fifa-confederations-cup), and the [XV Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games).\nThe city will host the [G20 summit in 2024](https://bliptext.com/articles/2024-g20-rio-de-janeiro-summit), and the [FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027](https://bliptext.com/articles/2027-fifa-women-s-world-cup).\n\n# History\n\n## Pre-Cabraline period\nThe region of Rio was inhabited by the [Tupi](https://bliptext.com/articles/tupi-people), [Puri](https://bliptext.com/articles/pur-people), [Botocudo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botocudo-people) and [Maxakalí](https://bliptext.com/articles/maxakal-language) peoples.\n\n## Colonial period\nEuropeans first encountered [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) on 1 January 1502 (hence Rio de Janeiro, \"January River\"), during a [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people) expedition under explorer [Gaspar de Lemos](https://bliptext.com/articles/gaspar-de-lemos), captain of a ship in [Pedro Álvares Cabral](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-lvares-cabral)'s fleet, or under [Gonçalo Coelho](https://bliptext.com/articles/gon-alo-coelho).\nAllegedly the Florentine explorer [Amerigo Vespucci](https://bliptext.com/articles/amerigo-vespucci) participated as an observer at the invitation of [King Manuel I](https://bliptext.com/articles/manuel-i-of-portugal) in the same expedition.\nIn 1555, one of the islands of Guanabara Bay, now called [Villegagnon Island](https://bliptext.com/articles/villegagnon-island), was occupied by 500 French colonists under the French [admiral](https://bliptext.com/articles/admiral) [Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon](https://bliptext.com/articles/nicolas-durand-de-villegaignon).\nConsequently, Villegagnon built [Fort Coligny](https://bliptext.com/articles/fort-coligny) on the island when attempting to establish the [France Antarctique](https://bliptext.com/articles/france-antarctique) colony.\nEventually this French settlement became too much of a threat to the established Portuguese colony and in 1560 the order was made to get rid of them.\nA years-long military aggression was then initiated by the new Governor General of Brazil Mem De Sa, and later continued by his nephew Estacio De Sa.\nOn 20 January 1567, a final defeat was imposed on the French forces and they were decisively expelled from Brazil for good.\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro proper was founded on 1 March 1565 by the Portuguese, led by [Estácio de Sá](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-cio-de-s), including Antônio de Mariz.\nIt was named São [Sebastião](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-portugal) do Rio de Janeiro, in honor of St. Sebastian, the [saint who was the namesake and patron](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-s-name) of the Portuguese then-monarch [Sebastião](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-portugal).\nRio de Janeiro was the name of Guanabara Bay.\nUntil early in the 18th century, the city was threatened or invaded by several mostly French pirates and buccaneers, such as [Jean-François Duclerc](https://bliptext.com/articles/jean-fran-ois-duclerc) and [René Duguay-Trouin](https://bliptext.com/articles/ren-duguay-trouin).\nIn the late 17th century, still during the Sugar Era, the [Bandeirantes](https://bliptext.com/articles/bandeirantes) discovered gold and diamonds in the neighboring [captaincy](https://bliptext.com/articles/captaincy) of [Minas Gerais](https://bliptext.com/articles/minas-gerais), thus Rio de Janeiro became a much more practical port for exporting wealth (gold, precious stones, besides the sugar) than [Salvador, Bahia](https://bliptext.com/articles/salvador-bahia), much farther northeast.\nOn 27 January 1763, the colonial administration in Portuguese America was moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro.\nThe city remained primarily a colonial capital until 1808, when the Portuguese royal family and most of the associated [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) nobles, fleeing from [Napoleon](https://bliptext.com/articles/napoleon-i)'s invasion of Portugal, [moved](https://bliptext.com/articles/transfer-of-the-portuguese-court-to-brazil) to Rio de Janeiro.\n# [Founding of Rio de Janeiro on 1 March 1565 | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Pal%C3%A1cio///Pedro///Ernesto///-///Funda%C3%A7%C3%A3o///da///Cidade.jpg]\n# [Between 500 thousand and one million slaves landed at Valongo Wharf through the Atlantic slave trade | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Cais///do///Valongo///e///da///Imperatriz.jpg]\n\n## Portuguese royal period\nThe kingdom's capital was transferred to the city, which, thus, became the only [Europe](https://bliptext.com/articles/europe)an capital outside of [Europe](https://bliptext.com/articles/europe).\nAs there was no physical space or urban structure to accommodate hundreds of noblemen who arrived suddenly, many inhabitants were simply evicted from their homes.\nIn the first decade, several educational establishments were created, such as the Military Academy, the Royal School of Sciences, Arts and Crafts and the [Imperial Academy of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-imperial-de-belas-artes), as well as the [National Library of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil) – with the largest collection in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america) – and The [Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-botanical-garden).\nThe first printed newspaper in Brazil, the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro, came into circulation during this period.\nWhen Brazil was elevated to Kingdom in 1815, it became the capital of the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves) until the return of the [Portuguese Royal Family](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-royal-family) to [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) in 1821, but remained as capital of the [Kingdom of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-brazil).\nFrom the colonial period until the first independent era, Rio de Janeiro was a city of slaves.\nThere was a large influx of [African slaves](https://bliptext.com/articles/slavery-in-brazil) to Rio de Janeiro: in 1819, there were 145,000 slaves in the captaincy.\nIn 1840, the number of slaves reached 220,000 people.\nBetween 1811 and 1831, 500,000 to a million slaves arrived in Rio de Janeiro through [Valongo Wharf](https://bliptext.com/articles/valongo-wharf), which is now a [World Heritage Site](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-heritage-site).\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro was the largest port of slaves in America.\n# [The Portuguese Royal Family escaped the Napoleonic Wars ravaging Europe when Queen Maria I of Portugal and Prince Regent John transferred the Portuguese royal court to Brazil, in 1807. It remained in Rio until its return to Portugal in 1821. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Departure///of///H.R.H.///the///Prince///Regent///of///Portugal///for///the///Brazils///%28Campaigns///of///the///British///Army///in///Portugal%2C///London%2C///1812%29///-///Henry///L%27Ev%C3%AAque%2C///F.///Bartollozzi.png]\n\n## Imperial period\nWhen [Prince Pedro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-i-of-brazil) proclaimed the [independence of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-declaration-of-independence) in 1822, he decided to keep Rio de Janeiro as the capital of his [new empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) while the place was enriched with sugar cane agriculture in the Campos region and, especially, with the new coffee cultivation in the [Paraíba Valley](https://bliptext.com/articles/para-ba-valley).\nIn order to separate the province from the capital of the Empire, the city was converted in Neutral Municipality in 1834, passing the [province of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) to have [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i) as capital.\nAs a political center of the country, Rio concentrated the political-partisan life of the Empire.\nIt was the main stage of the abolitionist and republican movements in the last half of the 19th century.\nAt that time the number of slaves was drastically reduced and the city was developed, with modern drains, animal trams, train stations crossing the city, gas and electric lighting, telephone and telegraph wiring, water and river plumbing.\nRio continued as the capital of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy was [replaced](https://bliptext.com/articles/proclamation-of-the-republic-brazil) by a republic.\nOn 6 February 1889 the Bangu Textile Factory was founded, with the name of Industrial Progress Company of Brazil (Companhia Progresso Industrial do Brasil).\nThe factory was officially opened on 8 March 1893, in a complex with varying architectural styles like [Italianate](https://bliptext.com/articles/italianate-architecture), [Neo-Gothic](https://bliptext.com/articles/gothic-revival-architecture) and a tower in [Mansard Roof](https://bliptext.com/articles/mansard-roof) style.\nAfter the opening in 1893, workers from [Great Britain](https://bliptext.com/articles/great-britain) arrived in Bangu to work in the textile factory.\nThe old farms became worker villages with red-bricks houses, and a neo-gothic church was created, which still exists as the Saint Sebastian and Saint Cecilia Parish Church.\nStreet cinemas and cultural buildings also appeared.\nIn May 1894, [Thomas Donohoe](https://bliptext.com/articles/thomas-donohoe), a British worker from [Busby](https://bliptext.com/articles/busby-east-renfrewshire), Scotland, arrived in Bangu.\nDonohoe was amazed to discover that there was absolutely no knowledge of football among Brazilians.\nSo he wrote to his wife, Elizabeth, asking her to bring a football when she joined him.\nAnd shortly after her arrival, in September 1894, the first football match in Brazil took place in the field beside the textile factory.\nIt was a five-a-side match between British workers, and took place six months before the first game organized by [Charles Miller](https://bliptext.com/articles/charles-william-miller) in São Paulo.\nHowever, the Bangu Football Club was not formally created until 1904.\n\n## Republican period\nAt the time Brazil's [Old Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/first-brazilian-republic) was established, the city lacked [urban planning](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-planning) and [sanitation](https://bliptext.com/articles/sanitation), which helped spread several diseases, such as [yellow fever](https://bliptext.com/articles/yellow-fever), [dysentery](https://bliptext.com/articles/dysentery), [variola](https://bliptext.com/articles/variola), [tuberculosis](https://bliptext.com/articles/tuberculosis) and even [black death](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-death).\n[Pereira Passos](https://bliptext.com/articles/francisco-pereira-passos), who was named mayor in 1902, imposed reforms to modernize the city, demolishing the [cortiços](https://bliptext.com/articles/corti-o) where most of the poor population lived.\nThese people then moved to live in the city's hills, creating the first [favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favelas).\nInspired by the city of [Paris](https://bliptext.com/articles/paris), Passos built the [Municipal Theatre](https://bliptext.com/articles/theatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro), the [National Museum of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes) and the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil) in the city's center; brought [electric power](https://bliptext.com/articles/electric-power) to Rio and created larger avenues to adapt the city to [automobiles](https://bliptext.com/articles/automobiles).\nPassos also named [Oswaldo Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/oswaldo-cruz) as Director General of Public Health.\nCruz's plans to clean the city of diseases included compulsory vaccination of the entire population and forced entry into houses to kill mosquitoes and rats.\nThe people of the city rebelled against Cruz's policy, in what would be known as the [Vaccine Revolt](https://bliptext.com/articles/vaccine-revolt).\nIn 1910, Rio saw the [Revolt of the Lash](https://bliptext.com/articles/revolt-of-the-lash), where [Afro-Brazilian](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) crew members in the [Brazilian Navy](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-navy) mutinied against the heavy use of [corporal punishment](https://bliptext.com/articles/corporal-punishment), which was similar to the punishment slaves received.\nThe mutineers took control of the battleship Minas Geraes and threatened to fire on the city.\nAnother military revolt occurred in 1922, the [Copacabana Fort revolt](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-fort-revolt), a march against the Old Republic's [coronelism](https://bliptext.com/articles/coronelism) and [café com leite politics](https://bliptext.com/articles/caf-com-leite-politics).\nThis revolt marked the beginning of [Tenentism](https://bliptext.com/articles/tenentism), a movement that resulted in the [Brazilian Revolution of 1930](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-revolution-of-1930) that started the [Vargas Era](https://bliptext.com/articles/vargas-era).\nUntil the early years of the 20th century, the city was largely limited to the neighborhood now known as the historic city center (see below), on the mouth of Guanabara Bay.\nThe city's center of gravity began to shift south and west to the so-called [Zona Sul](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-zone-rio-de-janeiro) (South Zone) in the early part of the 20th century, when the first tunnel was built under the mountains between [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo) and the neighborhood that is now known as [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro).\nExpansion of the city to the north and south was facilitated by the consolidation and electrification of Rio's streetcar transit system after 1905.\nBotafogos natural environment, combined with the fame of the [Copacabana Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/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.\nThis reputation has been somewhat tarnished in recent years by favela violence resulting from the narcotics trade and [militias](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-police-militias).\nPlans for moving the nation's capital city from Rio de Janeiro to the center of Brazil had been occasionally discussed, and when [Juscelino Kubitschek](https://bliptext.com/articles/juscelino-kubitschek) was elected president in 1955, it was partially on the strength of promises to build a new capital.\nThough many thought that it was just [campaign](https://bliptext.com/articles/political-campaign) rhetoric, Kubitschek managed to have Brasília and a new [Federal District](https://bliptext.com/articles/distrito-federal-brazil) built, at great cost, by 1960.\nOn 21 April of that year, the capital of Brazil was officially moved to Brasília.\nThe territory of the former Federal District became its own state, Guanabara, after the bay that borders it to the east, encompassing just the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nAfter the [1964 coup d'état](https://bliptext.com/articles/1964-brazilian-coup-d-tat) that installed a [military dictatorship](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-military-government), the [city-state](https://bliptext.com/articles/city-state) was the only state left in Brazil to oppose the military.\nThen, in 1975, a presidential decree known as \"The Fusion\" removed the city's federative status and merged it with the [State of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state), with the city of Rio de Janeiro replacing [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i) as the state's capital, and establishing the [Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro).\nIn 1992, Rio hosted the [Earth Summit](https://bliptext.com/articles/earth-summit), a [United Nations](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-nations) conference to fight [environmental degradation](https://bliptext.com/articles/environmental-degradation).\nTwenty years later, in 2012, the city hosted another conference on [sustainable development](https://bliptext.com/articles/sustainable-development), named [United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-nations-conference-on-sustainable-development).\nThe city hosted the [World Youth Day in 2013](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-youth-day-2013), the second [World Youth Day](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-youth-day) in [South America](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-america) and first in Brazil.\nIn the sports field, Rio de Janeiro was the host of the [2007 Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games) and the [2014 FIFA World Cup Final](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup-final).\nOn 2 October 2009, the [International Olympic Committee](https://bliptext.com/articles/international-olympic-committee) [announced](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2016-summer-olympics) that Rio de Janeiro would host the [2016 Olympic Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics) and the [2016 Paralympic Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-paralympics), beating competitors [Chicago](https://bliptext.com/articles/chicago), [Tokyo](https://bliptext.com/articles/tokyo), and [Madrid](https://bliptext.com/articles/madrid).\nThe city became the first South American city to host the event and the second Latin American city (after [Mexico City](https://bliptext.com/articles/mexico-city) in [1968](https://bliptext.com/articles/1968-summer-olympics)) to host the Games.\nSince the early 2010s, Rio de Janeiro has been inscribed as a [UNESCO World Heritage Site](https://bliptext.com/articles/unesco-world-heritage-site) for its arts, urban culture and [designed landscapes](https://bliptext.com/articles/designed-landscape) set around a natural environment.\n# [Rio de Janeiro, c. 1910s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Rio///de///Janeiro///ca1910s///photo///from///USA///Library///of///Congress///19301u.jpg]\n# [Carioca Aqueduct in the 1920s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Aqueduto///da///Carioca%2C///Santa///Teresa///e///Gl%C3%B3ria///%28007A5P3F13-029%29.jpg]\n# [The Sugarloaf Cable Car in the 1940s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Bondinho///Rio///1940.jpg]\n# [A convoy of M41 Walker Bulldog tanks along the streets of the city in 1968 during the military rule. At the time, Rio de Janeiro was a city-state, capital of Guanabara. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Tanques///ocupam///a///Avenida///Presidente///Vargas%2C///1968-04-04.jpg]\n\n# Geography\nRio de Janeiro is near the west end of a strip (from [Cabo Frio](https://bliptext.com/articles/cabo-frio) to just east of [Ilha Grande](https://bliptext.com/articles/ilha-grande)) of Brazil's Atlantic coast close to the [Tropic of Capricorn](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropic-of-capricorn) where the shoreline is oriented east and west; the city thus faces largely south.\nIt was founded at the entrance to an inlet, [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) (Baía de Guanabara), which is marked by a point of land called Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) – a \"calling card\" of the city.\nThe population of the city of Rio de Janeiro, occupying an area of 1182.3 km2, is about 6,000,000.\nThe population of the greater metropolitan area is estimated at 11–13.5 million.\nResidents of the city are known as [cariocas](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca).\nThe official song of Rio is \"[Cidade Maravilhosa](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-maravilhosa)\", by composer [André Filho](https://bliptext.com/articles/andr-filho).\n# [Satellite view of Greater Rio de Janeiro at night seen from ISS | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/ISS-67///City///lights///of///Rio///De///Janeiro%2C///Brazil.jpg]\n\n## Parks\nThe city has parks and ecological reserves such as the Tijuca National Park, the world's first urban forest and [UNESCO](https://bliptext.com/articles/unesco) Environmental Heritage and Biosphere Reserve; [Pedra Branca State Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedra-branca-state-park), which houses the highest point of Rio de Janeiro, the peak of Pedra Branca; the [Quinta da Boa Vista](https://bliptext.com/articles/quinta-da-boa-vista) complex; the [Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/botanical-garden-of-rio-de-janeiro); Rio's Zoo; [Parque Lage](https://bliptext.com/articles/parque-lage); and the [Passeio Público](https://bliptext.com/articles/passeio-p-blico-rio-de-janeiro), the first public park in the [Americas](https://bliptext.com/articles/americas).\nIn addition the [Flamengo Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/flamengo-park) is the largest landfill in the city, extending from the center to the south zone, and containing museums and monuments, in addition to much vegetation.\nSince 1961, the [Tijuca National Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest) (Parque Nacional da Tijuca), the largest city-surrounded [urban forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-forest) and the second largest [urban forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-forest) in the world, has been a National Park.\nThe largest urban forest in the world is the Floresta da Pedra Branca (White Rock Forest), which is located in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro.\n\n## Environment\nDue to the high concentration of industries in the metropolitan region, the city has faced serious problems of environmental pollution.\nThe [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) has lost mangrove areas and suffers from residues from domestic and industrial sewage, oils and heavy metals.\nAlthough its waters renew when they reach the sea, the bay is the final receiver of all the tributaries generated along its banks and in the basins of the many rivers and streams that flow into it.\nThe levels of particulate matter in the air are twice as high as that recommended by the [World Health Organization](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-health-organization), in part because of the large numbers of vehicles in circulation.\nThe waters of Sepetiba Bay are slowly following the path traced by Guanabara Bay, with sewage generated by a population of the order of 1.29 million inhabitants being released without treatment in streams or rivers.\nWith regard to industrial pollution, highly toxic wastes, with high concentrations of heavy metals – mainly [zinc](https://bliptext.com/articles/zinc) and [cadmium](https://bliptext.com/articles/cadmium) – have been dumped over the years by factories in the industrial districts of [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), [Itaguaí](https://bliptext.com/articles/itagua) and [Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u), constructed under the supervision of State policies.\nThe Marapendi lagoon and the [Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodrigo-de-freitas-lagoon) have suffered with the leniency of the authorities and the growth in the number of apartment buildings close by.\nThe illegal discharge of sewage and the consequent deaths of algae diminished the oxygenation of the waters, causing fish mortality.\nThere are, on the other hand, signs of decontamination in the lagoon made through a [public-private partnership](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-private-partnership) established in 2008 to ensure that the lagoon waters will eventually be suitable for bathing.\nThe decontamination actions involve the transfer of sludge to large craters present in the lagoon itself, and the creation of a new direct and underground connection with the sea, which will contribute to increase the daily water exchange between the two environments.\nHowever, during the Olympics the lagoon hosted the rowing competitions and there were numerous concerns about potential infection resulting from human sewage.\n\n## Climate\nRio has a [tropical savanna climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropical-savanna-climate) (Aw) that closely borders a [tropical monsoon climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropical-monsoon-climate) (Am) according to the [Köppen climate classification](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-ppen-climate-classification), and is often characterized by long periods of heavy rain between December and March.\nThe city experiences hot, humid summers, and warm, sunny winters.\nIn inland areas of the city, temperatures above 40 °C are common during the summer, though rarely for long periods, while maximum temperatures above 27 °C can occur on a monthly basis.\nAlong the coast, the breeze, blowing onshore and offshore, moderates the temperature.\nBecause of its geographic situation, the city is often reached by cold fronts advancing from [Antarctica](https://bliptext.com/articles/antarctica), especially during autumn and winter, causing frequent weather changes.\nIn summer there can be strong rains, which have, on some occasions, provoked catastrophic floods and landslides.\nThe mountainous areas register greater rainfall since they constitute a barrier to the humid wind that comes from the Atlantic.\nThe city has had rare [frosts](https://bliptext.com/articles/frost) in the past.\nSome areas within [Rio de Janeiro state](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) occasionally have falls of [snow grains](https://bliptext.com/articles/snow-grains) and [ice pellets](https://bliptext.com/articles/ice-pellets) (popularly called granizo) and [hail](https://bliptext.com/articles/hail).\nDrought is very rare, albeit bound to happen occasionally given the city's strongly seasonal tropical climate.\nThe Brazilian drought of 2014–2015, most severe in the [Southeast Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/southeast-region-brazil) and the worst in decades, affected the entire metropolitan region's water supply (a diversion from the [Paraíba do Sul](https://bliptext.com/articles/para-ba-do-sul) River to the [Guandu](https://bliptext.com/articles/guandu-river-rio-de-janeiro) River is a major source for the state's most populous mesoregion).\nThere were plans to divert the Paraíba do Sul to the [Sistema Cantareira](https://bliptext.com/articles/sistema-cantareira) (Cantareira system) during the water crisis of 2014 in order to help the critically drought-stricken [Greater São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-s-o-paulo) area.\nHowever, availability of sufficient rainfall to supply tap water to both metropolitan areas in the future is merely speculative.\nRoughly in the same suburbs ([Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u) and surrounding areas, including parts of Campo Grande and Bangu) that correspond to the location of the March 2012, February–March 2013 and January 2015 pseudo-hail (granizo) falls, there was a [tornado](https://bliptext.com/articles/tornado)-like phenomenon in January 2011, for the first time in the region's recorded history, causing structural damage and long-lasting [blackouts](https://bliptext.com/articles/power-outage), but no fatalities.\nThe [World Meteorological Organization](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-meteorological-organization) has advised that Brazil, especially its southeastern region, must be prepared for increasingly [severe weather](https://bliptext.com/articles/severe-weather) occurrences in the near future, since events such as the catastrophic [January 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides](https://bliptext.com/articles/january-2011-rio-de-janeiro-floods-and-mudslides) are not an isolated phenomenon.\nIn early May 2013, winds registering above 90 km/h caused blackouts in 15 neighborhoods of the city and three surrounding municipalities, and killed one person.\nRio saw similarly high winds (about 100 km/h) in January 2015.\nTemperature also varies according to elevation, distance from the coast, and type of vegetation or land use.\nDuring the winter, cold fronts and dawn/morning sea breezes bring mild temperatures; cold fronts, the [Intertropical Convergence Zone](https://bliptext.com/articles/intertropical-convergence-zone) (in the form of winds from the [Amazon Forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/amazon-forest)), the strongest sea-borne winds (often from an [extratropical cyclone](https://bliptext.com/articles/extratropical-cyclone)) and summer [evapotranspiration](https://bliptext.com/articles/evapotranspiration) bring showers or storms.\nThus the monsoon-like climate has dry and mild winters and springs, and very wet and warm summers and autumns.\nAs a result, temperatures over 40 °C, that may happen about year-round but are much more common during the summer, often mean the actual \"feels-like\" temperature is over 50 °C, when there is little wind and the [relative humidity](https://bliptext.com/articles/relative-humidity) percentage is high.\nAccording to data from the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), since 1931, the absolute minimum temperature recorded in Rio de Janeiro was 6.4 °C on August 18, 1933, at the meteorological station in the [Bangu](https://bliptext.com/articles/bangu-rio-de-janeiro) neighborhood (deactivated in March 2004).\nThis same station, located in the city's hottest neighborhood, recorded a maximum temperature of 43.1 °C on January 14, 1984, which held the record for the highest temperature in the city until December 26, 2012, when 43.2 °C was recorded at the [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro) station.\nThe record for rainfall within 24 hours is 349.4 mm, recorded on February 26, 1971, at the former station in the [Engenho de Dentro](https://bliptext.com/articles/engenho-de-dentro) neighborhood.\n# [Night storm with lightning in Rio de Janeiro, view from Sugarloaf Mountain | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Tempestade///no///Rio///de///Janeiro///visto///do///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar.jpg]\n# [Copacabana Beach on a sunny day | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Praia///de///Copacabana///-///Rio///de///Janeiro%2C///Brasil.jpg]\n# [Sugarloaf Cable Car approaching the summit | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Bondinho///do///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar///by///Diego///Baravelli.jpg]\n\n# Demographics\nAccording to the [2010 IBGE Census](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics), there were 5,940,224 people residing in the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nSince 1960, when it was surpassed by [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), the city of Rio de Janeiro has been the second-most populous city in Brazil.\n\n## Ethnic groups\nThe [2022 census](https://bliptext.com/articles/2022-brazilian-census) revealed the following numbers: [White Brazilian](https://bliptext.com/articles/white-brazilian) (45.4% or 2,821,619); [Mixed](https://bliptext.com/articles/pardo-brazilian) (38.7% or 2,403,895); [Black](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) (15.6% or 968,428); [Asian](https://bliptext.com/articles/asian-brazilian) (10,514 or 0.2%); [Indigenous](https://bliptext.com/articles/native-brazilian) (6,531 or 0.1%).\nThe population of Rio de Janeiro was 53.2% [female](https://bliptext.com/articles/fe[male](https://bliptext.com/articles/male)) and 46.8% [male](https://bliptext.com/articles/male).\nThe [black community](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) was formed by residents whose ancestors had been brought as slaves, mostly from [Angola](https://bliptext.com/articles/angola) and [Mozambique](https://bliptext.com/articles/mozambique), as well by people of [Angola](https://bliptext.com/articles/angola)n, Mozambican and [West African](https://bliptext.com/articles/west-african) descent who moved to Rio from other parts of Brazil.\nNearly half of the city's population is by phenotype mixed or black.\n[White](https://bliptext.com/articles/white-brazilian) in Brazil is defined more by having a European-looking [phenotype](https://bliptext.com/articles/phenotype) rather than ancestry, and two full [siblings](https://bliptext.com/articles/sibling) can be of different \"racial\" categories in a [skin color](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-skin-color) and [phenotype](https://bliptext.com/articles/phenotype) continuum from pálido (branco) or fair-skinned, through branco [moreno](https://bliptext.com/articles/moreno) or swarthy Caucasian, mestiço claro or lighter skinned multiracial, pardo (mixed race) to negro or [black](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-people).\n[Pardo](https://bliptext.com/articles/pardo), for example, in popular usage includes those who are [caboclos](https://bliptext.com/articles/caboclo) ([mestizos](https://bliptext.com/articles/mestizo)), mulatos ([mulattoes](https://bliptext.com/articles/mulattoes)), [cafuzos](https://bliptext.com/articles/cafuzo) ([zambos](https://bliptext.com/articles/zambo)), juçaras (archaic term for [tri-racials](https://bliptext.com/articles/multiracial)) and westernized [Amerindians](https://bliptext.com/articles/indigenous-peoples-of-brazil) (which are called [caboclos](https://bliptext.com/articles/caboclo) as well), being more of a skin color rather than a racial group in particular.\n\n## Immigration and migration\nDifferent ethnic groups contributed to the formation of the population of Rio de Janeiro.\nBefore European colonization, there were at least seven different [indigenous peoples](https://bliptext.com/articles/indigenous-peoples-in-brazil) speaking 20 languages in the region.\nA part of them joined the Portuguese and the other the French.\nThose who joined the [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-brazilian) were then exterminated by the Portuguese, while the other part was assimilated.\nRio de Janeiro is home to the largest [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-brazilian) population outside of [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) in Portugal.\nAfter independence from Portugal, Rio de Janeiro became a destination for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Portugal, mainly in the early 20th century.\nThe immigrants were mostly poor peasants who subsequently found prosperity in Rio as city workers and small traders.\nThe Portuguese cultural influence is still seen in many parts of the city (and many other parts of the state of Rio de Janeiro), including architecture and [language](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-language).\nMost Brazilians with some cultural contact with Rio know how to easily differentiate between the local dialect, fluminense, and other Brazilian dialects.\nPeople of [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-brazilian) ancestry predominate in most of the state.\nThe Brazilian census of 1920 showed that 39.7% of the Portuguese who lived in Brazil lived in Rio de Janeiro.\nIncluding all of the Rio de Janeiro, the proportion raised to 46.3% of the Portuguese who lived in Brazil.\nThe numerical presence of the Portuguese was extremely high, accounting for 72% of the foreigners who lived in the capital.\nPortuguese born people accounted for 20.4% of the population of Rio, and those with a Portuguese father or a Portuguese mother accounted for 30.8%.\nIn other words, native born Portuguese and their children accounted for 51.2% of the inhabitants of Rio, or a total of 267,664 people in 1890.\nAs a result of the influx of immigrants to Brazil from the late 19th to the early 20th century, also found in Rio de Janeiro and [its metropolitan area](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro) are communities of [Levantine Arabs](https://bliptext.com/articles/arab-brazilian) who are mostly [Christian](https://bliptext.com/articles/arab-christians) or [Irreligious](https://bliptext.com/articles/irreligion-in-brazil), [Spaniards](https://bliptext.com/articles/spanish-immigration-to-brazil), [Italians](https://bliptext.com/articles/italian-brazilian), [Germans](https://bliptext.com/articles/german-brazilian), [Japanese](https://bliptext.com/articles/japanese-brazilians),\nAccording to an autosomal DNA study from 2009, conducted on a school in the poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro, the \"pardos\" there were found to be on average about 80% European, and the \"whites\" (who thought of themselves as \"very mixed\") were found to carry very little Amerindian and/or African admixtures.\nThe results of the tests of genomic ancestry are quite different from the self made estimates of European ancestry.\nIn general, the test results showed that European ancestry is far more important than the students thought it would be.\nThe \"pardos\" for example thought of themselves as 1/3 European, 1/3 African and 1/3 Amerindian before the tests, and yet their ancestry on average reached 80% European.\nOther studies showed similar results\n# [Portuguese immigrant in Rio de Janeiro, considered the largest \"Portuguese city\" outside Portugal | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Afot3602.jpg]\n\n## Religion\nReligion in Rio de Janeiro is diverse, with [Catholic Christianity](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-christianity) being the majority religion.\nAccording to data from the [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics) (IBGE), in 2010 the population of Rio de Janeiro had 3,229,192 [Roman Catholics](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-church-in-brazil) (51.1%), 1,477,021 [Protestants](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestantism-in-brazil) (23.4%), 372.851 [Spiritists](https://bliptext.com/articles/kardecist-spiritism) (5.9%), 37,974 [Jehovah's Witnesses](https://bliptext.com/articles/jehovah-s-witnesses) (0.6%), 75,075 [Buddhists](https://bliptext.com/articles/buddhism-in-brazil) (0.2%), 52,213 [Umbanda](https://bliptext.com/articles/umbanda) (0.8%), 21,800 [Jews](https://bliptext.com/articles/judaism) (0.3%), 25,743 [Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-catholic-apostolic-church) (0.4%), 16,776 new eastern religious (0.2%), 28,843 [Candomblé](https://bliptext.com/articles/candombl) (0.4%), 3,853 [Mormons](https://bliptext.com/articles/mormon) (<0.1%), 5,751 [Eastern Orthodox](https://bliptext.com/articles/eastern-orthodox) Christians (<0.1%), 7,394 spiritualists (0.1%), 964 [Muslims](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam-in-brazil) (<0.1%), 5,662 esoteric (<0.1%) and 802 [Hindus](https://bliptext.com/articles/hindu) (<0.1%).\n858,704 had no religion (13.5%), and 113,530 followed other forms of Christianity (1.8%).\nRio de Janeiro has had a rich and influential Catholic tradition.\nThe [Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-sebasti-o-do-rio-de-janeiro) is the second largest archdiocese in Brazil after [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-paulo).\nThe [Rio de Janeiro Cathedral](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-cathedral) was inaugurated in 1979, in the central region of the city.\nIts installations have a collection of great historical and religious value: the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art and the Archdiocesan Archive.\nIn a [Contemporary architecture](https://bliptext.com/articles/contemporary-architecture), it has a conical shape, with 96 meters of internal diameter and capacity to receive up to 20 thousand faithful.\nThe splendor of the building, with straight and sober lines, is due to the changing stained glass windows carved on the walls up to the dome.\nIts design and execution was coordinated by [Monsignor](https://bliptext.com/articles/monsignor) Ivo Antônio Calliari (1918–2005).\n[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) is recognized as the city's [patron saint](https://bliptext.com/articles/patron-saint), which is why it received the canonical name of \"[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) of Rio de Janeiro.\"\nMany [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant) creeds coexist in the city, [Presbyterian](https://bliptext.com/articles/presbyterian), [Congregational](https://bliptext.com/articles/congregational-churches), [Lutheran](https://bliptext.com/articles/lutheran) and [Anglican](https://bliptext.com/articles/anglican) Churches.\nIn addition to evangelical churches such as the [Baptist](https://bliptext.com/articles/baptist), [Methodist](https://bliptext.com/articles/methodist), [Seventh-day Adventist](https://bliptext.com/articles/seventh-day-adventist) and [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostal) churches, such as the [Universal Church of the Kingdom of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-church-of-the-kingdom-of-god), [Assembly of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/assembly-of-god), [Christian Congregation in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-congregation-in-brazil) and [The Foursquare Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-foursquare-church).\nAfro-Brazilian religions such as [Umbanda](https://bliptext.com/articles/umbanda) and [Candomblé](https://bliptext.com/articles/candombl) find support in various social segments, although professed by less than 2% of the population, many Cariocas simultaneously observe those practices with Roman Catholicism.\n# [Christ the Redeemer | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Aerial///view///of///the///Statue///of///Christ///the///Redeemer.jpg]\n\n### Christianity\nThe [Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-sebasti-o-do-rio-de-janeiro), the Metropolitan See of its respective [Ecclesiastical Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/ecclesiastical-province), belongs to the Regional Episcopal Council Leste I of the [National Conference of Bishops of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-conference-of-bishops-of-brazil) (CNBB) (headquartered in Rio until 1977).\nFounded in 1676, it covers a territory of 1,721 km2.\nThe [Cathedral of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/cathedral-of-st-sebastian-of-rio-de-janeiro), or Metropolitan Cathedral, was inaugurated in 1979 in the [central region](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-region-rio-de-janeiro) of the city.\nIts facilities house a collection of great historical and religious value: the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art and the Archdiocesan Archive.\nThe Banco da Providência and the Archdiocesan Caritas are also based there.\nIn a contemporary architectural style, it has a conical shape, with an internal diameter of 96 meters and a capacity to hold up to 20,000 worshippers.\nThe splendor of the building, with its straight and sober lines, is due to the changing [stained glass windows](https://bliptext.com/articles/stained-glass-windows) carved into the walls up to the [dome](https://bliptext.com/articles/dome).\nIts design and execution were coordinated by [Monsignor](https://bliptext.com/articles/monsignor) [Ivo Antônio Calliari](https://bliptext.com/articles/ivo-ant-nio-calliari) (1918–2005).\n[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-narbonne) is recognized as the [patron saint](https://bliptext.com/articles/patron-saint) of the city, which is why it received the canonical name \"São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro\".\nThe city is home to various [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestantism) or reformed denominations, exemplified by the [Presbyterian](https://bliptext.com/articles/presbyterian-church-of-brazil), [Congregational](https://bliptext.com/articles/congregational-church), [Lutheran](https://bliptext.com/articles/lutheran) and [Anglican](https://bliptext.com/articles/anglican) churches.\nThere are also evangelical churches such as the [Baptist](https://bliptext.com/articles/baptist), [Methodist](https://bliptext.com/articles/methodist), [Seventh-day Adventist](https://bliptext.com/articles/seventh-day-adventist) churches, and those of [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostalism) origin: [Universal Church of the Kingdom of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-church-of-the-kingdom-of-god), [Assembly of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/assemblies-of-god), [Christian Congregation in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-congregation-in-brazil), [Foursquare Gospel](https://bliptext.com/articles/foursquare-church), [House of Blessing](https://bliptext.com/articles/tabernacle-evangelical-church-of-jesus), God is Love [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostalism) Church, [Christian Maranatha](https://bliptext.com/articles/maranatha-christian-church), and New Life.\n# [Igreja Presbiteriana do Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Catedral///Presbiteriana%2C///Rio///de///Janeiro.jpg]\n\n## Education\nThe [Portuguese language](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-language) is the official and [national language](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-language), and thus the primary language taught in schools.\n[English](https://bliptext.com/articles/english-language) and [Spanish](https://bliptext.com/articles/spanish-language) are also part of the official curriculum.\nThere are also international schools, such as the [American School of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/american-school-of-rio-de-janeiro), Our Lady of Mercy School, SIS Swiss International School, the Corcovado German School, the Lycée Français and the British School of Rio de Janeiro.\nThe city has several universities and research institutes.\nThe [Ministry of Education](https://bliptext.com/articles/ministry-of-education-brazil) has certified approximately 99 upper-learning institutions in Rio.\nThe most prestigious university is the [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro).\nIt is the fifth-best in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america); the second-best in Brazil, second only to the [University of São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-s-o-paulo); and the best in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america), according to the [QS World University Rankings](https://bliptext.com/articles/qs-world-university-rankings).\nSome notable higher education institutions are [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (UFRJ); [Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/universidade-federal-do-estado-do-rio-de-janeiro) (UNIRIO); [Rio de Janeiro State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state-university) (UERJ); [Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/universidade-federal-rural-do-rio-de-janeiro) (UFRRJ, often nicknamed Rural); [Fluminense Federal University](https://bliptext.com/articles/fluminense-federal-university) (UFF); [Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pontifical-catholic-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (PUC-Rio); [Getúlio Vargas Foundation](https://bliptext.com/articles/funda-o-get-lio-vargas) (FGV); [Military Institute of Engineering](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-militar-de-engenharia) (IME); [Superior Institute of Technology in Computer Science of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-superior-de-tecnologia-em-ci-ncias-da-computa-o-do-rio-de-janeiro) (IST-Rio); College of Publicity and Marketing (ESPM); [The Brazilian Center for Research in Physics](https://bliptext.com/articles/centro-brasileiro-de-pesquisas-f-sicas) (CBPF); [National Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-de-matem-tica-pura-e-aplicada) (IMPA); Superior institute of Education of Rio de Janeiro (ISERJ) and [Federal Center of Technological Education Celso Suckow da Fonseca](https://bliptext.com/articles/centro-federal-de-educa-o-tecnol-gica-celso-suckow-da-fonseca) (CEFET/RJ).\nThere are more than 137 upper-learning institutions in whole Rio de Janeiro state.\nThe [Rio de Janeiro State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state-university) (public), [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (public), Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets (private) and [Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pontifical-catholic-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (private) are among the country's top institutions of higher education.\nOther institutes of higher learning include the Colégio Regina Coeli in Usina, notable for having its own [narrow gauge](https://bliptext.com/articles/narrow-gauge-railway) [funicular](https://bliptext.com/articles/funicular) railway on its grounds.\nPrimary schools are largely under municipal administration, while the state plays a more significant role in the extensive network of secondary schools.\nThere are also a small number of schools under federal administration, as is the case of Pedro II School, Colégio de Aplicação da UFRJ and the Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica of Rio de Janeiro (CEFET-RJ).\nIn addition, Rio has an ample offering of private schools that provide education at all levels.\nRio is home to many colleges and universities.\nThe literacy rate for [cariocas](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca) aged 10 and older is nearly 95 percent, well above the national average.\nIn Rio, there were 1,033 primary schools with 25,594 teachers and 667,788 students in 1995.\nThere are 370 secondary schools with 9,699 teachers and 227,892 students.\nThere are 53 University-preparatory schools with 14,864 teachers and 154,447 students.\nThe city has six major universities and 47 private schools of higher learning.\n# [Center for Human Science of the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Centro///ci%C3%AAncias///humanas.JPG]\n# [Superior institute of Education of Rio de Janeiro (ISERJ) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Patioiserj.jpg]\n\n## Social issues\nThere are significant disparities between the rich and the poor in Rio de Janeiro, and different socioeconomic groups are largely segregated into different neighborhoods.\nAlthough the city clearly ranks among the world's major metropolises, large numbers live in slums known as [favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favela), where 95% of the population are poor, compared to 40% in the general population.\nThere have been a number of government initiatives to counter this problem, from the removal of the population from favelas to [housing projects](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-housing) such as [Cidade de Deus](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-de-deus-rio-de-janeiro) to the more recent approach of improving conditions in the favelas and bringing them up to par with the rest of the city, as was the focus of the \"Favela Bairro\" program and deployment of [Pacifying Police Units](https://bliptext.com/articles/pacifying-police-unit).\nRio has more people living in slums than any other city in Brazil, according to the 2010 Census.\nMore than 1,500,000 people live in its 763 favelas, 22% of Rio's total population.\n[São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), the largest city in Brazil, has more favelas (1,020), but proportionally has fewer people living in favelas than Rio.\nRio also has a large proportion of state-sanctioned violence, with about 20% of all killings committed by state security.\nIn 2019, police killed an average of five people each day in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with a total of 1,810 killed in the year.\nThis was more police killings than any year since official records started in 1998.\n# [Rocinha, the largest slum (favela) in Brazil | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/1///rocinha///aerial///pano///2014.jpg]\n\n# Politics\n\n## Municipal government\nIn Rio de Janeiro, the executive power is represented by the mayor and the cabinet of secretaries, in accordance with the model proposed by the Federal Constitution.\nThe Organic Law of the Municipality and the current Master Plan, however, stipulate that the public administration must provide the population with effective tools for the exercise of participatory democracy.\nIn this way, the city is divided into subprefectures, each of which is headed by a sub-mandatory appointed directly by the mayor.\nLegislative power is constituted by the municipal council, composed of 51 councilors elected for four-year terms (in compliance with the provisions of article 29 of the Constitution, which disciplines a minimum number of 42 and a maximum of 55 for municipalities with more than five million inhabitants).\nIt is up to the House to prepare and vote on fundamental laws for the administration and the Executive, especially the participatory budget (Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias).\nAlthough the veto power is granted to the mayor, the process of voting on the laws that oppose him usually generates conflicts between the Executive and the Legislative.\nThere are also municipal councils, which complement the legislative process and the work engendered in the secretariats.\nCompulsorily formed by representatives of various sectors of organized civil society, they are on different fronts — although their effective representation is sometimes questioned.\nThe following are currently in operation: Municipal Council for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (CMPC), Defense of the Environment (CONDEMAM), Health (CMS), the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CMDCA), Education (CME), Social Assistance (CMAS) and Anti-Drugs.\n\n## State government\nAs the capital of the homonymous state, the city is the seat of the state government.\nThe [Guanabara Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-palace) (formerly known as Paço Isabel) is located in the Laranjeiras neighborhood, in the south zone, and is the official seat of the Rio de Janeiro executive power.\nNot to be confused with Palácio Laranjeiras, situated in the same neighborhood, which is the official residence of the governor of Rio de Janeiro.\nThe [Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/legislative-assembly-of-rio-de-janeiro) (ALERJ) is the state legislative body and is headquartered at [Tiradentes Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/tiradentes-palace), where the [Chamber of Deputies of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/chamber-of-deputies-of-brazil) previously functioned.\nThe Court of Justice of the State of Rio de Janeiro (TJRJ) is the highest body of the judiciary in the state.\nIts central court is located in downtown Rio de Janeiro, but, from 2013 to July 2018, some of the courts of this court were moved to Cidade Nova.\n\n## Federal government\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro was successively the capital of the Portuguese colony of the [State of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-of-brazil) (1621–1815), after the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves) (1815–1822), the [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) (1822–1889) and from the Republic of the United States of Brazil (1889–1968) until 1960, when the seat of government was definitively transferred to the then newly built [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia).\nDespite the change in the federal capital, 59% of civil servants in the Executive Branch of federal agencies and public companies remained in the city.\nRio de Janeiro is also the only Brazilian state where the number of federal employees exceeds the number of state employees.\nAbout a third of all federal public bodies and companies remain in the former capital, with 50 public offices, including agencies, autarchies, foundations and public companies, such as the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil), the [National Nuclear Energy Commission](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-nuclear-energy-commission), [Fiocruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/fiocruz), [BNDES](https://bliptext.com/articles/bndes), [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [IBGE](https://bliptext.com/articles/ibge), [Casa da Moeda](https://bliptext.com/articles/casa-da-moeda-do-brasil), the [National Archives](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-national-archives), among others.\n\n## Subdivisions\nZoneamento da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg, [Campo Grande](https://bliptext.com/articles/campo-grande-rio-de-janeiro) and the wealthy newer [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca) district. Rio de Janeiro is administratively divided into 33 distritos (districts) named Regiões Administrativas (\"Administrative Regions\") and 165 bairros (neighborhoods).\nSubprefectures are officially grouped into four regions (or \"zones\"), taking into account geographic position and occupation history; however these do not have any administrative or political power over the municipality.\nThe official political division of the municipality takes into account historical-cultural characteristics to divide the neighborhoods.\nMost of its population is concentrated in the neighborhoods of Campo Grande, Santa Cruz, Bangu, Tijuca, Realengo, Jacarepaguá, Copacabana, Barra da Tijuca, Maré, Guaratiba and Taquara together, these eleven neighborhoods concentrate a population of 1.5 million inhabitants, according to the 2010 census.\nCentro or Downtown is the historic core of the city, as well as its [financial center](https://bliptext.com/articles/financial-center).\nSites of interest include the [Paço Imperial](https://bliptext.com/articles/pa-o-imperial), built during colonial times to serve as a residence for the Portuguese governors of Brazil; many historic churches, such as the [Candelária Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/candel-ria-church) (the former cathedral), São Jose, Santa Lucia, Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Santa Rita, São Francisco de Paula, and the monasteries of Santo Antônio and São Bento.\nThe Centro also houses the modern concrete [Rio de Janeiro Cathedral](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-cathedral).\nAround the [Cinelândia](https://bliptext.com/articles/cinel-ndia) square, there are several landmarks of the [Belle Époque](https://bliptext.com/articles/belle-poque) of Rio, such as the [Municipal Theatre](https://bliptext.com/articles/teatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro) and the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library) building.\nAmong its several museums, the [Museu Nacional de Belas Artes](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes) (National Museum of Fine Arts) and the [Museu Histórico Nacional](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-historical-museum-brazil) (National Historical Museum) are the most important.\nThe [South Zone](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-zone-rio-de-janeiro) (Zona Sul) is composed of several districts, among which are [São Conrado](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-conrado), [Leblon](https://bliptext.com/articles/leblon), [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema), [Arpoador](https://bliptext.com/articles/arpoador), [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro), and [Leme](https://bliptext.com/articles/leme-rio-de-janeiro), which compose Rio's Atlantic beach coastline.\nThe neighborhood 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](https://bliptext.com/articles/fireworks).\nFrom 2001, the fireworks have been launched from boats, to improve the safety of the event.\nThe North Zone (Zona Norte) begins at Grande [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca) (the middle class residential and commercial bairro of [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca)), just west of the city center, and sprawls for miles inland until [Baixada Fluminense](https://bliptext.com/articles/baixada-fluminense) and the city's Northwest.\nThis region is home to the Maracanã (located in Grande Tijuca), once the world's highest capacity [football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) venue, able to hold nearly 199,854 people, as it did for the [World Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/fifa-world-cup) [final](https://bliptext.com/articles/uruguay-v-brazil-[1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup)-fifa-world-cup) of [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup).\nThis region is also home to most of the [samba schools](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba-school) of Rio de Janeiro such as Mangueira, Salgueiro, Império Serrano, Unidos da Tijuca, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, among others.\nSome of the main neighborhoods of Rio's North Zone are Alto da Boa Vista which shares the [Tijuca Rainforest](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest) with the South and Southwest Zones; Tijuca, Vila Isabel, Méier, [São Cristovão](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-crist-v-o-rio-de-janeiro-neighborhood), Madureira, Penha, Manguinhos, Fundão, Olaria among others.\nMany of Rio de Janeiro's [slums](https://bliptext.com/articles/slums) ([favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favelas)), are located in the North Zone.\nWest Zone (Zona Oeste) of Rio de Janeiro is a vaguely defined area that covers some 50% of the city's entire area, including Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhoods.\nThe West Side of Rio has many historic sites because of the old \"Royal Road of Santa Cruz\" that crossed the territory in the regions of Realengo, Bangu, and Campo Grande, finishing at the Royal Palace of Santa Cruz in the Santa Cruz region.\nThe highest peak of the city of Rio de Janeiro is the Pedra Branca Peak (Pico da Pedra Branca) inside the [Pedra Branca State Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedra-branca-state-park).\nIt has an altitude of 1024m.\nThe Pedra Branca State Park (Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca) is the biggest urban state park in the world comprising 17 neighborhoods in the west side, being a \"giant lung\" in the city with trails, waterfalls and historic constructions like an old aqueduct in the Colônia Juliano Moreira in the neighborhood of [Taquara](https://bliptext.com/articles/taquara-rio-de-janeiro) and a dam in [Camorim](https://bliptext.com/articles/camorim).\nSanta Cruz and Campo Grande Region have exhibited economic growth, mainly in the [Campo Grande neighborhood](https://bliptext.com/articles/campo-grande-rio-de-janeiro).\nIndustrial enterprises are being built in lower and lower middle class residential [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), one of the largest and most populous of Rio de Janeiro's neighborhoods, most notably [Ternium Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ternium), a new steel mill with its own private docks on Sepetiba Bay, which is planned to be South America's largest steel works.\nA tunnel called Túnel da Grota Funda, opened in 2012, creating a [public transit](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-transit) facility between Barra da Tijuca and Santa Cruz, lessening travel time to the region from other areas of Rio de Janeiro.\n# [Aerial view of Fort Copacabana, with Copacabana (right) and Ipanema (left, background) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Forte///de///Copacabana///panorama.jpg]\n# [Barra da Tijuca with Pedra da Gávea in background | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Praia///da///Barra///e///Montanhas///do///Parque///Nacional///da///Tijuca.jpg]\n\n# International relations\n\n## Twin towns – sister cities\nRio de Janeiro is [twinned](https://bliptext.com/articles/twin-towns-and-sister-cities) with:\n\n## Partner cities\nRio de Janeiro has the following partner/friendship cities:\n\n## Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities\nRio de Janeiro is a part of the [Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities](https://bliptext.com/articles/union-of-ibero-american-capital-cities).\n\n# Economy\nRio de Janeiro has the second-largest [GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) of any city in Brazil, surpassed only by [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo).\nAccording to the [IBGE](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics), it was approximately US$201 billion in 2008, equivalent to 5.1% of the national total.\nTaking into consideration the network of influence exerted by the urban [metropolis](https://bliptext.com/articles/metropolis) (which covers 11.3% of the population), this share in GDP rises to 14.4%, according to a study released in October 2008 by the IBGE.\nGreater Rio de Janeiro, as perceived by the IBGE, has a GDP of US$187 billion, constituting the second largest hub of national wealth.\nPer capita GDP is US$11,786.\nIt concentrates 68% of the state's economic strength and 7.9% of all goods and services produced in the country.\nThe services sector comprises the largest portion of GDP (65.5%), followed by commerce (23.4%), industrial activities (11.1%) and agriculture (0.1%).\nBenefiting from the federal capital position it had for a long period (1763–1960), the city became a dynamic administrative, financial, commercial and cultural center.\nRio 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.\nThe city was chosen as headquarters for [state-owned](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-property) companies such as [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [Caixa Econômica Federal](https://bliptext.com/articles/caixa-econ-mica-federal), [National Economic and Social Development Bank](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-development-bank) and [Vale](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-mining-company) (which was privatized in the 1990s).\nThe [Rio de Janeiro Stock Exchange](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-stock-exchange) (BVRJ), which currently trades only government securities, was the first stock exchange founded in Brazil in 1845.\nThe off-shore oil exploration in the [Campos Basin](https://bliptext.com/articles/campos-basin) began in 1968 and became the main site for oil production of Brazil.\nThis caused many oil and gas companies to be based in Rio de Janeiro, such as the Brazilian branches of [Shell](https://bliptext.com/articles/royal-dutch-shell), [EBX](https://bliptext.com/articles/ebx-group) and [Esso](https://bliptext.com/articles/esso).\nFor many years Rio was the second largest industrial hub of Brazil, with [oil refineries](https://bliptext.com/articles/oil-refineries), shipbuilding industries, steel, [metallurgy](https://bliptext.com/articles/metallurgy), petrochemicals, cement, [pharmaceutical](https://bliptext.com/articles/pharmaceutic), textile, processed foods and furniture industries.\nMajor international pharmaceutical companies have their Brazilian headquarters in Rio such as: [Merck](https://bliptext.com/articles/merck-kgaa), [Roche](https://bliptext.com/articles/roche-applied-science), Arrow, Darrow, [Baxter](https://bliptext.com/articles/baxter-international), Mayne, and Mappel.\nRecent decades have seen a sharp transformation in its economic profile, which is becoming more and more one of a major national hub of services and businesses.\nThe city is the headquarters of large telecom companies, such as [Intelig](https://bliptext.com/articles/intelig-telecom), [Oi](https://bliptext.com/articles/oi-telecommunications) and [Embratel](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel).\nMajor Brazilian entertainment and media organizations are based in Rio de Janeiro like [Organizações Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/organiza-es-globo) and also some of Brazil's major newspapers: [Jornal do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/jornal-do-brasil), [O Dia](https://bliptext.com/articles/o-dia), and Business Rio.\nTourism and entertainment are other key aspects of the city's economic life.\nThe city is the nation's top tourist attraction for both Brazilians and foreigners.\nIn Greater Rio, which has one of the highest per capita incomes in Brazil, retail trade is substantial.\nMany of the most important retail stores are located in the center, but others are scattered throughout the commercial areas of the other districts, where shopping centers, supermarkets, and other retail businesses handle a large volume of consumer trade.\nRio de Janeiro is the second largest exporting municipality in Brazil.\nAnnually, Rio exported a total of $7.49B (USD) worth of goods.\nThe top three goods exported by the municipality were [crude petroleum](https://bliptext.com/articles/petroleum) (40%), [semi finished iron product](https://bliptext.com/articles/semi-finished-casting-products) (16%), and semi finished steel products (11%).\nMaterial categories of mineral products (42%) and metals (29%) make up 71% of all exports from Rio.\nCompared to other cities, Rio de Janeiro's economy is the second-largest in Brazil, behind [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), and the [30th largest in the world](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-by-gdp) with a GDP of [R$](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-real) 201,9 billion in 2010.\nThe per capita income for the city was R$22,903 in 2007 (around US$14,630).\nLargely because of the strength of Brazil's currency at the time, [Mercer](https://bliptext.com/articles/mercer-consulting-firm)'s [city rankings of cost of living for expatriate employees](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-most-expensive-cities-for-expatriate-employees), reported that Rio de Janeiro ranked 12th among the most expensive cities in the world in 2011, up from the 29th position in 2010, just behind São Paulo (ranked 10th), and ahead of London, Paris, [Milan](https://bliptext.com/articles/milan), and New York.\nRio also had the most expensive hotel rates in Brazil, and the daily rate of its [five star hotels](https://bliptext.com/articles/five-star-hotel) were the second most expensive in the world after only New York.\n# [Downtown Rio, in the financial district of the city | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Urca%2C///Rio///de///Janeiro///-///State///of///Rio///de///Janeiro%2C///Brazil///-///panoramio///%2814%29.jpg]\n# [Botafogo with the Sugarloaf Mountain | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7ucar///-///Sugarloaf///Mountain///-///Zuckerhut///-///Botafago.jpg]\n# [Largo da Carioca, in Downtown Rio | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Convento///de///Santo///Ant%C3%B4nio///do///Largo///da///Carioca///19.jpg]\n# [Barra da Tijuca | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Barra///da///Tijuca///-///panoramio.jpg]\n\n## Highlighted Sectors\nRio de Janeiro is home to many of Brazil's largest business conglomerates.\nAmong them are the three largest multinationals in the energy and mining sectors: [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Vale S.A.](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-s-a), and the [EBX Group](https://bliptext.com/articles/ebx-group); the largest media and communications group in Latin America, [Grupo Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/grupo-globo); and major telecommunications companies like [CorpCo](https://bliptext.com/articles/corpco) (owner of [Oi](https://bliptext.com/articles/oi-company) and [Portugal Telecom](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal-telecom)), [TIM](https://bliptext.com/articles/tim-brasil), [Embratel](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel), [Intelig](https://bliptext.com/articles/intelig), and [Star One](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel-star-one) (the largest satellite management company in Latin America).\nIn the petrochemical sector, there are more than 700 companies, including Brazil's largest ([Shell](https://bliptext.com/articles/shell-plc), [Esso](https://bliptext.com/articles/esso), [Ipiranga](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipiranga-company), [Chevron](https://bliptext.com/articles/chevron-corporation), [PRIO](https://bliptext.com/articles/prio), [Repsol](https://bliptext.com/articles/repsol)).\nMost maintain research centers throughout the state and together produce over four-fifths of the petroleum and fuels distributed at service stations nationwide.\nThe [Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional](https://bliptext.com/articles/companhia-sider-rgica-nacional) (CSN), [Ternium Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ternium-brasil) (the largest steel mill in Latin America ) and the Brazilian branch of [BHP Billiton](https://bliptext.com/articles/bhp) play significant roles in the mining sector.\nThe city also hosts the main national and international groups of the [shipbuilding industry](https://bliptext.com/articles/shipbuilding-industry) and the largest shipyards in the state and throughout Brazil, which produce about 90% of the ships and [offshore](https://bliptext.com/articles/offshore-construction) equipment in Brazil.\n[Americanas](https://bliptext.com/articles/americanas), [Coca-Cola Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/coca-cola-brasil), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [Michelin](https://bliptext.com/articles/michelin), [Neoenergia](https://bliptext.com/articles/neoenergia), [Xerox do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/xerox), GE Oil & Gas, [Light](https://bliptext.com/articles/light-s-a), [Chemtech](https://bliptext.com/articles/chemtech), [Transpetro](https://bliptext.com/articles/transpetro), [BAT Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/bat-brasil), [Grupo SulAmérica](https://bliptext.com/articles/sulam-rica-seguros) and [Vibra Energia](https://bliptext.com/articles/vibra-energia) are among the major companies headquartered in the city.\nThe city has a significant number of pharmaceutical industries, including [Schering-Plough](https://bliptext.com/articles/schering-plough), [GlaxoSmithKline](https://bliptext.com/articles/glaxosmithkline), [Roche](https://bliptext.com/articles/hoffmann-la-roche), and [Merck](https://bliptext.com/articles/merck-kgaa).\nRio de Janeiro has inherited a strong cultural vocation from its past.\nIt currently hosts the main production centers of Brazilian television: the [Estúdios Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-dios-globo) of [TV Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/tv-globo), the [Casablanca Estúdios](https://bliptext.com/articles/casablanca-est-dios) of [Record](https://bliptext.com/articles/record-tv-network), and the Polo de Cinema de Jacarepaguá — responsible for creating about 10,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs.\nIn 2006, 65% of Brazilian cinema production was done exclusively by studios in Rio, generating 91 million reais in federal funds through [tax incentive laws](https://bliptext.com/articles/rouanet-law).\nA significant part of the Brazilian editorial graphic industry is also present.\nIn the phonographic industry, companies such as [EMI](https://bliptext.com/articles/emi), [Universal Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-music-group), [Sony Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/sony-music), [Warner Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/warner-music-brasil) and [Som Livre](https://bliptext.com/articles/som-livre) are present.\nMany state-owned companies, public foundations, and federal autarchies have their headquarters in the city, including the [National Bank for Economic and Social Development](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-bank-for-economic-and-social-development) (BNDES), the [Casa da Moeda do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/casa-da-moeda-do-brasil), the [Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ind-strias-nucleares-do-brasil) (INB), the [Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos](https://bliptext.com/articles/financiadora-de-estudos-e-projetos) (FINEP), the [Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-brasileiro-de-geografia-e-estat-stica) (IBGE), the [Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-de-metrologia-qualidade-e-tecnologia) (Inmetro), the [Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-da-propriedade-industrial-brasil) (INPI), the [Comissão de Valores Mobiliários](https://bliptext.com/articles/comiss-o-de-valores-mobili-rios) (CVM), and the [Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear](https://bliptext.com/articles/comiss-o-nacional-de-energia-nuclear) (CNEN).\n# [Headquarters building of Petrobras | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Edise.jpg]\n# [Replica of the Ganges River at the scenic city of Projac, the second-largest television complex in Latin America | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Projac%2C///Globo.jpg]\n\n## Tourism\nRio de Janeiro is Brazil's primary tourist attraction and resort.\nIt receives the most visitors per year of any city in South America with 2.82 million international tourists a year.\nAttractions in the city include approximately 80 kilometers of beaches, [Corcovado](https://bliptext.com/articles/corcovado) and [Sugarloaf](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) mountains, and the [Maracanã Stadium](https://bliptext.com/articles/maracan-stadium).\nWhile the city had in past had a thriving tourism sector, the industry entered a decline in the last quarter of the 20th century.\nAnnual international airport arrivals dropped from 621,000 to 378,000 and average hotel occupancy dropped to 50% between 1985 and 1993.\nThe fact that [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia) replaced Rio de Janeiro as the Brazilian capital in 1960 and that [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo) replaced Rio as the country's commercial, financial and main cultural center during the mid-20th century, has also been cited as a leading cause of the decline.\nRio de Janeiro's government has since undertaken to modernize the city's economy, reduce its chronic social inequalities, and improve its commercial standing as part of an initiative for the regeneration of the tourism industry.\nRio de Janeiro is an international hub of highly active and diverse [nightlife](https://bliptext.com/articles/nightlife) with [bars](https://bliptext.com/articles/bar-establishment), dance [bars](https://bliptext.com/articles/bar-establishment) and [nightclubs](https://bliptext.com/articles/nightclub) staying open well past midnight.\nThe city is an important global [LGBT destination](https://bliptext.com/articles/lgbt-tourism), with 1 million LGBT tourists visiting each year.\nThe Farme de Amoedo Street \"Rua Farme de Amoedo\" is located in Ipanema, a neighborhood in the South Zone of the city.\nThe street and the nearby beach are popular in the LGBT community.\n# [Ipanema beach | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Ipanema///Paradise.jpg]\n# [Museum of Tomorrow | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Museu///do///Amanh%C3%A3///-///entrada///%2828044443423%29.jpg]\n\n# Infrastructure\n\n## Transportation\n\n### Airports\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro is served by the following airports for use:\nMilitary airports include:\n# [Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Aeroporto///galeao///rj///ME.jpg]\n# [Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont National Airport | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Aeroporto///do///Rio///de///Janeiro///RJ///Santos///Dumont///2.jpg]\n\n### Ports\nThe [Port of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/port-of-rio-de-janeiro) is Brazil's third busiest port in terms of cargo volume, and it is the center for cruise vessels.\nLocated on the west coast of the [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay), it serves the States of Rio de Janeiro, [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo-state), Minas Gerais, and [Espírito Santo](https://bliptext.com/articles/esp-rito-santo).\nThe port is managed by Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro.\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro covers territory from the Mauá Pier in the east to the Wharf of the Cashew in the north.\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro contains almost 7 e3m of continuous wharf and an 883 m pier.\nThe Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro administers directly the Wharf of the Gamboa general [cargo terminal](https://bliptext.com/articles/container-terminal); the wheat terminal with two warehouses capable of moving 300 tons of grains; General Load Terminal 2 with warehouses covering over 20 e3m2; and the Wharves of Are Cristovao with terminals for wheat and liquid bulk.\nAt the Wharf of Gamboa, leaseholders operate terminals for sugar, paper, iron and steel products.\nLeaseholders at the Wharf of the Cashew operate terminals for [roll-on/roll-off](https://bliptext.com/articles/roll-on-roll-off) cargoes, containers, and liquid bulk.\nIn 2004, the Port of Rio de Janeiro handled over seven million tons of cargo on almost 1700 vessels.\nIn 2004, the Port of Rio de Janeiro handled over two million tons of containerized cargo in almost 171 thousand TEUs.\nThe port handled 852 thousand tons of wheat, more than 1.8 million tons of iron and steel, over a million tons of liquid bulk cargo, almost 830 thousand tons of dry bulk, over five thousand tons of paper goods, and over 78 thousand vehicles.\nIn 2003, over 91 thousand passengers moved through the Port of Rio Janeiro on 83 cruise vessels.\n# [Port of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Cruise///Ship///Costa///Serena///docked///in///Rio///de///Janeiro///%28city%29///-///Feb.///2011.jpg]\n\n### Public transportation\nIn Rio de Janeiro, buses are the main form of [public transportation](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-transportation).\nThere are nearly 440 municipal bus lines serving over four million passengers every day, in addition to intercity lines.\nAlthough cheap and frequent, Rio's transportation policy has been moving towards trains and subway in order to reduce surface congestion and increase carrier capacity.\nRio's public transportation service has been a target of many critics and the motive of the [2013 protests and manifestations](https://bliptext.com/articles/2013-protests-in-brazil) that started in São Paulo and spread through the entire country.\nAccording to the people, the raise in the bus and subway fares are invalid, seeing that the amount charged is too high for the low quality of the services.\nThe average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Rio de Janeiro, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 95 min. 32% of public transit riders, ride for more than two hours every day.\nThe average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 19 min, while 35% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day.\nThe average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 12.3 km, while 37% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.\n# [Public transport map of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Public///transport///map///of///Rio///de///Janeiro.png]\n\n#### Urban rail\nThe Rio de Janeiro Metro has three [subway](https://bliptext.com/articles/rapid-transit) lines with 58 km and 41 stations plus several [commuter rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/commuter-rail) lines.\nThe [Metro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rapid-transit) is Rio's safest and cleanest form of public transport in the city.\nThe first line runs from [General Osório](https://bliptext.com/articles/tom-jobim-station) in [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema) to Uruguai Station in [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca); the second runs from [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo) terminating at Pavuna in northern Rio; and the third line [General Osório](https://bliptext.com/articles/tom-jobim-station) to [Jardim Oceânico Station](https://bliptext.com/articles/jardim-oce-nico-station), in Barra da [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca) neighborhood.\nIntegration with buses are possible in several forms.\nThe city also has a [commuter rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/commuter-rail) system operated by SuperVia that connects the city of Rio with other locations in [Greater Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro) with surface trains.\nIt has 8 lines and 270 km, with 102 stations.\nIt carries around 750,000 [passengers](https://bliptext.com/articles/passenger) a day on a railroad network comprising 104 stations in 12 cities: Rio de Janeiro, [Duque de Caxias](https://bliptext.com/articles/duque-de-caxias-rio-de-janeiro), [Guapimirim](https://bliptext.com/articles/guapimirim), [Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u), [Nilópolis](https://bliptext.com/articles/nil-polis), [Mesquita](https://bliptext.com/articles/mesquita-rio-de-janeiro), [Queimados](https://bliptext.com/articles/queimados), [São João de Meriti](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-jo-o-de-meriti), [Belford Roxo](https://bliptext.com/articles/belford-roxo), [Japeri](https://bliptext.com/articles/japeri), [Paracambi](https://bliptext.com/articles/paracambi) and [Magé](https://bliptext.com/articles/mag).\nThe Rio de Janeiro Light Rail is a modern [light rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/light-rail) system serving with 28 km, 42 stations, distributed in 3 lines.\nThe trams are the first in the world to use a combination of ground-level power supply (APS) and on-board supercapacitor energy storage (SRS), in order to eliminate overhead lines along the entire route.\nThe network uses 32 [Alstom Citadis](https://bliptext.com/articles/alstom-citadis) 402 [low-floor trams](https://bliptext.com/articles/low-floor-tram) carrying 420 passengers each.\nThey are [bi-directional](https://bliptext.com/articles/bi-directional-vehicle), [air-conditioned](https://bliptext.com/articles/air-conditioning), have seven sections, and eight doors per side.\nThe Santa Teresa Tram is the oldest operating electric [tramway](https://bliptext.com/articles/tram) in Latin America, commenced electric operation in 1896, replacing [horse-drawn trams](https://bliptext.com/articles/horsecar) and extending the route.\nAt this time the gauge was altered to, which remains the case today.\nIt was designated a national historic monument in 1985.\nAfter a [derailment](https://bliptext.com/articles/derailment) occurred on 27 August 2011, which left six dead, tram service was suspended to improve the system.\nThe elderly tramcars, which dated from the 1950s, were retired and replaced with newly built replicas that have the appearance of the old fleet but with new mechanical equipment and additional safety features; delivery began in 2014.\nThe line's track was also rebuilt, and after some delays, about one-third of the line reopened in July 2015.\nMore sections reopened later in stages, following repair of additional sections of track.\nThe line was restored to its full pre-2011 length of 6 km in January 2019.\n\n#### Ferry\nThe most geographically close sister city to Rio that is on the other side of [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) is [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i).\nMany people who live in Niterói, as well its neighboring municipalities [São Gonçalo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-gon-alo-rio-de-janeiro) and [Maricá](https://bliptext.com/articles/maric), commute to Rio de Janeiro to study and work.\nThere are several ferry services that operate between the Rio Centro ([Praça XV](https://bliptext.com/articles/pra-a-xv-station)) and Niterói (Centro and Charitas).\nThere is a traditional boat as well as several \"fast cat\" [hydrofoil](https://bliptext.com/articles/hydrofoil) boats.\nOne of the city neighborhoods is [Paquetá Island](https://bliptext.com/articles/paquet-island), which can only be accessed by ferryboats or hydrofoil boats.\nThe ferryboat to Paquetá leaves every hour, from early in the morning until around midnight.\nThere is also a ferry to [Cocotá](https://bliptext.com/articles/cocot).\n# [Rio de Janeiro ferry | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Barca///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar///%282%29.jpg]\n\n#### Buses\nCity buses, which come in both non-air conditioned and air conditioned versions, cost about R$4,30 to ride.\nThe system may be relatively safe by day but less so at night.\nIntegration of bus lines has been recently implemented, allowing users to take two non-air conditioned bus rides in two hours paying just one ticket.\nIt is necessary to have a registered electronic card (the \"Bilhete Único Carioca (BUC)\") in order to benefit of this system.\nAnother type of local bus is called the \"Frescão\" (air-conditioned).\nThese buses run several routes, the main being from Centro through Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema to Leblon (and vice versa), and from the International Airport to Barra, through the beach road.\nThey are air conditioned – about 22 °C – more upscale/comfortable and cost between R$13.35–R$19.95.\nHowever, it is only available during weekdays.\nThe buses also run more frequently during the rush hours in the morning and evening.\nGoing in the direction of Centro (city center), the bus can be flagged down on the beach road (buses with plaques showing \"Castelo\").\n# [TransOeste Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Rio///01///2013///TransOeste///5811.JPG]\n\n### Road transport\nDriving in Rio de Janeiro, as in most large cities of Brazil, might not be the best choice because of the large car numbers.\nThe city is served by a number of expressways, like Linha Vermelha, Linha Amarela, [Avenida Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/avenida-brasil-rio-de-janeiro), Avenida das Américas and Avenida Infante Dom Henrique ([Aterro do Flamengo](https://bliptext.com/articles/aterro-do-flamengo)); in spite of this, traffic jams are very common.\nBecause of the organization of the [2016 Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-olympics) the city is installing four [BRT](https://bliptext.com/articles/bus-rapid-transit) systems to link [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca) with other major neighborhoods: [TransOlimpica](https://bliptext.com/articles/transolimpica) (between Barra and [Deodoro](https://bliptext.com/articles/deodoro-rio-de-janeiro)); TransBrasil (over the [Avenida Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/avenida-brasil-rio-de-janeiro) expressway); [TransCarioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/transcarioca) (between Barra and the Galeão International Airport); and [TransOeste](https://bliptext.com/articles/transoeste) (between Barra and [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), over Avenida das Américas).\nIn Brazil, most interstate transportation is done by road.\nA large terminal for long-distance buses is in the Santo Cristo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.\nThere are also two port facilities for cargo and passenger ships (Rio de Janeiro and [Sepetiba](https://bliptext.com/articles/sepetiba) port).\nRio has roads to all neighbor [States](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-brazil).\nSome roads (like [Via Dutra](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodovia-presidente-dutra), to São Paulo, and a stretch of the BR-101 which covers the Rio-Niterói bridge) were chartered to private enterprises.\nThe quality of the highways improved much, but was accompanied by a significant increase of the toll fees.\nFrom [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo): take the BR-116 (Presidente Dutra Federal Highway) or the [BR-101](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-highway-system) (Rio-Santos Federal Highway).\nFrom [Belo Horizonte](https://bliptext.com/articles/belo-horizonte): BR-040.\nFrom [Salvador](https://bliptext.com/articles/salvador-bahia): BR-101 or [BR-324](https://bliptext.com/articles/br-324)/BR-116/BR-393/BR-040.\n# [Rio-Niterói Bridge | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Bridge///to///Niteroi.jpg]\n\n### Bicycles\nThe city has 160 km of cycle paths that, wherever they exist, are very much preferable to riding in the city's traffic.\nMost paths run alongside beaches and extend intermittently from the [Marina da Glória](https://bliptext.com/articles/marina-da-gl-ria), Centro, through Flamengo, Copacabana and Ipanema, to Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes.\n6 km of cycle paths traverse the [Tijuca National Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest).\nThe [Bike Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/bike-rio) began operations in October 2011.\nThis [bicycle sharing system](https://bliptext.com/articles/bicycle-sharing-system) is sponsored by the municipal government of Rio de Janeiro in partnership with [Banco Itaú](https://bliptext.com/articles/ita-unibanco).\nThe bike sharing system has 600 bicycles available at 60 rental stations in 14 neighborhoods throughout the city.\n# [Bike Rio rental station in Mauá Square, Downtown Rio | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/BikeRio///11///2015///Pra%C3%A7a///Mau%C3%A1///706.JPG]\n\n## Water and sanitation\nonly 65% of sewage was properly treated, leaving 35% to be improperly discharged.\nthere were at least 400 illicit sewage disposal points in the drainage network.\nNational policy changes in 2020–2021 for the universalization of sanitation kept the 2007 policy defining the municipality as the provider of sanitation service, delegating the organization, supervision, and provision of services to third parties.\nThe National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) is responsible for the setting standards regulating basic public sanitation services.\nIn 2021–2022, distribution and treatment of sewage of the [Rio State](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) Water and Sewage Company (CEDAE) was divided into four blocks and auctioned to Aegea (Águas do Rio) and Iguá; CEDAE remained in control of water collection and treatment of drinking water.\nThe Rio State Environmental Institute (INEA) has primary responsibility for water pollution monitoring and enforcement.\n\n# Culture\nRio de Janeiro is a main cultural hub in Brazil.\nIts architecture embraces churches and buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, blending with the world-renowned designs of the 20th century.\nRio was home to the [Portuguese Imperial family](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal) and capital of the country for many years, and was influenced by [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/architecture-of-portugal), [English](https://bliptext.com/articles/architecture-of-england), and [French architecture](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-architecture).\nRio de Janeiro has inherited a strong cultural role from the past.\nIn the late 19th century, there were sessions held of the first Brazilian film and since then, several production cycles have spread out, eventually placing Rio at the forefront of experimental and national cinema.\nThe [Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-international-film-festival) has been held annually since 1999.\nRio currently brings together the main production centers of Brazilian television.\nMajor international films set in Rio de Janeiro include [Blame it on Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/blame-it-on-rio); the [James Bond film](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-bond-in-film) Moonraker; the Oscar award-winning, critically acclaimed [Central Station](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-station-film) by [Walter Salles](https://bliptext.com/articles/walter-salles), who is also one of Brazil's best-known directors; and the Oscar award-winning historical drama, [Black Orpheus](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-orpheus), which depicted the early days of Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.\nInternationally distributed Brazilian-made movies illustrating a darker side of Rio de Janeiro include [Elite Squad](https://bliptext.com/articles/elite-squad) and City of God.\nRio has many important cultural landmarks, such as the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library), one of the largest libraries in the world with collections totalling more than 9 million items; the [Theatro Municipal](https://bliptext.com/articles/teatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro); the [National Museum of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes); the [Carmen Miranda Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/carmen-miranda-museum); the [Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-botanical-garden); the [Parque Lage](https://bliptext.com/articles/parque-lage); the [Quinta da Boa Vista](https://bliptext.com/articles/quinta-da-boa-vista); the [Imperial Square](https://bliptext.com/articles/pa-o-imperial); the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras); the [Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/museum-of-modern-art-rio-de-janeiro); and the [Natural History Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-museum-of-brazil).\n# [Museum of Modern Art | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/MAM///-///Museu///de///Arte///Moderna///do///Rio///de///Janeiro///02.jpg]\n# [National Museum of Fine Arts | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Esculturas%2C///Museu///Nacional///de///Belas///Artes///02.jpg]\n# [Christ the Redeemer | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Rio///de///Janeiro///-///Cristo///Redentor///01.jpg]\n\n## Literature\nAfter Brazilian independence from Portugal in 1822, Rio de Janeiro quickly developed a [European-style](https://bliptext.com/articles/culture-of-europe) bourgeois cultural life, including numerous newspapers, in which most 19th-century novels were initially published in serial.\n[Joaquim Manuel de Macedo](https://bliptext.com/articles/joaquim-manuel-de-macedo)'s [A Moreninha](https://bliptext.com/articles/a-moreninha-novel) (1844) was perhaps the first successful novel in Brazil and inaugurates a recurrent 19th-century theme: a romantic relationship between idealistic young people in spite of cruelties of social fortune.\nThe first notable work of realism focusing on the urban [lower-middle class](https://bliptext.com/articles/lower-middle-class) is [Manuel Antônio de Almeida](https://bliptext.com/articles/manuel-ant-nio-de-almeida)'s [Memórias de um sargento de milícias](https://bliptext.com/articles/mem-rias-de-um-sargento-de-mil-cias) (1854), which presents a series of picaresque scenes, and evokes the transformation of a town into a city with suggestive nostalgia.\nRomantic and realist modes both flourished through the late 19th century and often overlapped within works.\n[Machado de Assis](https://bliptext.com/articles/machado-de-assis) is from Rio de Janeiro, and is widely regarded as the greatest writer of [Brazilian literature](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-literature) and considered the founder of [Realism](https://bliptext.com/articles/realism-arts) in Brazil, with the publication of [The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-posthumous-memoirs-of-bras-cubas) (1881).\nHe commented on and criticized the political and social events of the city and country such as the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the transition from [Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) to Republic with his numerous [chronicles](https://bliptext.com/articles/chronicle) published in newspapers of the time.\nMany of his short stories and novels, like [Quincas Borba](https://bliptext.com/articles/quincas-borba) (1891) and [Dom Casmurro](https://bliptext.com/articles/dom-casmurro) (1899), are placed in Rio.\nThe headquarters of the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras) is based in Rio de Janeiro.\nIt was satirized by the novelist [Jorge Amado](https://bliptext.com/articles/jorge-amado) in [Pen, Sword, Camisole](https://bliptext.com/articles/pen-sword-camisole).\nAmado, himself, went on to be one of the 40 members of the academy.\nThe Biblioteca Nacional ([National Library of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil)) ranks as one of the largest libraries in the world.\nIt is also the largest library in all of Latin America.\nLocated in [Cinelândia](https://bliptext.com/articles/cinel-ndia), the National Library was originally created by the King of Portugal, in 1810.\nAs with many of Rio de Janeiro's cultural monuments, the library was originally off-limits to the general public.\nThe most valuable collections in the library include: 4,300 items donated by Barbosa Machado including a precious collection of rare brochures detailing the [History of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/history-of-portugal) and [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/history-of-brazil); 2,365 items from the 17th and 18th centuries that were previously owned by Antônio de Araújo de Azevedo, the \"Count of Barca\", including the 125-volume set of prints \"Le Grand Théâtre de l'Univers;\" a collection of documents regarding the Jesuítica Province of Paraguay and the \"Region of Prata;\" and the Teresa Cristina Maria Collection, donated by [Emperor Pedro II](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-ii-of-brazil).\nThe collection contains 48,236 items.\nIndividual items of special interest include a rare first edition of [Os Lusíadas](https://bliptext.com/articles/os-lus-adas) by [Luis de Camões](https://bliptext.com/articles/lu-s-de-cam-es), published in 1584; two copies of the Mogúncia Bible; and a first edition of Handel's Messiah.\nThe Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (Portuguese Royal Reading Library) is located at Rua Luís de Camões, in the Centro (Downtown).\nThe institution was founded in 1837 by a group of forty-three [Portuguese immigrants](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people), [political refugees](https://bliptext.com/articles/political-refugee), to promote culture among the Portuguese community in the then capital of the Empire.\nThe history of the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras) is linked to the Real Gabinete, since some of the early meetings of the academy were held there.\n# [Brazilian Academy of Letters | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/AcademiaBrasileira1.jpg]\n# [National Library of Brazil | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Biblioteca///nacional///rio///janeiro.jpg]\n# [Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AA%E3%81%AE%E5%B9%BB%E6%83%B3%E5%9B%B3%E6%9B%B8%E9%A4%A8///Real///Gabinete///Portugues///de///Leitura///%288735773218%29.jpg]\n\n## Music\nThe official song of Rio de Janeiro is \"[Cidade Maravilhosa](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-maravilhosa)\", which means \"marvelous city\".\nThe song is considered the civic anthem of Rio, and is always the favorite song during Rio's [Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-carnival) in February.\nRio de Janeiro and São Paulo, are considered the center of the [urban music](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-contemporary) movement in Brazil.\n\"Rio was popularized by the hit song \"[The Girl from Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-girl-from-ipanema)\", composed by [Antônio Carlos Jobim](https://bliptext.com/articles/ant-nio-carlos-jobim) and [Vinicius de Moraes](https://bliptext.com/articles/vinicius-de-moraes) and recorded by [Astrud Gilberto](https://bliptext.com/articles/astrud-gilberto) and [João Gilberto](https://bliptext.com/articles/jo-o-gilberto), [Frank Sinatra](https://bliptext.com/articles/frank-sinatra), and [Ella Fitzgerald](https://bliptext.com/articles/ella-fitzgerald). It is also the main key song of the [bossa nova](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossa-nova), a [music genre](https://bliptext.com/articles/music-genre) born in Rio. A genre unique to Rio and Brazil as a whole is [Funk Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/funk-carioca). While [samba](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba) music continues to act as the national unifying agent in Rio, [Funk Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/funk-carioca) found a strong community following in Brazil. With its genesis in the 1970s as the modern black pop music from the United States, it evolved in the 1990s to describe a variety of [electronic music](https://bliptext.com/articles/electronic-music) associated with the current US [black music](https://bliptext.com/articles/african-american-music) scene, including [hip hop](https://bliptext.com/articles/hip-hop), modern soul, and [house music](https://bliptext.com/articles/house-music).\"\nBrazil's return to democracy in 1985 allowed for a new music expression which promoted creativity and experimentation in expressive culture, in a wave of Rock'n'roll that swept the 80s.\n[Lobão](https://bliptext.com/articles/lob-o-musician) emerged as the most legendary rocker in Brazil.\nCommercial and cultural imports from Europe and North America have often influenced Brazil's own cultural output.\nFor example, the hip hop that has stemmed from New York is localized into forms of musical production such as Funk Carioca and [Brazilian hip hop](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-hip-hop).\nBands from Rio de Janeiro also had influence in the mid-to-late development of the [Punk in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/punk-in-brazil), and that of [Brazilian thrash metal](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-thrash-metal).\nDemocratic renewal also allowed for the recognition and acceptance of this diversification of Brazilian culture.\nSome of the best artists in the history of Brazilian popular music hail from Rio de Janeiro, including aforementioned Lobão, [Tim Maia](https://bliptext.com/articles/tim-maia), [Agepê](https://bliptext.com/articles/agep), [Emílio Santiago](https://bliptext.com/articles/em-lio-santiago), [Evandro Mesquita](https://bliptext.com/articles/evandro-mesquita), [Byafra](https://bliptext.com/articles/byafra), [Erasmo Carlos](https://bliptext.com/articles/erasmo-carlos), [Elymar Santos](https://bliptext.com/articles/elymar-santos), [Kátia Cega](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-tia-garcia-oliveira), [Ivan Lins](https://bliptext.com/articles/ivan-lins), [Marcos Valle](https://bliptext.com/articles/marcos-valle), [Jorge Ben Jor](https://bliptext.com/articles/jorge-ben) e [Wilson Simonal](https://bliptext.com/articles/wilson-simonal).\n# [Tim Maia, the greatest representative of soul music in the country's history, from Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/TIM///MAIA///SONIA///D%27ALMEIDA///1987.jpg]\n\n## Theater\nRio de Janeiro's [Theatro Municipal](https://bliptext.com/articles/theatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro) is one of the most attractive buildings in the central area of the city.\nHome of one of the largest stages in Latin America and one of Brazil's best-known venues for opera, ballet, and classical music, the building was inspired by the [Palais Garnier](https://bliptext.com/articles/palais-garnier), home of the [Paris Opera](https://bliptext.com/articles/paris-opera).\nConstruction of the Theatro Municipal began in 1905 following designs of the architect Francisco Pereira Passos.\nThe statues on the top, of two women representing Poetry and Music, are by [Rodolfo Bernardelli](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodolfo-bernardelli), and the interior is rich with furnishings and fine paintings.\nInaugurated in 1909, the Teatro Municipal has close to 1,700 seats.\nIts interior includes turn of the century stained glass from France, ceilings of rose-colored marble and a 1,000 pound crystal bead chandelier surrounded by a painting of the \"[Dance of the Hours](https://bliptext.com/articles/dance-of-the-hours)\".\nThe exterior walls of the building are dotted with inscriptions bearing the names of famous Brazilians as well as many other international celebrities.\n[Cidade das Artes](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-da-m-sica) (City of Arts) is a cultural complex in Barra da Tijuca in the Southwest Zone of Rio de Janeiro, which was originally planned to open in 2004.\nFormally known as \"Cidade da Música\" (City of Music), it was finally inaugurated at the beginning of 2013.\nThe project will host the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra becoming a main center for music as will be the largest modern concert hall in South America, with 1,780 seats.\nThe complex spans approximately 90 e3m2 and also features a chamber music hall, three theaters, and 12 rehearsal rooms.\nFrom the terrace there is a panoramic view of the zone.\nThe building was designed by the French architect [Christian de Portzamparc](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-de-portzamparc) and construction was funded by the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nA series of covered theaters collectively known as [Lona Cultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/lona-cultural), administered by the city's Municipal Secretary of Culture, serve throughout the city as venues for cultural activities such as concerts, plays, workshops, art and craft fairs, and courses.\n# [Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Teatro///Municipal///-///panoramio///%284%29.jpg]\n# [City of Arts | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Cidade///das///Artes///by///Diego///Baravelli-08188.jpg]\n\n## Events\nEvery 31 December, 2.5 million people gather at [Copacabana Beach](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-beach) to celebrate New Year's in Rio de Janeiro.\nThe crowd, mostly dressed in white, celebrates all night at the hundreds of different shows and events along the beach.\nIt is the second-largest celebration only next to the [Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival).\nPeople celebrate the New Year by sharing chilled champagne.\nIt is considered good luck to shake the champagne bottle and spray around at midnight.\nChilled champagne adds to the spirit of the festivities.\n[Rio Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival) is an annual celebration in the Roman Catholic tradition that allows merry-making and red meat consumption before the more sober 40 days of Lent penance which culminates with Holy or Passion Week and Easter.\nThe tradition of Carnaval parades was probably influenced by the French or German courts and the custom was brought by the Portuguese or Brazilian Imperial families who had French and Austrian German ancestors.\nUp until the time of the [marchinhas](https://bliptext.com/articles/marchinha), the revelry was more of a high class and Caucasian-led event.\nThe influence of the African-Brazilian drums and music became more noticeable from the first half of the 20th century.\nRio de Janeiro has many Carnaval choices, including the [samba school](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba-school) (Escolas de Samba) parades in the [sambadrome](https://bliptext.com/articles/sambadrome-marqu-s-de-sapuca) exhibition center and the popular [blocos de carnaval](https://bliptext.com/articles/carnival-block), street revelry, which parade in almost every corner of the city.\nIn 1840, the first Carnival was celebrated with a masked ball.\nAs years passed, adorned floats and costumed revelers became a tradition among the celebrants.\nCarnival is known as a historic root of [Brazilian music](https://bliptext.com/articles/music-of-brazil).\n[Rock in Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/rock-in-rio) is a music festival conceived by entrepreneur Roberto Medina for the first time in 1985, and since its creation, recognized as the largest music festival in the Latin world and the largest in the world, with 1.5 million people attending the first event, 700,000 attending the second and fourth, about 1.2 million attending the third, and about 350,000 people attending each of the 3 [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) events.\nIt was originally organized in Rio de Janeiro, from where the name comes from, has become a world level event and, in 2004, had its first edition abroad in [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon), [Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal), before [Madrid](https://bliptext.com/articles/madrid), [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain) and [Las Vegas](https://bliptext.com/articles/las-vegas), [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states).\nThe festival is considered the eighth best in the world by the specialized site Fling Festival.\n# [New Year's Eve fireworks at Copacabana Beach | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Rio///New///Year///Fireworks.jpg]\n\n## Sports\nAs in the rest of Brazil, [association football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) is the most popular sport.\nThe city's major teams are [Flamengo](https://bliptext.com/articles/clube-de-regatas-do-flamengo), [Vasco da Gama](https://bliptext.com/articles/cr-vasco-da-gama), [Fluminense](https://bliptext.com/articles/fluminense-fc) and [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo-de-futebol-e-regatas).\n[Madureira](https://bliptext.com/articles/madureira-esporte-clube), [Bangu](https://bliptext.com/articles/bangu-atl-tico-clube), [Portuguesa](https://bliptext.com/articles/associa-o-atl-tica-portuguesa-rj), [America](https://bliptext.com/articles/america-football-club-rj) and [Bonsucesso](https://bliptext.com/articles/bonsucesso-futebol-clube) are small clubs.\nPlayers born in the city include [Zico](https://bliptext.com/articles/zico-footballer), [Romário](https://bliptext.com/articles/rom-rio) and [Ronaldo](https://bliptext.com/articles/ronaldo-brazilian-footballer).\nRio de Janeiro was one of the host cities of the [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup) and [2014 FIFA World Cups](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup), for which on both occasions Brazil was the host nation.\nIn 1950, the Maracanã Stadium hosted 8 matches, including all but one of the host team's matches.\nThe Maracanã was also the location of the tournament-deciding match between [Uruguay](https://bliptext.com/articles/uruguay-national-football-team) and [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil-national-football-team), where [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil-national-football-team) only needed a draw to win the final group stage and the whole tournament.\nBrazil ended up losing 2–1 in front of a home crowd of more than 199,000.\nIn 2014, the Maracanã hosted seven matches, including [the final](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup-final), where [Germany](https://bliptext.com/articles/germany-national-football-team) beat [Argentina](https://bliptext.com/articles/argentina-national-football-team) 1–0.\nOn 2 October 2009, the [International Olympic Committee](https://bliptext.com/articles/international-olympic-committee) selected Rio de Janeiro to host the [2016 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics).\nRio made their first bid for the [1936 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/1936-summer-olympics), but lost to Berlin.\nThey later made bids for the [2004](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2004-summer-olympics) and [2012](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2012-summer-olympics) Games, but failed to become a candidate city both times.\nThose games were awarded to [Athens](https://bliptext.com/articles/athens) and [London](https://bliptext.com/articles/london) respectively.\nRio is the first Brazilian and South American city to host the Summer Olympics.\nRio de Janeiro also became the first city in the [southern hemisphere](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-hemisphere) outside of Australia to host the games – [Melbourne](https://bliptext.com/articles/melbourne) in [1956](https://bliptext.com/articles/1956-summer-olympics) and [Sydney](https://bliptext.com/articles/sydney) in [2000](https://bliptext.com/articles/2000-summer-olympics).\nIn July 2007, Rio successfully organized and hosted the [XV Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games).\nRio de Janeiro also hosted the [2011 Military World Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2011-military-world-games) from 15 to 24 July 2011.\nThe 2011 [Military World Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/military-world-games) were the largest military sports event ever held in Brazil, with approximately 4,900 athletes from 108 countries competing in 20 sports.\nRio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.\nThe Olympic Games were held from 5 to 21 August 2016.\nThe Paralympics were held from 7 to 18 September 2016.\nThe city has a history as host of major international sports events.\nThe [Ginásio do Maracanãzinho](https://bliptext.com/articles/gin-sio-do-maracan-zinho) was the host arena for the official [FIBA Basketball World Championship](https://bliptext.com/articles/fiba-basketball-world-championship) for its [1954](https://bliptext.com/articles/1954-fiba-world-championship) and [1963](https://bliptext.com/articles/1963-fiba-world-championship) editions.\nLater, the [Jacarepaguá](https://bliptext.com/articles/aut-dromo-internacional-nelson-piquet) circuit in Rio de Janeiro was the site for the [Formula One](https://bliptext.com/articles/formula-one) [Brazilian Grand Prix](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-grand-prix) from 1978 to 1989.\nRio de Janeiro also hosted the [MotoGP](https://bliptext.com/articles/grand-prix-motorcycle-racing) [Brazilian Grand Prix](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-grand-prix) from 1995 to 2004 and the [Champ Car](https://bliptext.com/articles/champ-car) event from 1996 to 1999.\n[WCT/WQS](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-of-[surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing)-professionals) [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing) championships were contested on the beaches from 1985 to 2001.\nThe [Rio Champions Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-champions-cup) Tennis tournament is held in the spring.\nAs part of its preparations to host the [2007 Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games), Rio built a new stadium, [Estádio Olímpico João Havelange](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-dio-ol-mpico-jo-o-havelange), to hold 45,000 people.\nIt was named after Brazilian ex-[FIFA](https://bliptext.com/articles/fifa) president [João Havelange](https://bliptext.com/articles/jo-o-havelange).\nThe stadium is owned by the city of Rio de Janeiro, but it was rented to [Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo-de-futebol-e-regatas) for 20 years.\nRio de Janeiro has also a multi-purpose arena, the [HSBC Arena](https://bliptext.com/articles/hsbc-arena-rio-de-janeiro).\nThe Brazilian [martial art](https://bliptext.com/articles/martial-art) [capoeira](https://bliptext.com/articles/capoeira) is very popular.\nOther popular sports are [basketball](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball), [beach football](https://bliptext.com/articles/beach-soccer), [beach volleyball](https://bliptext.com/articles/beach-volleyball), Beach American Football, [footvolley](https://bliptext.com/articles/footvolley), [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing), kite [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing), [hang gliding](https://bliptext.com/articles/hang-gliding), [motor racing](https://bliptext.com/articles/motor-racing), [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-jiu-jitsu), [Luta Livre](https://bliptext.com/articles/luta-livre), [sailing](https://bliptext.com/articles/sailing-sport), and competitive [rowing](https://bliptext.com/articles/rowing-sport).\nAnother sport that is highly popular in beaches of Rio is called frescobol, a type of beach tennis.\nRio de Janeiro is also a popular location for [Rock climbing](https://bliptext.com/articles/rock-climbing), with hundreds of routes all over the city, ranging from easy boulders to technical climbs.\n[Sugarloaf Mountain](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) is an example, with routes from the easy third grade (American 5.4, French 3) to the extremely difficult ninth grade (5.13/8b), up to 280 m.\n# [Maracanã Stadium | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Maracana///2022.jpg]\n# [Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Rio2016///Gerais///030///8069///-c-2016///GabrielHeusi///HeusiAction.jpg]\n# [Barra Olympic Park, built for 2016 Summer Olympics | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Parque///Ol%C3%ADmpico///Rio///2016///%282%29.jpg]","current_revision":"c572a40b-6d6d-4073-ac8a-8b1b69c8f555","created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-25T16:45:27.743Z","updated_at":"2025-04-02T04:16:15.993Z","search_vector":"'de':2 'janeiro':3 'rio':1","search_content":" \n**Name:** Rio de Janeiro \n**Settlement Type:** [Municipality](https://bliptext.com/articles/municipalities-of-brazil) \n**Named For:** [Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) \n**Official Name:** Municipality of Rio de Janeiro \n**Nicknames:** Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous City), Princesa Maravilhosa (Marvellous Princess), Cidade dos Brasileiros (City of Brazilians) \n**Image Flag:** Bandeira da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg \n**Image Shield:** Brasão da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg \n**Image Map:** RiodeJaneiro Municip RiodeJaneiro.svg \n**Mapsize:** 250px \n**Map Caption:** Location in the state of Rio de Janeiro \n**Blank Emblem Type:** Logo \n**Pushpin Map:** Brazil#South America \n**Pushpin Relief:** 1 \n**Pushpin Mapsize:** 250 \n**Pushpin Map Caption:** Location within Brazil##Location within South America \n**Subdivision Type:** [Country](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-sovereign-states) \n**Subdivision Name:** [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil) \n**Subdivision Type 1:** [Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/regions-of-brazil) \n**Subdivision Name 1:** [Southeast](https://bliptext.com/articles/southeast-region-brazil) \n**Subdivision Type 2:** [State](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-brazil) \n**Subdivision Name 2:** [Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) \n**Subdivision Type 3:** Historic countries \n**Subdivision Name 3:** [Kingdom of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-portugal) United [Kingdom of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-portugal), Brazil and the Algarves [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) \n**Established Title:** Settled \n**Established Date:** 1555 \n**Established Title 1:** Founded \n**Established Date 1:** March 1, 1565 \n**Government Type:** [Mayor-council](https://bliptext.com/articles/mayor-council-government) \n**Governing Body:** [Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/municipal-chamber-of-rio-de-janeiro) \n**Leader Title:** [Mayor](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-mayors-of-rio-de-janeiro) \n**Leader Name:** [Eduardo Paes](https://bliptext.com/articles/eduardo-paes) \n**Leader Party:** [PSD](https://bliptext.com/articles/social-democratic-party-brazil-2011) \n**Leader Title 1:** Vice Mayor \n**Leader Name 1:** Nilton Caldeira ([PL](https://bliptext.com/articles/liberal-party-brazil-2006)) \n**Area Total Km 2:** 1221 \n**Area Total Sq Mi:** 486.5 \n**Area Metro Sq Mi:** 1759.6 \n**Population As Of:** 2022 \n**Population Metro:** 12,280,702 (2nd) \n**Area Metro Km 2:** 4539.8 \n**Population Total:** 6,211,223 \n**Population Rank:** [4th](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-south-america) in South America · [2nd](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-brazil) in Brazil \n**Population Urban:** 11,616,000 \n**Population Density Km 2:** 5174.6 \n**Population Density Metro Km 2:** 2705.1 \n**Population Demonym:** [Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca) \n**Demographics Type 1:** [GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)](https://bliptext.com/articles/gdp) \n**Demographics 1 Title 1:** Year \n**Demographics 1 Info 1:** 2023 \n**Demographics 1 Title 2:** Total (Metro) \n**Demographics 1 Info 2:** $285.9 billion \n**Demographics 1 Title 3:** Per capita \n**Demographics 1 Info 3:** $23,700 \n**Timezone:** [BRT](https://bliptext.com/articles/time-in-brazil) \n**Utc Offset:** −3 \n**Elevation M:** 2 \n**Elevation Min M:** 0 \n**Elevation Max M:** 1020 \n**Elevation Ft:** 7 \n**Elevation Min Ft:** 0 \n**Elevation Max Ft:** 3349 \n**Area Code:** 21 \n**Postal Code Type:** Postal Code \n**Postal Code:** 20000-001 to 23799-999 \n**Blank Name:** [**HDI**](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-development-index) (2010) \n**Blank Info:** 0.799 – high \n**Blank 1 Name Sec 1:** [Nominal 2018 GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) (City) \n**Blank 1 Info Sec 1:** US$ 93.9 billion (2nd) \n**Blank 2 Name Sec 1:** Per capita \n**Blank 2 Info Sec 1:** US$14,046 (2nd) \n**Website:** https://en.prefeitura.rio \n \n\n# \n****Rio** de Janeiro**, or simply **Rio**, is the capital of the state of ****Rio** de Janeiro**.\nIt is the [second-most-populous city](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-in-brazil-by-population) in [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil) (after [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo)) and the [sixth-most-populous city](https://bliptext.com/articles/largest-cities-in-the-americas) in the Americas.\nFounded in 1565 by the [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people), the city was initially the seat of the [Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/captaincy-of-rio-de-janeiro), a domain of the [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people) Empire.\nIn 1763, it became the capital of the [State of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-of-brazil), a [state of the Portuguese Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-states-of-the-portuguese-empire).\nIn 1808, when the [Portuguese Royal Court moved to Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/transfer-of-the-portuguese-court-to-brazil), Rio de Janeiro became the seat of the court of Queen [Maria I of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/maria-i-of-portugal).\nShe subsequently, under the leadership of her son the [prince regent](https://bliptext.com/articles/prince-regent) [John VI of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-vi-of-portugal), raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom, within the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves).\nRio remained as the capital of the [pluricontinental](https://bliptext.com/articles/pluricontinentalism) monarchy until 1822, when the [Brazilian War of Independence](https://bliptext.com/articles/war-of-independence-of-brazil) began.\nThis is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonizing country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies.\nRio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the independent monarchy, the [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil), until 1889, and then the capital of a republican Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia).\nRio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal [GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) in the country, and 30th-largest in the world in 2008.\nThis is estimated at [R$](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-real)343 billion.\nIn the city are the headquarters of Brazilian oil, mining, and telecommunications companies, including two of the country's major corporations, [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras) and [Vale](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-s-a), and Latin America's largest telemedia conglomerate, [Grupo Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/grupo-globo).\nThe home of many universities and institutes, it is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil, accounting for 17 percent of national scientific output according to 2005 data.\nDespite the high perception of crime, the city actually has a lower [incidence of crime](https://bliptext.com/articles/crime-in-brazil) than most state capitals in Brazil.\nRio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the [Southern Hemisphere](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-hemisphere) and is known for its natural settings, [carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival), [samba](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba), [bossa nova](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossa-nova), and [balneario](https://bliptext.com/articles/balneario) beaches such as [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca-rio-de-janeiro), [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro), [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema-rio-de-janeiro), and [Leblon](https://bliptext.com/articles/leblon-rio-de-janeiro).\nIn addition to the beaches, landmarks include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop [Corcovado](https://bliptext.com/articles/corcovado) mountain, named one of the [New Seven Wonders of the World](https://bliptext.com/articles/new7wonders-of-the-world); [Sugarloaf Mountain](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) with its [cable car](https://bliptext.com/articles/aerial-lift); the [Sambódromo](https://bliptext.com/articles/sambadrome-marqu-s-de-sapuca) (Sambadrome), a permanent grandstand-lined parade avenue which is used during Carnival; and [Maracanã Stadium](https://bliptext.com/articles/maracan-stadium), one of the [world's largest football stadiums](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-association-football-stadiums-by-capacity).\nRio de Janeiro was the host of the [2016 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics) and the [2016 Summer Paralympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-paralympics), making the city the first South American and [Portuguese-speaking city](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-countries-where-portuguese-is-an-official-language) to ever host the events, and the third time the Olympics were held in a Southern Hemisphere city.\nThe Maracanã Stadium held the finals of the [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup) and [2014](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup) FIFA World Cups, the [2013 FIFA Confederations Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/2013-fifa-confederations-cup), and the [XV Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games).\nThe city will host the [G20 summit in 2024](https://bliptext.com/articles/2024-g20-rio-de-janeiro-summit), and the [FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027](https://bliptext.com/articles/2027-fifa-women-s-world-cup).\n\n# History\n\n## Pre-Cabraline period\nThe region of Rio was inhabited by the [Tupi](https://bliptext.com/articles/tupi-people), [Puri](https://bliptext.com/articles/pur-people), [Botocudo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botocudo-people) and [Maxakalí](https://bliptext.com/articles/maxakal-language) peoples.\n\n## Colonial period\nEuropeans first encountered [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) on 1 January 1502 (hence Rio de Janeiro, \"January River\"), during a [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people) expedition under explorer [Gaspar de Lemos](https://bliptext.com/articles/gaspar-de-lemos), captain of a ship in [Pedro Álvares Cabral](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-lvares-cabral)'s fleet, or under [Gonçalo Coelho](https://bliptext.com/articles/gon-alo-coelho).\nAllegedly the Florentine explorer [Amerigo Vespucci](https://bliptext.com/articles/amerigo-vespucci) participated as an observer at the invitation of [King Manuel I](https://bliptext.com/articles/manuel-i-of-portugal) in the same expedition.\nIn 1555, one of the islands of Guanabara Bay, now called [Villegagnon Island](https://bliptext.com/articles/villegagnon-island), was occupied by 500 French colonists under the French [admiral](https://bliptext.com/articles/admiral) [Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon](https://bliptext.com/articles/nicolas-durand-de-villegaignon).\nConsequently, Villegagnon built [Fort Coligny](https://bliptext.com/articles/fort-coligny) on the island when attempting to establish the [France Antarctique](https://bliptext.com/articles/france-antarctique) colony.\nEventually this French settlement became too much of a threat to the established Portuguese colony and in 1560 the order was made to get rid of them.\nA years-long military aggression was then initiated by the new Governor General of Brazil Mem De Sa, and later continued by his nephew Estacio De Sa.\nOn 20 January 1567, a final defeat was imposed on the French forces and they were decisively expelled from Brazil for good.\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro proper was founded on 1 March 1565 by the Portuguese, led by [Estácio de Sá](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-cio-de-s), including Antônio de Mariz.\nIt was named São [Sebastião](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-portugal) do Rio de Janeiro, in honor of St. Sebastian, the [saint who was the namesake and patron](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-s-name) of the Portuguese then-monarch [Sebastião](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-portugal).\nRio de Janeiro was the name of Guanabara Bay.\nUntil early in the 18th century, the city was threatened or invaded by several mostly French pirates and buccaneers, such as [Jean-François Duclerc](https://bliptext.com/articles/jean-fran-ois-duclerc) and [René Duguay-Trouin](https://bliptext.com/articles/ren-duguay-trouin).\nIn the late 17th century, still during the Sugar Era, the [Bandeirantes](https://bliptext.com/articles/bandeirantes) discovered gold and diamonds in the neighboring [captaincy](https://bliptext.com/articles/captaincy) of [Minas Gerais](https://bliptext.com/articles/minas-gerais), thus Rio de Janeiro became a much more practical port for exporting wealth (gold, precious stones, besides the sugar) than [Salvador, Bahia](https://bliptext.com/articles/salvador-bahia), much farther northeast.\nOn 27 January 1763, the colonial administration in Portuguese America was moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro.\nThe city remained primarily a colonial capital until 1808, when the Portuguese royal family and most of the associated [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) nobles, fleeing from [Napoleon](https://bliptext.com/articles/napoleon-i)'s invasion of Portugal, [moved](https://bliptext.com/articles/transfer-of-the-portuguese-court-to-brazil) to Rio de Janeiro.\n# [Founding of Rio de Janeiro on 1 March 1565 | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Pal%C3%A1cio///Pedro///Ernesto///-///Funda%C3%A7%C3%A3o///da///Cidade.jpg]\n# [Between 500 thousand and one million slaves landed at Valongo Wharf through the Atlantic slave trade | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Cais///do///Valongo///e///da///Imperatriz.jpg]\n\n## Portuguese royal period\nThe kingdom's capital was transferred to the city, which, thus, became the only [Europe](https://bliptext.com/articles/europe)an capital outside of [Europe](https://bliptext.com/articles/europe).\nAs there was no physical space or urban structure to accommodate hundreds of noblemen who arrived suddenly, many inhabitants were simply evicted from their homes.\nIn the first decade, several educational establishments were created, such as the Military Academy, the Royal School of Sciences, Arts and Crafts and the [Imperial Academy of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-imperial-de-belas-artes), as well as the [National Library of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil) – with the largest collection in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america) – and The [Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-botanical-garden).\nThe first printed newspaper in Brazil, the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro, came into circulation during this period.\nWhen Brazil was elevated to Kingdom in 1815, it became the capital of the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves) until the return of the [Portuguese Royal Family](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-royal-family) to [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) in 1821, but remained as capital of the [Kingdom of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/kingdom-of-brazil).\nFrom the colonial period until the first independent era, Rio de Janeiro was a city of slaves.\nThere was a large influx of [African slaves](https://bliptext.com/articles/slavery-in-brazil) to Rio de Janeiro: in 1819, there were 145,000 slaves in the captaincy.\nIn 1840, the number of slaves reached 220,000 people.\nBetween 1811 and 1831, 500,000 to a million slaves arrived in Rio de Janeiro through [Valongo Wharf](https://bliptext.com/articles/valongo-wharf), which is now a [World Heritage Site](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-heritage-site).\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro was the largest port of slaves in America.\n# [The Portuguese Royal Family escaped the Napoleonic Wars ravaging Europe when Queen Maria I of Portugal and Prince Regent John transferred the Portuguese royal court to Brazil, in 1807. It remained in Rio until its return to Portugal in 1821. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Departure///of///H.R.H.///the///Prince///Regent///of///Portugal///for///the///Brazils///%28Campaigns///of///the///British///Army///in///Portugal%2C///London %2C///1812%29///-///Henry///L%27Ev%C3%AAque%2C///F.///Bartollozzi.png]\n\n## Imperial period\nWhen [Prince Pedro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-i-of-brazil) proclaimed the [independence of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-declaration-of-independence) in 1822, he decided to keep Rio de Janeiro as the capital of his [new empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) while the place was enriched with sugar cane agriculture in the Campos region and, especially, with the new coffee cultivation in the [Paraíba Valley](https://bliptext.com/articles/para-ba-valley).\nIn order to separate the province from the capital of the Empire, the city was converted in Neutral Municipality in 1834, passing the [province of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) to have [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i) as capital.\nAs a political center of the country, Rio concentrated the political-partisan life of the Empire.\nIt was the main stage of the abolitionist and republican movements in the last half of the 19th century.\nAt that time the number of slaves was drastically reduced and the city was developed, with modern drains, animal trams, train stations crossing the city, gas and electric lighting, telephone and telegraph wiring, water and river plumbing.\nRio continued as the capital of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy was [replaced](https://bliptext.com/articles/proclamation-of-the-republic-brazil) by a republic.\nOn 6 February 1889 the Bangu Textile Factory was founded, with the name of Industrial Progress Company of Brazil (Companhia Progresso Industrial do Brasil).\nThe factory was officially opened on 8 March 1893, in a complex with varying architectural styles like [Italianate](https://bliptext.com/articles/italianate-architecture), [Neo-Gothic](https://bliptext.com/articles/gothic-revival-architecture) and a tower in [Mansard Roof](https://bliptext.com/articles/mansard-roof) style.\nAfter the opening in 1893, workers from [Great Britain](https://bliptext.com/articles/great-britain) arrived in Bangu to work in the textile factory.\nThe old farms became worker villages with red-bricks houses, and a neo-gothic church was created, which still exists as the Saint Sebastian and Saint Cecilia Parish Church.\nStreet cinemas and cultural buildings also appeared.\nIn May 1894, [Thomas Donohoe](https://bliptext.com/articles/thomas-donohoe), a British worker from [Busby](https://bliptext.com/articles/busby-east-renfrewshire), Scotland, arrived in Bangu.\nDonohoe was amazed to discover that there was absolutely no knowledge of football among Brazilians.\nSo he wrote to his wife, Elizabeth, asking her to bring a football when she joined him.\nAnd shortly after her arrival, in September 1894, the first football match in Brazil took place in the field beside the textile factory.\nIt was a five-a-side match between British workers, and took place six months before the first game organized by [Charles Miller](https://bliptext.com/articles/charles-william-miller) in São Paulo.\nHowever, the Bangu Football Club was not formally created until 1904.\n\n## Republican period\nAt the time Brazil's [Old Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/first-brazilian-republic) was established, the city lacked [urban planning](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-planning) and [sanitation](https://bliptext.com/articles/sanitation), which helped spread several diseases, such as [yellow fever](https://bliptext.com/articles/yellow-fever), [dysentery](https://bliptext.com/articles/dysentery), [variola](https://bliptext.com/articles/variola), [tuberculosis](https://bliptext.com/articles/tuberculosis) and even [black death](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-death).\n[Pereira Passos](https://bliptext.com/articles/francisco-pereira-passos), who was named mayor in 1902, imposed reforms to modernize the city, demolishing the [cortiços](https://bliptext.com/articles/corti-o) where most of the poor population lived.\nThese people then moved to live in the city's hills, creating the first [favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favelas).\nInspired by the city of [Paris](https://bliptext.com/articles/paris), Passos built the [Municipal Theatre](https://bliptext.com/articles/theatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro), the [National Museum of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes) and the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil) in the city's center; brought [electric power](https://bliptext.com/articles/electric-power) to Rio and created larger avenues to adapt the city to [automobiles](https://bliptext.com/articles/automobiles).\nPassos also named [Oswaldo Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/oswaldo-cruz) as Director General of Public Health.\nCruz's plans to clean the city of diseases included compulsory vaccination of the entire population and forced entry into houses to kill mosquitoes and rats.\nThe people of the city rebelled against Cruz's policy, in what would be known as the [Vaccine Revolt](https://bliptext.com/articles/vaccine-revolt).\nIn 1910, Rio saw the [Revolt of the Lash](https://bliptext.com/articles/revolt-of-the-lash), where [Afro-Brazilian](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) crew members in the [Brazilian Navy](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-navy) mutinied against the heavy use of [corporal punishment](https://bliptext.com/articles/corporal-punishment), which was similar to the punishment slaves received.\nThe mutineers took control of the battleship Minas Geraes and threatened to fire on the city.\nAnother military revolt occurred in 1922, the [Copacabana Fort revolt](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-fort-revolt), a march against the Old Republic's [coronelism](https://bliptext.com/articles/coronelism) and [café com leite politics](https://bliptext.com/articles/caf-com-leite-politics).\nThis revolt marked the beginning of [Tenentism](https://bliptext.com/articles/tenentism), a movement that resulted in the [Brazilian Revolution of 1930](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-revolution-of-1930) that started the [Vargas Era](https://bliptext.com/articles/vargas-era).\nUntil the early years of the 20th century, the city was largely limited to the neighborhood now known as the historic city center (see below), on the mouth of Guanabara Bay.\nThe city's center of gravity began to shift south and west to the so-called [Zona Sul](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-zone-rio-de-janeiro) (South Zone) in the early part of the 20th century, when the first tunnel was built under the mountains between [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo) and the neighborhood that is now known as [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro).\nExpansion of the city to the north and south was facilitated by the consolidation and electrification of Rio's streetcar transit system after 1905.\nBotafogos natural environment, combined with the fame of the [Copacabana Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/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.\nThis reputation has been somewhat tarnished in recent years by favela violence resulting from the narcotics trade and [militias](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-police-militias).\nPlans for moving the nation's capital city from Rio de Janeiro to the center of Brazil had been occasionally discussed, and when [Juscelino Kubitschek](https://bliptext.com/articles/juscelino-kubitschek) was elected president in 1955, it was partially on the strength of promises to build a new capital.\nThough many thought that it was just [campaign](https://bliptext.com/articles/political-campaign) rhetoric, Kubitschek managed to have Brasília and a new [Federal District](https://bliptext.com/articles/distrito-federal-brazil) built, at great cost, by 1960.\nOn 21 April of that year, the capital of Brazil was officially moved to Brasília.\nThe territory of the former Federal District became its own state, Guanabara, after the bay that borders it to the east, encompassing just the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nAfter the [1964 coup d'état](https://bliptext.com/articles/1964-brazilian-coup-d-tat) that installed a [military dictatorship](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-military-government), the [city-state](https://bliptext.com/articles/city-state) was the only state left in Brazil to oppose the military.\nThen, in 1975, a presidential decree known as \"The Fusion\" removed the city's federative status and merged it with the [State of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state), with the city of Rio de Janeiro replacing [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i) as the state's capital, and establishing the [Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro).\nIn 1992, Rio hosted the [Earth Summit](https://bliptext.com/articles/earth-summit), a [United Nations](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-nations) conference to fight [environmental degradation](https://bliptext.com/articles/environmental-degradation).\nTwenty years later, in 2012, the city hosted another conference on [sustainable development](https://bliptext.com/articles/sustainable-development), named [United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-nations-conference-on-sustainable-development).\nThe city hosted the [[World Youth Day](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-youth-day) in 2013](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-youth-day-2013), the second [World Youth Day](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-youth-day) in [South America](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-america) and first in Brazil.\nIn the sports field, Rio de Janeiro was the host of the [2007 Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games) and the [2014 FIFA World Cup Final](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup-final).\nOn 2 October 2009, the [International Olympic Committee](https://bliptext.com/articles/international-olympic-committee) [announced](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2016-summer-olympics) that Rio de Janeiro would host the [2016 Olympic Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics) and the [2016 Paralympic Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-paralympics), beating competitors [Chicago](https://bliptext.com/articles/chicago), [Tokyo](https://bliptext.com/articles/tokyo), and [Madrid](https://bliptext.com/articles/madrid).\nThe city became the first South American city to host the event and the second Latin American city (after [Mexico City](https://bliptext.com/articles/mexico-city) in [1968](https://bliptext.com/articles/1968-summer-olympics)) to host the Games.\nSince the early 2010s, Rio de Janeiro has been inscribed as a [UNESCO World Heritage Site](https://bliptext.com/articles/unesco-world-heritage-site) for its arts, urban culture and [designed landscapes](https://bliptext.com/articles/designed-landscape) set around a natural environment.\n# [Rio de Janeiro, c. 1910s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Rio///de///Janeiro///ca1910s///photo///from///USA///Library///of///Congress///19301u.jpg]\n# [Carioca Aqueduct in the 1920s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Aqueduto///da///Carioca%2C///Santa///Teresa///e///Gl%C3%B3ria///%28007A5P3F13-029%29.jpg]\n# [The Sugarloaf Cable Car in the 1940s | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Bondinho///Rio///1940.jpg]\n# [A convoy of M41 Walker Bulldog tanks along the streets of the city in 1968 during the military rule. At the time, Rio de Janeiro was a city-state, capital of Guanabara. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Tanques///ocupam///a///Avenida///Presidente///Vargas%2C///1968-04-04.jpg]\n\n# Geography\nRio de Janeiro is near the west end of a strip (from [Cabo Frio](https://bliptext.com/articles/cabo-frio) to just east of [Ilha Grande](https://bliptext.com/articles/ilha-grande)) of Brazil's Atlantic coast close to the [Tropic of Capricorn](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropic-of-capricorn) where the shoreline is oriented east and west; the city thus faces largely south.\nIt was founded at the entrance to an inlet, [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) (Baía de Guanabara), which is marked by a point of land called Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) – a \"calling card\" of the city.\nThe population of the city of Rio de Janeiro, occupying an area of 1182.3 km2, is about 6,000,000.\nThe population of the greater metropolitan area is estimated at 11–13.5 million.\nResidents of the city are known as [cariocas](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca).\nThe official song of Rio is \"[Cidade Maravilhosa](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-maravilhosa)\", by composer [André Filho](https://bliptext.com/articles/andr-filho).\n# [Satellite view of Greater Rio de Janeiro at night seen from ISS | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/ISS-67///City///lights///of///Rio///De///Janeiro%2C///Brazil.jpg]\n\n## Parks\nThe city has parks and ecological reserves such as the Tijuca National Park, the world's first urban forest and [UNESCO](https://bliptext.com/articles/unesco) Environmental Heritage and Biosphere Reserve; [Pedra Branca State Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedra-branca-state-park), which houses the highest point of Rio de Janeiro, the peak of Pedra Branca; the [Quinta da Boa Vista](https://bliptext.com/articles/quinta-da-boa-vista) complex; the [Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/botanical-garden-of-rio-de-janeiro); Rio's Zoo; [Parque Lage](https://bliptext.com/articles/parque-lage); and the [Passeio Público](https://bliptext.com/articles/passeio-p-blico-rio-de-janeiro), the first public park in the [Americas](https://bliptext.com/articles/americas).\nIn addition the [Flamengo Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/flamengo-park) is the largest landfill in the city, extending from the center to the south zone, and containing museums and monuments, in addition to much vegetation.\nSince 1961, the [Tijuca National Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest) (Parque Nacional da Tijuca), the largest city-surrounded [urban forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-forest) and the second largest [urban forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-forest) in the world, has been a National Park.\nThe largest urban forest in the world is the Floresta da Pedra Branca (White Rock Forest), which is located in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro.\n\n## Environment\nDue to the high concentration of industries in the metropolitan region, the city has faced serious problems of environmental pollution.\nThe [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) has lost mangrove areas and suffers from residues from domestic and industrial sewage, oils and heavy metals.\nAlthough its waters renew when they reach the sea, the bay is the final receiver of all the tributaries generated along its banks and in the basins of the many rivers and streams that flow into it.\nThe levels of particulate matter in the air are twice as high as that recommended by the [World Health Organization](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-health-organization), in part because of the large numbers of vehicles in circulation.\nThe waters of Sepetiba Bay are slowly following the path traced by Guanabara Bay, with sewage generated by a population of the order of 1.29 million inhabitants being released without treatment in streams or rivers.\nWith regard to industrial pollution, highly toxic wastes, with high concentrations of heavy metals – mainly [zinc](https://bliptext.com/articles/zinc) and [cadmium](https://bliptext.com/articles/cadmium) – have been dumped over the years by factories in the industrial districts of [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), [Itaguaí](https://bliptext.com/articles/itagua) and [Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u), constructed under the supervision of State policies.\nThe Marapendi lagoon and the [Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodrigo-de-freitas-lagoon) have suffered with the leniency of the authorities and the growth in the number of apartment buildings close by.\nThe illegal discharge of sewage and the consequent deaths of algae diminished the oxygenation of the waters, causing fish mortality.\nThere are, on the other hand, signs of decontamination in the lagoon made through a [public-private partnership](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-private-partnership) established in 2008 to ensure that the lagoon waters will eventually be suitable for bathing.\nThe decontamination actions involve the transfer of sludge to large craters present in the lagoon itself, and the creation of a new direct and underground connection with the sea, which will contribute to increase the daily water exchange between the two environments.\nHowever, during the Olympics the lagoon hosted the rowing competitions and there were numerous concerns about potential infection resulting from human sewage.\n\n## Climate\nRio has a [tropical savanna climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropical-savanna-climate) (Aw) that closely borders a [tropical monsoon climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/tropical-monsoon-climate) (Am) according to the [Köppen climate classification](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-ppen-climate-classification), and is often characterized by long periods of heavy rain between December and March.\nThe city experiences hot, humid summers, and warm, sunny winters.\nIn inland areas of the city, temperatures above 40 °C are common during the summer, though rarely for long periods, while maximum temperatures above 27 °C can occur on a monthly basis.\nAlong the coast, the breeze, blowing onshore and offshore, moderates the temperature.\nBecause of its geographic situation, the city is often reached by cold fronts advancing from [Antarctica](https://bliptext.com/articles/antarctica), especially during autumn and winter, causing frequent weather changes.\nIn summer there can be strong rains, which have, on some occasions, provoked catastrophic floods and landslides.\nThe mountainous areas register greater rainfall since they constitute a barrier to the humid wind that comes from the Atlantic.\nThe city has had rare [frosts](https://bliptext.com/articles/frost) in the past.\nSome areas within [Rio de Janeiro state](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) occasionally have falls of [snow grains](https://bliptext.com/articles/snow-grains) and [ice pellets](https://bliptext.com/articles/ice-pellets) (popularly called granizo) and [hail](https://bliptext.com/articles/hail).\nDrought is very rare, albeit bound to happen occasionally given the city's strongly seasonal tropical climate.\nThe Brazilian drought of 2014–2015, most severe in the [Southeast Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/southeast-region-brazil) and the worst in decades, affected the entire metropolitan region's water supply (a diversion from the [Paraíba do Sul](https://bliptext.com/articles/para-ba-do-sul) River to the [Guandu](https://bliptext.com/articles/guandu-river-rio-de-janeiro) River is a major source for the state's most populous mesoregion).\nThere were plans to divert the Paraíba do Sul to the [Sistema Cantareira](https://bliptext.com/articles/sistema-cantareira) (Cantareira system) during the water crisis of 2014 in order to help the critically drought-stricken [Greater São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-s-o-paulo) area.\nHowever, availability of sufficient rainfall to supply tap water to both metropolitan areas in the future is merely speculative.\nRoughly in the same suburbs ([Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u) and surrounding areas, including parts of Campo Grande and Bangu) that correspond to the location of the March 2012, February–March 2013 and January 2015 pseudo-hail (granizo) falls, there was a [tornado](https://bliptext.com/articles/tornado)-like phenomenon in January 2011, for the first time in the region's recorded history, causing structural damage and long-lasting [blackouts](https://bliptext.com/articles/power-outage), but no fatalities.\nThe [World Meteorological Organization](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-meteorological-organization) has advised that Brazil, especially its southeastern region, must be prepared for increasingly [severe weather](https://bliptext.com/articles/severe-weather) occurrences in the near future, since events such as the catastrophic [January 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides](https://bliptext.com/articles/january-2011-rio-de-janeiro-floods-and-mudslides) are not an isolated phenomenon.\nIn early May 2013, winds registering above 90 km/h caused blackouts in 15 neighborhoods of the city and three surrounding municipalities, and killed one person.\nRio saw similarly high winds (about 100 km/h) in January 2015.\nTemperature also varies according to elevation, distance from the coast, and type of vegetation or land use.\nDuring the winter, cold fronts and dawn/morning sea breezes bring mild temperatures; cold fronts, the [Intertropical Convergence Zone](https://bliptext.com/articles/intertropical-convergence-zone) (in the form of winds from the [Amazon Forest](https://bliptext.com/articles/amazon-forest)), the strongest sea-borne winds (often from an [extratropical cyclone](https://bliptext.com/articles/extratropical-cyclone)) and summer [evapotranspiration](https://bliptext.com/articles/evapotranspiration) bring showers or storms.\nThus the monsoon-like climate has dry and mild winters and springs, and very wet and warm summers and autumns.\nAs a result, temperatures over 40 °C, that may happen about year-round but are much more common during the summer, often mean the actual \"feels-like\" temperature is over 50 °C, when there is little wind and the [relative humidity](https://bliptext.com/articles/relative-humidity) percentage is high.\nAccording to data from the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), since 1931, the absolute minimum temperature recorded in Rio de Janeiro was 6.4 °C on August 18, 1933, at the meteorological station in the [Bangu](https://bliptext.com/articles/bangu-rio-de-janeiro) neighborhood (deactivated in March 2004).\nThis same station, located in the city's hottest neighborhood, recorded a maximum temperature of 43.1 °C on January 14, 1984, which held the record for the highest temperature in the city until December 26, 2012, when 43.2 °C was recorded at the [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro) station.\nThe record for rainfall within 24 hours is 349.4 mm, recorded on February 26, 1971, at the former station in the [Engenho de Dentro](https://bliptext.com/articles/engenho-de-dentro) neighborhood.\n# [Night storm with lightning in Rio de Janeiro, view from Sugarloaf Mountain | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Tempestade///no///Rio///de///Janeiro///visto///do///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar.jpg]\n# [Copacabana Beach on a sunny day | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Praia///de///Copacabana///-///Rio///de///Janeiro%2C///Brasil.jpg]\n# [Sugarloaf Cable Car approaching the summit | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Bondinho///do///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar///by///Diego///Baravelli.jpg]\n\n# Demographics\nAccording to the [2010 IBGE Census](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics), there were 5,940,224 people residing in the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nSince 1960, when it was surpassed by [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), the city of Rio de Janeiro has been the second-most populous city in Brazil.\n\n## Ethnic groups\nThe [2022 census](https://bliptext.com/articles/2022-brazilian-census) revealed the following numbers: [White Brazilian](https://bliptext.com/articles/white-brazilian) (45.4% or 2,821,619); [Mixed](https://bliptext.com/articles/pardo-brazilian) (38.7% or 2,403,895); [Black](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) (15.6% or 968,428); [Asian](https://bliptext.com/articles/asian-brazilian) (10,514 or 0.2%); [Indigenous](https://bliptext.com/articles/native-brazilian) (6,531 or 0.1%).\nThe population of Rio de Janeiro was 53.2% [fe[male](https://bliptext.com/articles/male)](https://bliptext.com/articles/fe[male](https://bliptext.com/articles/male)) and 46.8% [male](https://bliptext.com/articles/male).\nThe [black community](https://bliptext.com/articles/afro-brazilian) was formed by residents whose ancestors had been brought as slaves, mostly from [Angola](https://bliptext.com/articles/angola) and [Mozambique](https://bliptext.com/articles/mozambique), as well by people of [Angola](https://bliptext.com/articles/angola)n, Mozambican and [West African](https://bliptext.com/articles/west-african) descent who moved to Rio from other parts of Brazil.\nNearly half of the city's population is by phenotype mixed or black.\n[White](https://bliptext.com/articles/white-brazilian) in Brazil is defined more by having a European-looking [phenotype](https://bliptext.com/articles/phenotype) rather than ancestry, and two full [siblings](https://bliptext.com/articles/sibling) can be of different \"racial\" categories in a [skin color](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-skin-color) and [phenotype](https://bliptext.com/articles/phenotype) continuum from pálido (branco) or fair-skinned, through branco [moreno](https://bliptext.com/articles/moreno) or swarthy Caucasian, mestiço claro or lighter skinned multiracial, pardo (mixed race) to negro or [black](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-people).\n[Pardo](https://bliptext.com/articles/pardo), for example, in popular usage includes those who are [caboclos](https://bliptext.com/articles/caboclo) ([mestizos](https://bliptext.com/articles/mestizo)), mulatos ([mulattoes](https://bliptext.com/articles/mulattoes)), [cafuzos](https://bliptext.com/articles/cafuzo) ([zambos](https://bliptext.com/articles/zambo)), juçaras (archaic term for [tri-racials](https://bliptext.com/articles/multiracial)) and westernized [Amerindians](https://bliptext.com/articles/indigenous-peoples-of-brazil) (which are called [caboclos](https://bliptext.com/articles/caboclo) as well), being more of a skin color rather than a racial group in particular.\n\n## Immigration and migration\nDifferent ethnic groups contributed to the formation of the population of Rio de Janeiro.\nBefore European colonization, there were at least seven different [indigenous peoples](https://bliptext.com/articles/indigenous-peoples-in-brazil) speaking 20 languages in the region.\nA part of them joined the Portuguese and the other the French.\nThose who joined the [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-brazilian) were then exterminated by the Portuguese, while the other part was assimilated.\nRio de Janeiro is home to the largest [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-brazilian) population outside of [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) in Portugal.\nAfter independence from Portugal, Rio de Janeiro became a destination for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Portugal, mainly in the early 20th century.\nThe immigrants were mostly poor peasants who subsequently found prosperity in Rio as city workers and small traders.\nThe Portuguese cultural influence is still seen in many parts of the city (and many other parts of the state of Rio de Janeiro), including architecture and [language](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-language).\nMost Brazilians with some cultural contact with Rio know how to easily differentiate between the local dialect, fluminense, and other Brazilian dialects.\nPeople of [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-brazilian) ancestry predominate in most of the state.\nThe Brazilian census of 1920 showed that 39.7% of the Portuguese who lived in Brazil lived in Rio de Janeiro.\nIncluding all of the Rio de Janeiro, the proportion raised to 46.3% of the Portuguese who lived in Brazil.\nThe numerical presence of the Portuguese was extremely high, accounting for 72% of the foreigners who lived in the capital.\nPortuguese born people accounted for 20.4% of the population of Rio, and those with a Portuguese father or a Portuguese mother accounted for 30.8%.\nIn other words, native born Portuguese and their children accounted for 51.2% of the inhabitants of Rio, or a total of 267,664 people in 1890.\nAs a result of the influx of immigrants to Brazil from the late 19th to the early 20th century, also found in Rio de Janeiro and [its metropolitan area](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro) are communities of [Levantine Arabs](https://bliptext.com/articles/arab-brazilian) who are mostly [Christian](https://bliptext.com/articles/arab-christians) or [Irreligious](https://bliptext.com/articles/irreligion-in-brazil), [Spaniards](https://bliptext.com/articles/spanish-immigration-to-brazil), [Italians](https://bliptext.com/articles/italian-brazilian), [Germans](https://bliptext.com/articles/german-brazilian), [Japanese](https://bliptext.com/articles/japanese-brazilians),\nAccording to an autosomal DNA study from 2009, conducted on a school in the poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro, the \"pardos\" there were found to be on average about 80% European, and the \"whites\" (who thought of themselves as \"very mixed\") were found to carry very little Amerindian and/or African admixtures.\nThe results of the tests of genomic ancestry are quite different from the self made estimates of European ancestry.\nIn general, the test results showed that European ancestry is far more important than the students thought it would be.\nThe \"pardos\" for example thought of themselves as 1/3 European, 1/3 African and 1/3 Amerindian before the tests, and yet their ancestry on average reached 80% European.\nOther studies showed similar results\n# [Portuguese immigrant in Rio de Janeiro, considered the largest \"Portuguese city\" outside Portugal | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Afot3602.jpg]\n\n## Religion\nReligion in Rio de Janeiro is diverse, with [Catholic Christianity](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-christianity) being the majority religion.\nAccording to data from the [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics) (IBGE), in 2010 the population of Rio de Janeiro had 3,229,192 [Roman Catholics](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-church-in-brazil) (51.1%), 1,477,021 [Protestants](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestantism-in-brazil) (23.4%), 372.851 [Spiritists](https://bliptext.com/articles/kardecist-spiritism) (5.9%), 37,974 [Jehovah's Witnesses](https://bliptext.com/articles/jehovah-s-witnesses) (0.6%), 75,075 [Buddhists](https://bliptext.com/articles/buddhism-in-brazil) (0.2%), 52,213 [Umbanda](https://bliptext.com/articles/umbanda) (0.8%), 21,800 [Jews](https://bliptext.com/articles/judaism) (0.3%), 25,743 [Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-catholic-apostolic-church) (0.4%), 16,776 new eastern religious (0.2%), 28,843 [Candomblé](https://bliptext.com/articles/candombl) (0.4%), 3,853 [Mormons](https://bliptext.com/articles/mormon) (<0.1%), 5,751 [Eastern Orthodox](https://bliptext.com/articles/eastern-orthodox) Christians (<0.1%), 7,394 spiritualists (0.1%), 964 [Muslims](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam-in-brazil) (<0.1%), 5,662 esoteric (<0.1%) and 802 [Hindus](https://bliptext.com/articles/hindu) (<0.1%).\n858,704 had no religion (13.5%), and 113,530 followed other forms of Christianity (1.8%).\nRio de Janeiro has had a rich and influential Catholic tradition.\nThe [Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-sebasti-o-do-rio-de-janeiro) is the second largest archdiocese in Brazil after [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-paulo).\nThe [Rio de Janeiro Cathedral](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-cathedral) was inaugurated in 1979, in the central region of the city.\nIts installations have a collection of great historical and religious value: the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art and the Archdiocesan Archive.\nIn a [Contemporary architecture](https://bliptext.com/articles/contemporary-architecture), it has a conical shape, with 96 meters of internal diameter and capacity to receive up to 20 thousand faithful.\nThe splendor of the building, with straight and sober lines, is due to the changing stained glass windows carved on the walls up to the dome.\nIts design and execution was coordinated by [Monsignor](https://bliptext.com/articles/monsignor) Ivo Antônio Calliari (1918–2005).\n[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) is recognized as the city's [patron saint](https://bliptext.com/articles/patron-saint), which is why it received the canonical name of \"[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/saint-sebastian) of Rio de Janeiro.\"\nMany [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant) creeds coexist in the city, [Presbyterian](https://bliptext.com/articles/presbyterian), [Congregational](https://bliptext.com/articles/congregational-churches), [Lutheran](https://bliptext.com/articles/lutheran) and [Anglican](https://bliptext.com/articles/anglican) Churches.\nIn addition to evangelical churches such as the [Baptist](https://bliptext.com/articles/baptist), [Methodist](https://bliptext.com/articles/methodist), [Seventh-day Adventist](https://bliptext.com/articles/seventh-day-adventist) and [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostal) churches, such as the [Universal Church of the Kingdom of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-church-of-the-kingdom-of-god), [Assembly of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/assembly-of-god), [Christian Congregation in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-congregation-in-brazil) and [The Foursquare Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-foursquare-church).\nAfro-Brazilian religions such as [Umbanda](https://bliptext.com/articles/umbanda) and [Candomblé](https://bliptext.com/articles/candombl) find support in various social segments, although professed by less than 2% of the population, many Cariocas simultaneously observe those practices with Roman Catholicism.\n# [Christ the Redeemer | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Aerial///view///of///the///Statue///of///Christ///the///Redeemer.jpg]\n\n### Christianity\nThe [Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-archdiocese-of-s-o-sebasti-o-do-rio-de-janeiro), the Metropolitan See of its respective [Ecclesiastical Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/ecclesiastical-province), belongs to the Regional Episcopal Council Leste I of the [National Conference of Bishops of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-conference-of-bishops-of-brazil) (CNBB) (headquartered in Rio until 1977).\nFounded in 1676, it covers a territory of 1,721 km2.\nThe [Cathedral of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/cathedral-of-st-sebastian-of-rio-de-janeiro), or Metropolitan Cathedral, was inaugurated in 1979 in the [central region](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-region-rio-de-janeiro) of the city.\nIts facilities house a collection of great historical and religious value: the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art and the Archdiocesan Archive.\nThe Banco da Providência and the Archdiocesan Caritas are also based there.\nIn a contemporary architectural style, it has a conical shape, with an internal diameter of 96 meters and a capacity to hold up to 20,000 worshippers.\nThe splendor of the building, with its straight and sober lines, is due to the changing [stained glass windows](https://bliptext.com/articles/stained-glass-windows) carved into the walls up to the [dome](https://bliptext.com/articles/dome).\nIts design and execution were coordinated by [Monsignor](https://bliptext.com/articles/monsignor) [Ivo Antônio Calliari](https://bliptext.com/articles/ivo-ant-nio-calliari) (1918–2005).\n[Saint Sebastian](https://bliptext.com/articles/sebastian-of-narbonne) is recognized as the [patron saint](https://bliptext.com/articles/patron-saint) of the city, which is why it received the canonical name \"São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro\".\nThe city is home to various [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestantism) or reformed denominations, exemplified by the [Presbyterian](https://bliptext.com/articles/presbyterian-church-of-brazil), [Congregational](https://bliptext.com/articles/congregational-church), [Lutheran](https://bliptext.com/articles/lutheran) and [Anglican](https://bliptext.com/articles/anglican) churches.\nThere are also evangelical churches such as the [Baptist](https://bliptext.com/articles/baptist), [Methodist](https://bliptext.com/articles/methodist), [Seventh-day Adventist](https://bliptext.com/articles/seventh-day-adventist) churches, and those of [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostalism) origin: [Universal Church of the Kingdom of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-church-of-the-kingdom-of-god), [Assembly of God](https://bliptext.com/articles/assemblies-of-god), [Christian Congregation in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-congregation-in-brazil), [Foursquare Gospel](https://bliptext.com/articles/foursquare-church), [House of Blessing](https://bliptext.com/articles/tabernacle-evangelical-church-of-jesus), God is Love [Pentecostal](https://bliptext.com/articles/pentecostalism) Church, [Christian Maranatha](https://bliptext.com/articles/maranatha-christian-church), and New Life.\n# [Igreja Presbiteriana do Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Catedral///Presbiteriana%2C///Rio///de///Janeiro.jpg]\n\n## Education\nThe [Portuguese language](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-language) is the official and [national language](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-language), and thus the primary language taught in schools.\n[English](https://bliptext.com/articles/english-language) and [Spanish](https://bliptext.com/articles/spanish-language) are also part of the official curriculum.\nThere are also international schools, such as the [American School of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/american-school-of-rio-de-janeiro), Our Lady of Mercy School, SIS Swiss International School, the Corcovado German School, the Lycée Français and the British School of Rio de Janeiro.\nThe city has several universities and research institutes.\nThe [Ministry of Education](https://bliptext.com/articles/ministry-of-education-brazil) has certified approximately 99 upper-learning institutions in Rio.\nThe most prestigious university is the [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro).\nIt is the fifth-best in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america); the second-best in Brazil, second only to the [University of São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-s-o-paulo); and the best in [Latin America](https://bliptext.com/articles/latin-america), according to the [QS World University Rankings](https://bliptext.com/articles/qs-world-university-rankings).\nSome notable higher education institutions are [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (UFRJ); [Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/universidade-federal-do-estado-do-rio-de-janeiro) (UNIRIO); [Rio de Janeiro State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state-university) (UERJ); [Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/universidade-federal-rural-do-rio-de-janeiro) (UFRRJ, often nicknamed Rural); [Fluminense Federal University](https://bliptext.com/articles/fluminense-federal-university) (UFF); [Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pontifical-catholic-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (PUC-Rio); [Getúlio Vargas Foundation](https://bliptext.com/articles/funda-o-get-lio-vargas) (FGV); [Military Institute of Engineering](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-militar-de-engenharia) (IME); [Superior Institute of Technology in Computer Science of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-superior-de-tecnologia-em-ci-ncias-da-computa-o-do-rio-de-janeiro) (IST-Rio); College of Publicity and Marketing (ESPM); [The Brazilian Center for Research in Physics](https://bliptext.com/articles/centro-brasileiro-de-pesquisas-f-sicas) (CBPF); [National Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-de-matem-tica-pura-e-aplicada) (IMPA); Superior institute of Education of Rio de Janeiro (ISERJ) and [Federal Center of Technological Education Celso Suckow da Fonseca](https://bliptext.com/articles/centro-federal-de-educa-o-tecnol-gica-celso-suckow-da-fonseca) (CEFET/RJ).\nThere are more than 137 upper-learning institutions in whole Rio de Janeiro state.\nThe [Rio de Janeiro State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state-university) (public), [Federal University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/federal-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (public), Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets (private) and [Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/pontifical-catholic-university-of-rio-de-janeiro) (private) are among the country's top institutions of higher education.\nOther institutes of higher learning include the Colégio Regina Coeli in Usina, notable for having its own [narrow gauge](https://bliptext.com/articles/narrow-gauge-railway) [funicular](https://bliptext.com/articles/funicular) railway on its grounds.\nPrimary schools are largely under municipal administration, while the state plays a more significant role in the extensive network of secondary schools.\nThere are also a small number of schools under federal administration, as is the case of Pedro II School, Colégio de Aplicação da UFRJ and the Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica of Rio de Janeiro (CEFET-RJ).\nIn addition, Rio has an ample offering of private schools that provide education at all levels.\nRio is home to many colleges and universities.\nThe literacy rate for [cariocas](https://bliptext.com/articles/carioca) aged 10 and older is nearly 95 percent, well above the national average.\nIn Rio, there were 1,033 primary schools with 25,594 teachers and 667,788 students in 1995.\nThere are 370 secondary schools with 9,699 teachers and 227,892 students.\nThere are 53 University-preparatory schools with 14,864 teachers and 154,447 students.\nThe city has six major universities and 47 private schools of higher learning.\n# [Center for Human Science of the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Centro///ci%C3%AAncias///humanas.JPG]\n# [Superior institute of Education of Rio de Janeiro (ISERJ) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Patioiserj.jpg]\n\n## Social issues\nThere are significant disparities between the rich and the poor in Rio de Janeiro, and different socioeconomic groups are largely segregated into different neighborhoods.\nAlthough the city clearly ranks among the world's major metropolises, large numbers live in slums known as [favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favela), where 95% of the population are poor, compared to 40% in the general population.\nThere have been a number of government initiatives to counter this problem, from the removal of the population from favelas to [housing projects](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-housing) such as [Cidade de Deus](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-de-deus-rio-de-janeiro) to the more recent approach of improving conditions in the favelas and bringing them up to par with the rest of the city, as was the focus of the \"Favela Bairro\" program and deployment of [Pacifying Police Units](https://bliptext.com/articles/pacifying-police-unit).\nRio has more people living in slums than any other city in Brazil, according to the 2010 Census.\nMore than 1,500,000 people live in its 763 favelas, 22% of Rio's total population.\n[São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), the largest city in Brazil, has more favelas (1,020), but proportionally has fewer people living in favelas than Rio.\nRio also has a large proportion of state-sanctioned violence, with about 20% of all killings committed by state security.\nIn 2019, police killed an average of five people each day in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with a total of 1,810 killed in the year.\nThis was more police killings than any year since official records started in 1998.\n# [Rocinha, the largest slum (favela) in Brazil | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/1///rocinha///aerial///pano///2014.jpg]\n\n# Politics\n\n## Municipal government\nIn Rio de Janeiro, the executive power is represented by the mayor and the cabinet of secretaries, in accordance with the model proposed by the Federal Constitution.\nThe Organic Law of the Municipality and the current Master Plan, however, stipulate that the public administration must provide the population with effective tools for the exercise of participatory democracy.\nIn this way, the city is divided into subprefectures, each of which is headed by a sub-mandatory appointed directly by the mayor.\nLegislative power is constituted by the municipal council, composed of 51 councilors elected for four-year terms (in compliance with the provisions of article 29 of the Constitution, which disciplines a minimum number of 42 and a maximum of 55 for municipalities with more than five million inhabitants).\nIt is up to the House to prepare and vote on fundamental laws for the administration and the Executive, especially the participatory budget (Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias).\nAlthough the veto power is granted to the mayor, the process of voting on the laws that oppose him usually generates conflicts between the Executive and the Legislative.\nThere are also municipal councils, which complement the legislative process and the work engendered in the secretariats.\nCompulsorily formed by representatives of various sectors of organized civil society, they are on different fronts — although their effective representation is sometimes questioned.\nThe following are currently in operation: Municipal Council for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (CMPC), Defense of the Environment (CONDEMAM), Health (CMS), the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CMDCA), Education (CME), Social Assistance (CMAS) and Anti-Drugs.\n\n## State government\nAs the capital of the homonymous state, the city is the seat of the state government.\nThe [Guanabara Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-palace) (formerly known as Paço Isabel) is located in the Laranjeiras neighborhood, in the south zone, and is the official seat of the Rio de Janeiro executive power.\nNot to be confused with Palácio Laranjeiras, situated in the same neighborhood, which is the official residence of the governor of Rio de Janeiro.\nThe [Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/legislative-assembly-of-rio-de-janeiro) (ALERJ) is the state legislative body and is headquartered at [Tiradentes Palace](https://bliptext.com/articles/tiradentes-palace), where the [Chamber of Deputies of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/chamber-of-deputies-of-brazil) previously functioned.\nThe Court of Justice of the State of Rio de Janeiro (TJRJ) is the highest body of the judiciary in the state.\nIts central court is located in downtown Rio de Janeiro, but, from 2013 to July 2018, some of the courts of this court were moved to Cidade Nova.\n\n## Federal government\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro was successively the capital of the Portuguese colony of the [State of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-of-brazil) (1621–1815), after the [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-portugal-brazil-and-the-algarves) (1815–1822), the [Empire of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) (1822–1889) and from the Republic of the United States of Brazil (1889–1968) until 1960, when the seat of government was definitively transferred to the then newly built [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia).\nDespite the change in the federal capital, 59% of civil servants in the Executive Branch of federal agencies and public companies remained in the city.\nRio de Janeiro is also the only Brazilian state where the number of federal employees exceeds the number of state employees.\nAbout a third of all federal public bodies and companies remain in the former capital, with 50 public offices, including agencies, autarchies, foundations and public companies, such as the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil), the [National Nuclear Energy Commission](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-nuclear-energy-commission), [Fiocruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/fiocruz), [BNDES](https://bliptext.com/articles/bndes), [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [IBGE](https://bliptext.com/articles/ibge), [Casa da Moeda](https://bliptext.com/articles/casa-da-moeda-do-brasil), the [National Archives](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-national-archives), among others.\n\n## Subdivisions\nZoneamento da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg, [Campo Grande](https://bliptext.com/articles/campo-grande-rio-de-janeiro) and the wealthy newer [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca) district. Rio de Janeiro is administratively divided into 33 distritos (districts) named Regiões Administrativas (\"Administrative Regions\") and 165 bairros (neighborhoods).\nSubprefectures are officially grouped into four regions (or \"zones\"), taking into account geographic position and occupation history; however these do not have any administrative or political power over the municipality.\nThe official political division of the municipality takes into account historical-cultural characteristics to divide the neighborhoods.\nMost of its population is concentrated in the neighborhoods of Campo Grande, Santa Cruz, Bangu, Tijuca, Realengo, Jacarepaguá, Copacabana, Barra da Tijuca, Maré, Guaratiba and Taquara together, these eleven neighborhoods concentrate a population of 1.5 million inhabitants, according to the 2010 census.\nCentro or Downtown is the historic core of the city, as well as its [financial center](https://bliptext.com/articles/financial-center).\nSites of interest include the [Paço Imperial](https://bliptext.com/articles/pa-o-imperial), built during colonial times to serve as a residence for the Portuguese governors of Brazil; many historic churches, such as the [Candelária Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/candel-ria-church) (the former cathedral), São Jose, Santa Lucia, Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Santa Rita, São Francisco de Paula, and the monasteries of Santo Antônio and São Bento.\nThe Centro also houses the modern concrete [Rio de Janeiro Cathedral](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-cathedral).\nAround the [Cinelândia](https://bliptext.com/articles/cinel-ndia) square, there are several landmarks of the [Belle Époque](https://bliptext.com/articles/belle-poque) of Rio, such as the [Municipal Theatre](https://bliptext.com/articles/teatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro) and the [National Library](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library) building.\nAmong its several museums, the [Museu Nacional de Belas Artes](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes) (National Museum of Fine Arts) and the [Museu Histórico Nacional](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-historical-museum-brazil) (National Historical Museum) are the most important.\nThe [South Zone](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-zone-rio-de-janeiro) (Zona Sul) is composed of several districts, among which are [São Conrado](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-conrado), [Leblon](https://bliptext.com/articles/leblon), [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema), [Arpoador](https://bliptext.com/articles/arpoador), [Copacabana](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-rio-de-janeiro), and [Leme](https://bliptext.com/articles/leme-rio-de-janeiro), which compose Rio's Atlantic beach coastline.\nThe neighborhood 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](https://bliptext.com/articles/fireworks).\nFrom 2001, the fireworks have been launched from boats, to improve the safety of the event.\nThe North Zone (Zona Norte) begins at Grande [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca) (the middle class residential and commercial bairro of [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca)), just west of the city center, and sprawls for miles inland until [Baixada Fluminense](https://bliptext.com/articles/baixada-fluminense) and the city's Northwest.\nThis region is home to the Maracanã (located in Grande Tijuca), once the world's highest capacity [football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) venue, able to hold nearly 199,854 people, as it did for the [World Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/fifa-world-cup) [final](https://bliptext.com/articles/uruguay-v-brazil-[1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup)-fifa-world-cup) of [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup).\nThis region is also home to most of the [samba schools](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba-school) of Rio de Janeiro such as Mangueira, Salgueiro, Império Serrano, Unidos da Tijuca, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, among others.\nSome of the main neighborhoods of Rio's North Zone are Alto da Boa Vista which shares the [Tijuca Rainforest](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest) with the South and Southwest Zones; Tijuca, Vila Isabel, Méier, [São Cristovão](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-crist-v-o-rio-de-janeiro-neighborhood), Madureira, Penha, Manguinhos, Fundão, Olaria among others.\nMany of Rio de Janeiro's [slums](https://bliptext.com/articles/slums) ([favelas](https://bliptext.com/articles/favelas)), are located in the North Zone.\nWest Zone (Zona Oeste) of Rio de Janeiro is a vaguely defined area that covers some 50% of the city's entire area, including Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhoods.\nThe West Side of Rio has many historic sites because of the old \"Royal Road of Santa Cruz\" that crossed the territory in the regions of Realengo, Bangu, and Campo Grande, finishing at the Royal Palace of Santa Cruz in the Santa Cruz region.\nThe highest peak of the city of Rio de Janeiro is the Pedra Branca Peak (Pico da Pedra Branca) inside the [Pedra Branca State Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedra-branca-state-park).\nIt has an altitude of 1024m.\nThe Pedra Branca State Park (Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca) is the biggest urban state park in the world comprising 17 neighborhoods in the west side, being a \"giant lung\" in the city with trails, waterfalls and historic constructions like an old aqueduct in the Colônia Juliano Moreira in the neighborhood of [Taquara](https://bliptext.com/articles/taquara-rio-de-janeiro) and a dam in [Camorim](https://bliptext.com/articles/camorim).\nSanta Cruz and Campo Grande Region have exhibited economic growth, mainly in the [Campo Grande neighborhood](https://bliptext.com/articles/campo-grande-rio-de-janeiro).\nIndustrial enterprises are being built in lower and lower middle class residential [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), one of the largest and most populous of Rio de Janeiro's neighborhoods, most notably [Ternium Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ternium), a new steel mill with its own private docks on Sepetiba Bay, which is planned to be South America's largest steel works.\nA tunnel called Túnel da Grota Funda, opened in 2012, creating a [public transit](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-transit) facility between Barra da Tijuca and Santa Cruz, lessening travel time to the region from other areas of Rio de Janeiro.\n# [Aerial view of Fort Copacabana, with Copacabana (right) and Ipanema (left, background) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Forte///de///Copacabana///panorama.jpg]\n# [Barra da Tijuca with Pedra da Gávea in background | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Praia///da///Barra///e///Montanhas///do///Parque///Nacional///da///Tijuca.jpg]\n\n# International relations\n\n## Twin towns – sister cities\nRio de Janeiro is [twinned](https://bliptext.com/articles/twin-towns-and-sister-cities) with:\n\n## Partner cities\nRio de Janeiro has the following partner/friendship cities:\n\n## Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities\nRio de Janeiro is a part of the [Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities](https://bliptext.com/articles/union-of-ibero-american-capital-cities).\n\n# Economy\nRio de Janeiro has the second-largest [GDP](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) of any city in Brazil, surpassed only by [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo).\nAccording to the [IBGE](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-institute-of-geography-and-statistics), it was approximately US$201 billion in 2008, equivalent to 5.1% of the national total.\nTaking into consideration the network of influence exerted by the urban [metropolis](https://bliptext.com/articles/metropolis) (which covers 11.3% of the population), this share in GDP rises to 14.4%, according to a study released in October 2008 by the IBGE.\nGreater Rio de Janeiro, as perceived by the IBGE, has a GDP of US$187 billion, constituting the second largest hub of national wealth.\nPer capita GDP is US$11,786.\nIt concentrates 68% of the state's economic strength and 7.9% of all goods and services produced in the country.\nThe services sector comprises the largest portion of GDP (65.5%), followed by commerce (23.4%), industrial activities (11.1%) and agriculture (0.1%).\nBenefiting from the federal capital position it had for a long period (1763–1960), the city became a dynamic administrative, financial, commercial and cultural center.\nRio 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.\nThe city was chosen as headquarters for [state-owned](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-property) companies such as [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [Caixa Econômica Federal](https://bliptext.com/articles/caixa-econ-mica-federal), [National Economic and Social Development Bank](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-development-bank) and [Vale](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-mining-company) (which was privatized in the 1990s).\nThe [Rio de Janeiro Stock Exchange](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-stock-exchange) (BVRJ), which currently trades only government securities, was the first stock exchange founded in Brazil in 1845.\nThe off-shore oil exploration in the [Campos Basin](https://bliptext.com/articles/campos-basin) began in 1968 and became the main site for oil production of Brazil.\nThis caused many oil and gas companies to be based in Rio de Janeiro, such as the Brazilian branches of [Shell](https://bliptext.com/articles/royal-dutch-shell), [EBX](https://bliptext.com/articles/ebx-group) and [Esso](https://bliptext.com/articles/esso).\nFor many years Rio was the second largest industrial hub of Brazil, with [oil refineries](https://bliptext.com/articles/oil-refineries), shipbuilding industries, steel, [metallurgy](https://bliptext.com/articles/metallurgy), petrochemicals, cement, [pharmaceutical](https://bliptext.com/articles/pharmaceutic), textile, processed foods and furniture industries.\nMajor international pharmaceutical companies have their Brazilian headquarters in Rio such as: [Merck](https://bliptext.com/articles/merck-kgaa), [Roche](https://bliptext.com/articles/roche-applied-science), Arrow, Darrow, [Baxter](https://bliptext.com/articles/baxter-international), Mayne, and Mappel.\nRecent decades have seen a sharp transformation in its economic profile, which is becoming more and more one of a major national hub of services and businesses.\nThe city is the headquarters of large telecom companies, such as [Intelig](https://bliptext.com/articles/intelig-telecom), [Oi](https://bliptext.com/articles/oi-telecommunications) and [Embratel](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel).\nMajor Brazilian entertainment and media organizations are based in Rio de Janeiro like [Organizações Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/organiza-es-globo) and also some of Brazil's major newspapers: [Jornal do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/jornal-do-brasil), [O Dia](https://bliptext.com/articles/o-dia), and Business Rio.\nTourism and entertainment are other key aspects of the city's economic life.\nThe city is the nation's top tourist attraction for both Brazilians and foreigners.\nIn Greater Rio, which has one of the highest per capita incomes in Brazil, retail trade is substantial.\nMany of the most important retail stores are located in the center, but others are scattered throughout the commercial areas of the other districts, where shopping centers, supermarkets, and other retail businesses handle a large volume of consumer trade.\nRio de Janeiro is the second largest exporting municipality in Brazil.\nAnnually, Rio exported a total of $7.49B (USD) worth of goods.\nThe top three goods exported by the municipality were [crude petroleum](https://bliptext.com/articles/petroleum) (40%), [semi finished iron product](https://bliptext.com/articles/semi-finished-casting-products) (16%), and semi finished steel products (11%).\nMaterial categories of mineral products (42%) and metals (29%) make up 71% of all exports from Rio.\nCompared to other cities, Rio de Janeiro's economy is the second-largest in Brazil, behind [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo), and the [30th largest in the world](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-cities-by-gdp) with a GDP of [R$](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-real) 201,9 billion in 2010.\nThe per capita income for the city was R$22,903 in 2007 (around US$14,630).\nLargely because of the strength of Brazil's currency at the time, [Mercer](https://bliptext.com/articles/mercer-consulting-firm)'s [city rankings of cost of living for expatriate employees](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-most-expensive-cities-for-expatriate-employees), reported that Rio de Janeiro ranked 12th among the most expensive cities in the world in 2011, up from the 29th position in 2010, just behind São Paulo (ranked 10th), and ahead of London, Paris, [Milan](https://bliptext.com/articles/milan), and New York.\nRio also had the most expensive hotel rates in Brazil, and the daily rate of its [five star hotels](https://bliptext.com/articles/five-star-hotel) were the second most expensive in the world after only New York.\n# [Downtown Rio, in the financial district of the city | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Urca%2C///Rio///de///Janeiro///-///State///of///Rio///de///Janeiro%2C///Brazil///-///panoramio///%2814%29.jpg]\n# [Botafogo with the Sugarloaf Mountain | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7ucar///-///Sugarloaf///Mountain///-///Zuckerhut///-///Botafago.jpg]\n# [Largo da Carioca, in Downtown Rio | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Convento///de///Santo///Ant%C3%B4nio///do///Largo///da///Carioca///19.jpg]\n# [Barra da Tijuca | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Barra///da///Tijuca///-///panoramio.jpg]\n\n## Highlighted Sectors\nRio de Janeiro is home to many of Brazil's largest business conglomerates.\nAmong them are the three largest multinationals in the energy and mining sectors: [Petrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/petrobras), [Vale S.A.](https://bliptext.com/articles/vale-s-a), and the [EBX Group](https://bliptext.com/articles/ebx-group); the largest media and communications group in Latin America, [Grupo Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/grupo-globo); and major telecommunications companies like [CorpCo](https://bliptext.com/articles/corpco) (owner of [Oi](https://bliptext.com/articles/oi-company) and [Portugal Telecom](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal-telecom)), [TIM](https://bliptext.com/articles/tim-brasil), [Embratel](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel), [Intelig](https://bliptext.com/articles/intelig), and [Star One](https://bliptext.com/articles/embratel-star-one) (the largest satellite management company in Latin America).\nIn the petrochemical sector, there are more than 700 companies, including Brazil's largest ([Shell](https://bliptext.com/articles/shell-plc), [Esso](https://bliptext.com/articles/esso), [Ipiranga](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipiranga-company), [Chevron](https://bliptext.com/articles/chevron-corporation), [PRIO](https://bliptext.com/articles/prio), [Repsol](https://bliptext.com/articles/repsol)).\nMost maintain research centers throughout the state and together produce over four-fifths of the petroleum and fuels distributed at service stations nationwide.\nThe [Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional](https://bliptext.com/articles/companhia-sider-rgica-nacional) (CSN), [Ternium Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ternium-brasil) (the largest steel mill in Latin America ) and the Brazilian branch of [BHP Billiton](https://bliptext.com/articles/bhp) play significant roles in the mining sector.\nThe city also hosts the main national and international groups of the [shipbuilding industry](https://bliptext.com/articles/shipbuilding-industry) and the largest shipyards in the state and throughout Brazil, which produce about 90% of the ships and [offshore](https://bliptext.com/articles/offshore-construction) equipment in Brazil.\n[Americanas](https://bliptext.com/articles/americanas), [Coca-Cola Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/coca-cola-brasil), [Eletrobras](https://bliptext.com/articles/eletrobras), [Michelin](https://bliptext.com/articles/michelin), [Neoenergia](https://bliptext.com/articles/neoenergia), [Xerox do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/xerox), GE Oil & Gas, [Light](https://bliptext.com/articles/light-s-a), [Chemtech](https://bliptext.com/articles/chemtech), [Transpetro](https://bliptext.com/articles/transpetro), [BAT Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/bat-brasil), [Grupo SulAmérica](https://bliptext.com/articles/sulam-rica-seguros) and [Vibra Energia](https://bliptext.com/articles/vibra-energia) are among the major companies headquartered in the city.\nThe city has a significant number of pharmaceutical industries, including [Schering-Plough](https://bliptext.com/articles/schering-plough), [GlaxoSmithKline](https://bliptext.com/articles/glaxosmithkline), [Roche](https://bliptext.com/articles/hoffmann-la-roche), and [Merck](https://bliptext.com/articles/merck-kgaa).\nRio de Janeiro has inherited a strong cultural vocation from its past.\nIt currently hosts the main production centers of Brazilian television: the [Estúdios Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-dios-globo) of [TV Globo](https://bliptext.com/articles/tv-globo), the [Casablanca Estúdios](https://bliptext.com/articles/casablanca-est-dios) of [Record](https://bliptext.com/articles/record-tv-network), and the Polo de Cinema de Jacarepaguá — responsible for creating about 10,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs.\nIn 2006, 65% of Brazilian cinema production was done exclusively by studios in Rio, generating 91 million reais in federal funds through [tax incentive laws](https://bliptext.com/articles/rouanet-law).\nA significant part of the Brazilian editorial graphic industry is also present.\nIn the phonographic industry, companies such as [EMI](https://bliptext.com/articles/emi), [Universal Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/universal-music-group), [Sony Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/sony-music), [Warner Music](https://bliptext.com/articles/warner-music-brasil) and [Som Livre](https://bliptext.com/articles/som-livre) are present.\nMany state-owned companies, public foundations, and federal autarchies have their headquarters in the city, including the [National Bank for Economic and Social Development](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-bank-for-economic-and-social-development) (BNDES), the [Casa da Moeda do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/casa-da-moeda-do-brasil), the [Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/ind-strias-nucleares-do-brasil) (INB), the [Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos](https://bliptext.com/articles/financiadora-de-estudos-e-projetos) (FINEP), the [Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-brasileiro-de-geografia-e-estat-stica) (IBGE), the [Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-de-metrologia-qualidade-e-tecnologia) (Inmetro), the [Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/instituto-nacional-da-propriedade-industrial-brasil) (INPI), the [Comissão de Valores Mobiliários](https://bliptext.com/articles/comiss-o-de-valores-mobili-rios) (CVM), and the [Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear](https://bliptext.com/articles/comiss-o-nacional-de-energia-nuclear) (CNEN).\n# [Headquarters building of Petrobras | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Edise.jpg]\n# [Replica of the Ganges River at the scenic city of Projac, the second-largest television complex in Latin America | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Projac%2C///Globo.jpg]\n\n## Tourism\nRio de Janeiro is Brazil's primary tourist attraction and resort.\nIt receives the most visitors per year of any city in South America with 2.82 million international tourists a year.\nAttractions in the city include approximately 80 kilometers of beaches, [Corcovado](https://bliptext.com/articles/corcovado) and [Sugarloaf](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) mountains, and the [Maracanã Stadium](https://bliptext.com/articles/maracan-stadium).\nWhile the city had in past had a thriving tourism sector, the industry entered a decline in the last quarter of the 20th century.\nAnnual international airport arrivals dropped from 621,000 to 378,000 and average hotel occupancy dropped to 50% between 1985 and 1993.\nThe fact that [Brasília](https://bliptext.com/articles/bras-lia) replaced Rio de Janeiro as the Brazilian capital in 1960 and that [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo) replaced Rio as the country's commercial, financial and main cultural center during the mid-20th century, has also been cited as a leading cause of the decline.\nRio de Janeiro's government has since undertaken to modernize the city's economy, reduce its chronic social inequalities, and improve its commercial standing as part of an initiative for the regeneration of the tourism industry.\nRio de Janeiro is an international hub of highly active and diverse [nightlife](https://bliptext.com/articles/nightlife) with [bars](https://bliptext.com/articles/bar-establishment), dance [bars](https://bliptext.com/articles/bar-establishment) and [nightclubs](https://bliptext.com/articles/nightclub) staying open well past midnight.\nThe city is an important global [LGBT destination](https://bliptext.com/articles/lgbt-tourism), with 1 million LGBT tourists visiting each year.\nThe Farme de Amoedo Street \"Rua Farme de Amoedo\" is located in Ipanema, a neighborhood in the South Zone of the city.\nThe street and the nearby beach are popular in the LGBT community.\n# [Ipanema beach | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Ipanema///Paradise.jpg]\n# [Museum of Tomorrow | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Museu///do///Amanh%C3%A3///-///entrada///%2828044443423%29.jpg]\n\n# Infrastructure\n\n## Transportation\n\n### Airports\nThe city of Rio de Janeiro is served by the following airports for use:\nMilitary airports include:\n# [Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Aeroporto///galeao///rj///ME.jpg]\n# [Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont National Airport | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Aeroporto///do///Rio///de///Janeiro///RJ///Santos///Dumont///2.jpg]\n\n### Ports\nThe [Port of Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/port-of-rio-de-janeiro) is Brazil's third busiest port in terms of cargo volume, and it is the center for cruise vessels.\nLocated on the west coast of the [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay), it serves the States of Rio de Janeiro, [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo-state), Minas Gerais, and [Espírito Santo](https://bliptext.com/articles/esp-rito-santo).\nThe port is managed by Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro.\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro covers territory from the Mauá Pier in the east to the Wharf of the Cashew in the north.\nThe Port of Rio de Janeiro contains almost 7 e3m of continuous wharf and an 883 m pier.\nThe Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro administers directly the Wharf of the Gamboa general [cargo terminal](https://bliptext.com/articles/container-terminal); the wheat terminal with two warehouses capable of moving 300 tons of grains; General Load Terminal 2 with warehouses covering over 20 e3m2; and the Wharves of Are Cristovao with terminals for wheat and liquid bulk.\nAt the Wharf of Gamboa, leaseholders operate terminals for sugar, paper, iron and steel products.\nLeaseholders at the Wharf of the Cashew operate terminals for [roll-on/roll-off](https://bliptext.com/articles/roll-on-roll-off) cargoes, containers, and liquid bulk.\nIn 2004, the Port of Rio de Janeiro handled over seven million tons of cargo on almost 1700 vessels.\nIn 2004, the Port of Rio de Janeiro handled over two million tons of containerized cargo in almost 171 thousand TEUs.\nThe port handled 852 thousand tons of wheat, more than 1.8 million tons of iron and steel, over a million tons of liquid bulk cargo, almost 830 thousand tons of dry bulk, over five thousand tons of paper goods, and over 78 thousand vehicles.\nIn 2003, over 91 thousand passengers moved through the Port of Rio Janeiro on 83 cruise vessels.\n# [Port of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Cruise///Ship///Costa///Serena///docked///in///Rio///de///Janeiro///%28city%29///-///Feb.///2011.jpg]\n\n### Public transportation\nIn Rio de Janeiro, buses are the main form of [public transportation](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-transportation).\nThere are nearly 440 municipal bus lines serving over four million passengers every day, in addition to intercity lines.\nAlthough cheap and frequent, Rio's transportation policy has been moving towards trains and subway in order to reduce surface congestion and increase carrier capacity.\nRio's public transportation service has been a target of many critics and the motive of the [2013 protests and manifestations](https://bliptext.com/articles/2013-protests-in-brazil) that started in São Paulo and spread through the entire country.\nAccording to the people, the raise in the bus and subway fares are invalid, seeing that the amount charged is too high for the low quality of the services.\nThe average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Rio de Janeiro, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 95 min. 32% of public transit riders, ride for more than two hours every day.\nThe average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 19 min, while 35% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day.\nThe average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 12.3 km, while 37% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.\n# [Public transport map of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Public///transport///map///of///Rio///de///Janeiro.png]\n\n#### Urban rail\nThe Rio de Janeiro Metro has three [subway](https://bliptext.com/articles/rapid-transit) lines with 58 km and 41 stations plus several [commuter rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/commuter-rail) lines.\nThe [Metro](https://bliptext.com/articles/rapid-transit) is Rio's safest and cleanest form of public transport in the city.\nThe first line runs from [[General Osório](https://bliptext.com/articles/tom-jobim-station)](https://bliptext.com/articles/tom-jobim-station) in [Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ipanema) to Uruguai Station in [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca); the second runs from [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo) terminating at Pavuna in northern Rio; and the third line [[General Osório](https://bliptext.com/articles/tom-jobim-station)](https://bliptext.com/articles/tom-jobim-station) to [Jardim Oceânico Station](https://bliptext.com/articles/jardim-oce-nico-station), in Barra da [Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca) neighborhood.\nIntegration with buses are possible in several forms.\nThe city also has a [commuter rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/commuter-rail) system operated by SuperVia that connects the city of Rio with other locations in [Greater Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/greater-rio-de-janeiro) with surface trains.\nIt has 8 lines and 270 km, with 102 stations.\nIt carries around 750,000 [passengers](https://bliptext.com/articles/passenger) a day on a railroad network comprising 104 stations in 12 cities: Rio de Janeiro, [Duque de Caxias](https://bliptext.com/articles/duque-de-caxias-rio-de-janeiro), [Guapimirim](https://bliptext.com/articles/guapimirim), [Nova Iguaçu](https://bliptext.com/articles/nova-igua-u), [Nilópolis](https://bliptext.com/articles/nil-polis), [Mesquita](https://bliptext.com/articles/mesquita-rio-de-janeiro), [Queimados](https://bliptext.com/articles/queimados), [São João de Meriti](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-jo-o-de-meriti), [Belford Roxo](https://bliptext.com/articles/belford-roxo), [Japeri](https://bliptext.com/articles/japeri), [Paracambi](https://bliptext.com/articles/paracambi) and [Magé](https://bliptext.com/articles/mag).\nThe Rio de Janeiro Light Rail is a modern [light rail](https://bliptext.com/articles/light-rail) system serving with 28 km, 42 stations, distributed in 3 lines.\nThe trams are the first in the world to use a combination of ground-level power supply (APS) and on-board supercapacitor energy storage (SRS), in order to eliminate overhead lines along the entire route.\nThe network uses 32 [Alstom Citadis](https://bliptext.com/articles/alstom-citadis) 402 [low-floor trams](https://bliptext.com/articles/low-floor-tram) carrying 420 passengers each.\nThey are [bi-directional](https://bliptext.com/articles/bi-directional-vehicle), [air-conditioned](https://bliptext.com/articles/air-conditioning), have seven sections, and eight doors per side.\nThe Santa Teresa Tram is the oldest operating electric [tramway](https://bliptext.com/articles/tram) in Latin America, commenced electric operation in 1896, replacing [horse-drawn trams](https://bliptext.com/articles/horsecar) and extending the route.\nAt this time the gauge was altered to, which remains the case today.\nIt was designated a national historic monument in 1985.\nAfter a [derailment](https://bliptext.com/articles/derailment) occurred on 27 August 2011, which left six dead, tram service was suspended to improve the system.\nThe elderly tramcars, which dated from the 1950s, were retired and replaced with newly built replicas that have the appearance of the old fleet but with new mechanical equipment and additional safety features; delivery began in 2014.\nThe line's track was also rebuilt, and after some delays, about one-third of the line reopened in July 2015.\nMore sections reopened later in stages, following repair of additional sections of track.\nThe line was restored to its full pre-2011 length of 6 km in January 2019.\n\n#### Ferry\nThe most geographically close sister city to Rio that is on the other side of [Guanabara Bay](https://bliptext.com/articles/guanabara-bay) is [Niterói](https://bliptext.com/articles/niter-i).\nMany people who live in Niterói, as well its neighboring municipalities [São Gonçalo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-gon-alo-rio-de-janeiro) and [Maricá](https://bliptext.com/articles/maric), commute to Rio de Janeiro to study and work.\nThere are several ferry services that operate between the Rio Centro ([Praça XV](https://bliptext.com/articles/pra-a-xv-station)) and Niterói (Centro and Charitas).\nThere is a traditional boat as well as several \"fast cat\" [hydrofoil](https://bliptext.com/articles/hydrofoil) boats.\nOne of the city neighborhoods is [Paquetá Island](https://bliptext.com/articles/paquet-island), which can only be accessed by ferryboats or hydrofoil boats.\nThe ferryboat to Paquetá leaves every hour, from early in the morning until around midnight.\nThere is also a ferry to [Cocotá](https://bliptext.com/articles/cocot).\n# [Rio de Janeiro ferry | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Barca///P%C3%A3o///de///A%C3%A7%C3%BAcar///%282%29.jpg]\n\n#### Buses\nCity buses, which come in both non-air conditioned and air conditioned versions, cost about R$4,30 to ride.\nThe system may be relatively safe by day but less so at night.\nIntegration of bus lines has been recently implemented, allowing users to take two non-air conditioned bus rides in two hours paying just one ticket.\nIt is necessary to have a registered electronic card (the \"Bilhete Único Carioca (BUC)\") in order to benefit of this system.\nAnother type of local bus is called the \"Frescão\" (air-conditioned).\nThese buses run several routes, the main being from Centro through Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema to Leblon (and vice versa), and from the International Airport to Barra, through the beach road.\nThey are air conditioned – about 22 °C – more upscale/comfortable and cost between R$13.35–R$19.95.\nHowever, it is only available during weekdays.\nThe buses also run more frequently during the rush hours in the morning and evening.\nGoing in the direction of Centro (city center), the bus can be flagged down on the beach road (buses with plaques showing \"Castelo\").\n# [TransOeste Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Rio///01///2013///TransOeste///5811.JPG]\n\n### Road transport\nDriving in Rio de Janeiro, as in most large cities of Brazil, might not be the best choice because of the large car numbers.\nThe city is served by a number of expressways, like Linha Vermelha, Linha Amarela, [Avenida Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/avenida-brasil-rio-de-janeiro), Avenida das Américas and Avenida Infante Dom Henrique ([Aterro do Flamengo](https://bliptext.com/articles/aterro-do-flamengo)); in spite of this, traffic jams are very common.\nBecause of the organization of the [2016 Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-olympics) the city is installing four [BRT](https://bliptext.com/articles/bus-rapid-transit) systems to link [Barra da Tijuca](https://bliptext.com/articles/barra-da-tijuca) with other major neighborhoods: [TransOlimpica](https://bliptext.com/articles/transolimpica) (between Barra and [Deodoro](https://bliptext.com/articles/deodoro-rio-de-janeiro)); TransBrasil (over the [Avenida Brasil](https://bliptext.com/articles/avenida-brasil-rio-de-janeiro) expressway); [TransCarioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/transcarioca) (between Barra and the Galeão International Airport); and [TransOeste](https://bliptext.com/articles/transoeste) (between Barra and [Santa Cruz](https://bliptext.com/articles/santa-cruz-rio-de-janeiro), over Avenida das Américas).\nIn Brazil, most interstate transportation is done by road.\nA large terminal for long-distance buses is in the Santo Cristo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.\nThere are also two port facilities for cargo and passenger ships (Rio de Janeiro and [Sepetiba](https://bliptext.com/articles/sepetiba) port).\nRio has roads to all neighbor [States](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-brazil).\nSome roads (like [Via Dutra](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodovia-presidente-dutra), to São Paulo, and a stretch of the BR-101 which covers the Rio-Niterói bridge) were chartered to private enterprises.\nThe quality of the highways improved much, but was accompanied by a significant increase of the toll fees.\nFrom [São Paulo](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-o-paulo): take the BR-116 (Presidente Dutra Federal Highway) or the [BR-101](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-highway-system) (Rio-Santos Federal Highway).\nFrom [Belo Horizonte](https://bliptext.com/articles/belo-horizonte): BR-040.\nFrom [Salvador](https://bliptext.com/articles/salvador-bahia): BR-101 or [BR-324](https://bliptext.com/articles/br-324)/BR-116/BR-393/BR-040.\n# [Rio-Niterói Bridge | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Bridge///to///Niteroi.jpg]\n\n### Bicycles\nThe city has 160 km of cycle paths that, wherever they exist, are very much preferable to riding in the city's traffic.\nMost paths run alongside beaches and extend intermittently from the [Marina da Glória](https://bliptext.com/articles/marina-da-gl-ria), Centro, through Flamengo, Copacabana and Ipanema, to Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes.\n6 km of cycle paths traverse the [Tijuca National Park](https://bliptext.com/articles/tijuca-forest).\nThe [Bike Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/bike-rio) began operations in October 2011.\nThis [bicycle sharing system](https://bliptext.com/articles/bicycle-sharing-system) is sponsored by the municipal government of Rio de Janeiro in partnership with [Banco Itaú](https://bliptext.com/articles/ita-unibanco).\nThe bike sharing system has 600 bicycles available at 60 rental stations in 14 neighborhoods throughout the city.\n# [Bike Rio rental station in Mauá Square, Downtown Rio | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/BikeRio///11///2015///Pra%C3%A7a///Mau%C3%A1///706.JPG]\n\n## Water and sanitation\nonly 65% of sewage was properly treated, leaving 35% to be improperly discharged.\nthere were at least 400 illicit sewage disposal points in the drainage network.\nNational policy changes in 2020–2021 for the universalization of sanitation kept the 2007 policy defining the municipality as the provider of sanitation service, delegating the organization, supervision, and provision of services to third parties.\nThe National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) is responsible for the setting standards regulating basic public sanitation services.\nIn 2021–2022, distribution and treatment of sewage of the [Rio State](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-state) Water and Sewage Company (CEDAE) was divided into four blocks and auctioned to Aegea (Águas do Rio) and Iguá; CEDAE remained in control of water collection and treatment of drinking water.\nThe Rio State Environmental Institute (INEA) has primary responsibility for water pollution monitoring and enforcement.\n\n# Culture\nRio de Janeiro is a main cultural hub in Brazil.\nIts architecture embraces churches and buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, blending with the world-renowned designs of the 20th century.\nRio was home to the [[Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/architecture-of-portugal) Imperial family](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal) and capital of the country for many years, and was influenced by [Portuguese](https://bliptext.com/articles/architecture-of-portugal), [English](https://bliptext.com/articles/architecture-of-england), and [French architecture](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-architecture).\nRio de Janeiro has inherited a strong cultural role from the past.\nIn the late 19th century, there were sessions held of the first Brazilian film and since then, several production cycles have spread out, eventually placing Rio at the forefront of experimental and national cinema.\nThe [Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-international-film-festival) has been held annually since 1999.\nRio currently brings together the main production centers of Brazilian television.\nMajor international films set in Rio de Janeiro include [Blame it on Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/blame-it-on-rio); the [James Bond film](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-bond-in-film) Moonraker; the Oscar award-winning, critically acclaimed [Central Station](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-station-film) by [Walter Salles](https://bliptext.com/articles/walter-salles), who is also one of Brazil's best-known directors; and the Oscar award-winning historical drama, [Black Orpheus](https://bliptext.com/articles/black-orpheus), which depicted the early days of Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.\nInternationally distributed Brazilian-made movies illustrating a darker side of Rio de Janeiro include [Elite Squad](https://bliptext.com/articles/elite-squad) and City of God.\nRio has many important cultural landmarks, such as the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library), one of the largest libraries in the world with collections totalling more than 9 million items; the [Theatro Municipal](https://bliptext.com/articles/teatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro); the [National Museum of Fine Arts](https://bliptext.com/articles/museu-nacional-de-belas-artes); the [Carmen Miranda Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/carmen-miranda-museum); the [Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-de-janeiro-botanical-garden); the [Parque Lage](https://bliptext.com/articles/parque-lage); the [Quinta da Boa Vista](https://bliptext.com/articles/quinta-da-boa-vista); the [Imperial Square](https://bliptext.com/articles/pa-o-imperial); the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras); the [Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro](https://bliptext.com/articles/museum-of-modern-art-rio-de-janeiro); and the [Natural History Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-museum-of-brazil).\n# [Museum of Modern Art | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/MAM///-///Museu///de///Arte///Moderna///do///Rio///de///Janeiro///02.jpg]\n# [National Museum of Fine Arts | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Esculturas%2C///Museu///Nacional///de///Belas///Artes///02.jpg]\n# [Christ the Redeemer | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Rio///de///Janeiro///-///Cristo///Redentor///01.jpg]\n\n## Literature\nAfter Brazilian independence from Portugal in 1822, Rio de Janeiro quickly developed a [European-style](https://bliptext.com/articles/culture-of-europe) bourgeois cultural life, including numerous newspapers, in which most 19th-century novels were initially published in serial.\n[Joaquim Manuel de Macedo](https://bliptext.com/articles/joaquim-manuel-de-macedo)'s [A Moreninha](https://bliptext.com/articles/a-moreninha-novel) (1844) was perhaps the first successful novel in Brazil and inaugurates a recurrent 19th-century theme: a romantic relationship between idealistic young people in spite of cruelties of social fortune.\nThe first notable work of realism focusing on the urban [lower-middle class](https://bliptext.com/articles/lower-middle-class) is [Manuel Antônio de Almeida](https://bliptext.com/articles/manuel-ant-nio-de-almeida)'s [Memórias de um sargento de milícias](https://bliptext.com/articles/mem-rias-de-um-sargento-de-mil-cias) (1854), which presents a series of picaresque scenes, and evokes the transformation of a town into a city with suggestive nostalgia.\nRomantic and realist modes both flourished through the late 19th century and often overlapped within works.\n[Machado de Assis](https://bliptext.com/articles/machado-de-assis) is from Rio de Janeiro, and is widely regarded as the greatest writer of [Brazilian literature](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-literature) and considered the founder of [Realism](https://bliptext.com/articles/realism-arts) in Brazil, with the publication of [The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-posthumous-memoirs-of-bras-cubas) (1881).\nHe commented on and criticized the political and social events of the city and country such as the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the transition from [Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/empire-of-brazil) to Republic with his numerous [chronicles](https://bliptext.com/articles/chronicle) published in newspapers of the time.\nMany of his short stories and novels, like [Quincas Borba](https://bliptext.com/articles/quincas-borba) (1891) and [Dom Casmurro](https://bliptext.com/articles/dom-casmurro) (1899), are placed in Rio.\nThe headquarters of the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras) is based in Rio de Janeiro.\nIt was satirized by the novelist [Jorge Amado](https://bliptext.com/articles/jorge-amado) in [Pen, Sword, Camisole](https://bliptext.com/articles/pen-sword-camisole).\nAmado, himself, went on to be one of the 40 members of the academy.\nThe Biblioteca Nacional ([National Library of Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/national-library-of-brazil)) ranks as one of the largest libraries in the world.\nIt is also the largest library in all of Latin America.\nLocated in [Cinelândia](https://bliptext.com/articles/cinel-ndia), the National Library was originally created by the King of Portugal, in 1810.\nAs with many of Rio de Janeiro's cultural monuments, the library was originally off-limits to the general public.\nThe most valuable collections in the library include: 4,300 items donated by Barbosa Machado including a precious collection of rare brochures detailing the [History of Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/history-of-portugal) and [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/history-of-brazil); 2,365 items from the 17th and 18th centuries that were previously owned by Antônio de Araújo de Azevedo, the \"Count of Barca\", including the 125-volume set of prints \"Le Grand Théâtre de l'Univers;\" a collection of documents regarding the Jesuítica Province of Paraguay and the \"Region of Prata;\" and the Teresa Cristina Maria Collection, donated by [Emperor Pedro II](https://bliptext.com/articles/pedro-ii-of-brazil).\nThe collection contains 48,236 items.\nIndividual items of special interest include a rare first edition of [Os Lusíadas](https://bliptext.com/articles/os-lus-adas) by [Luis de Camões](https://bliptext.com/articles/lu-s-de-cam-es), published in 1584; two copies of the Mogúncia Bible; and a first edition of Handel's Messiah.\nThe Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (Portuguese Royal Reading Library) is located at Rua Luís de Camões, in the Centro (Downtown).\nThe institution was founded in 1837 by a group of forty-three [Portuguese immigrants](https://bliptext.com/articles/portuguese-people), [political refugees](https://bliptext.com/articles/political-refugee), to promote culture among the Portuguese community in the then capital of the Empire.\nThe history of the [Brazilian Academy of Letters](https://bliptext.com/articles/academia-brasileira-de-letras) is linked to the Real Gabinete, since some of the early meetings of the academy were held there.\n# [Brazilian Academy of Letters | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/AcademiaBrasileira1.jpg]\n# [National Library of Brazil | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Biblioteca///nacional///rio///janeiro.jpg]\n# [Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AA%E3%81%AE%E5%B9%BB%E6%83%B3%E5%9B%B3%E6%9B%B8%E9%A4%A8///Real///Gabinete///Portugues///de///Leitura///%288735773218%29.jpg]\n\n## Music\nThe official song of Rio de Janeiro is \"[Cidade Maravilhosa](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-maravilhosa)\", which means \"marvelous city\".\nThe song is considered the civic anthem of Rio, and is always the favorite song during Rio's [Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-carnival) in February.\nRio de Janeiro and São Paulo, are considered the center of the [urban music](https://bliptext.com/articles/urban-contemporary) movement in Brazil.\n\"Rio was popularized by the hit song \"[The Girl from Ipanema](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-girl-from-ipanema)\", composed by [Antônio Carlos Jobim](https://bliptext.com/articles/ant-nio-carlos-jobim) and [Vinicius de Moraes](https://bliptext.com/articles/vinicius-de-moraes) and recorded by [Astrud Gilberto](https://bliptext.com/articles/astrud-gilberto) and [João Gilberto](https://bliptext.com/articles/jo-o-gilberto), [Frank Sinatra](https://bliptext.com/articles/frank-sinatra), and [Ella Fitzgerald](https://bliptext.com/articles/ella-fitzgerald). It is also the main key song of the [bossa nova](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossa-nova), a [music genre](https://bliptext.com/articles/music-genre) born in Rio. A genre unique to Rio and Brazil as a whole is [Funk Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/funk-carioca). While [samba](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba) music continues to act as the national unifying agent in Rio, [Funk Carioca](https://bliptext.com/articles/funk-carioca) found a strong community following in Brazil. With its genesis in the 1970s as the modern black pop music from the United States, it evolved in the 1990s to describe a variety of [electronic music](https://bliptext.com/articles/electronic-music) associated with the current US [black music](https://bliptext.com/articles/african-american-music) scene, including [hip hop](https://bliptext.com/articles/hip-hop), modern soul, and [house music](https://bliptext.com/articles/house-music).\"\nBrazil's return to democracy in 1985 allowed for a new music expression which promoted creativity and experimentation in expressive culture, in a wave of Rock'n'roll that swept the 80s.\n[Lobão](https://bliptext.com/articles/lob-o-musician) emerged as the most legendary rocker in Brazil.\nCommercial and cultural imports from Europe and North America have often influenced Brazil's own cultural output.\nFor example, the hip hop that has stemmed from New York is localized into forms of musical production such as Funk Carioca and [Brazilian hip hop](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-hip-hop).\nBands from Rio de Janeiro also had influence in the mid-to-late development of the [Punk in Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/punk-in-brazil), and that of [Brazilian thrash metal](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-thrash-metal).\nDemocratic renewal also allowed for the recognition and acceptance of this diversification of Brazilian culture.\nSome of the best artists in the history of Brazilian popular music hail from Rio de Janeiro, including aforementioned Lobão, [Tim Maia](https://bliptext.com/articles/tim-maia), [Agepê](https://bliptext.com/articles/agep), [Emílio Santiago](https://bliptext.com/articles/em-lio-santiago), [Evandro Mesquita](https://bliptext.com/articles/evandro-mesquita), [Byafra](https://bliptext.com/articles/byafra), [Erasmo Carlos](https://bliptext.com/articles/erasmo-carlos), [Elymar Santos](https://bliptext.com/articles/elymar-santos), [Kátia Cega](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-tia-garcia-oliveira), [Ivan Lins](https://bliptext.com/articles/ivan-lins), [Marcos Valle](https://bliptext.com/articles/marcos-valle), [Jorge Ben Jor](https://bliptext.com/articles/jorge-ben) e [Wilson Simonal](https://bliptext.com/articles/wilson-simonal).\n# [Tim Maia, the greatest representative of soul music in the country's history, from Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/TIM///MAIA///SONIA///D%27ALMEIDA///1987.jpg]\n\n## Theater\nRio de Janeiro's [Theatro Municipal](https://bliptext.com/articles/theatro-municipal-rio-de-janeiro) is one of the most attractive buildings in the central area of the city.\nHome of one of the largest stages in Latin America and one of Brazil's best-known venues for opera, ballet, and classical music, the building was inspired by the [Palais Garnier](https://bliptext.com/articles/palais-garnier), home of the [Paris Opera](https://bliptext.com/articles/paris-opera).\nConstruction of the Theatro Municipal began in 1905 following designs of the architect Francisco Pereira Passos.\nThe statues on the top, of two women representing Poetry and Music, are by [Rodolfo Bernardelli](https://bliptext.com/articles/rodolfo-bernardelli), and the interior is rich with furnishings and fine paintings.\nInaugurated in 1909, the Teatro Municipal has close to 1,700 seats.\nIts interior includes turn of the century stained glass from France, ceilings of rose-colored marble and a 1,000 pound crystal bead chandelier surrounded by a painting of the \"[Dance of the Hours](https://bliptext.com/articles/dance-of-the-hours)\".\nThe exterior walls of the building are dotted with inscriptions bearing the names of famous Brazilians as well as many other international celebrities.\n[Cidade das Artes](https://bliptext.com/articles/cidade-da-m-sica) (City of Arts) is a cultural complex in Barra da Tijuca in the Southwest Zone of Rio de Janeiro, which was originally planned to open in 2004.\nFormally known as \"Cidade da Música\" (City of Music), it was finally inaugurated at the beginning of 2013.\nThe project will host the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra becoming a main center for music as will be the largest modern concert hall in South America, with 1,780 seats.\nThe complex spans approximately 90 e3m2 and also features a chamber music hall, three theaters, and 12 rehearsal rooms.\nFrom the terrace there is a panoramic view of the zone.\nThe building was designed by the French architect [Christian de Portzamparc](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-de-portzamparc) and construction was funded by the city of Rio de Janeiro.\nA series of covered theaters collectively known as [Lona Cultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/lona-cultural), administered by the city's Municipal Secretary of Culture, serve throughout the city as venues for cultural activities such as concerts, plays, workshops, art and craft fairs, and courses.\n# [Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Teatro///Municipal///-///panoramio///%284%29.jpg]\n# [City of Arts | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Cidade///das///Artes///by///Diego///Baravelli-08188.jpg]\n\n## Events\nEvery 31 December, 2.5 million people gather at [Copacabana Beach](https://bliptext.com/articles/copacabana-beach) to celebrate New Year's in Rio de Janeiro.\nThe crowd, mostly dressed in white, celebrates all night at the hundreds of different shows and events along the beach.\nIt is the second-largest celebration only next to the [Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival).\nPeople celebrate the New Year by sharing chilled champagne.\nIt is considered good luck to shake the champagne bottle and spray around at midnight.\nChilled champagne adds to the spirit of the festivities.\n[Rio Carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-carnival) is an annual celebration in the Roman Catholic tradition that allows merry-making and red meat consumption before the more sober 40 days of Lent penance which culminates with Holy or Passion Week and Easter.\nThe tradition of Carnaval parades was probably influenced by the French or German courts and the custom was brought by the Portuguese or Brazilian Imperial families who had French and Austrian German ancestors.\nUp until the time of the [marchinhas](https://bliptext.com/articles/marchinha), the revelry was more of a high class and Caucasian-led event.\nThe influence of the African-Brazilian drums and music became more noticeable from the first half of the 20th century.\nRio de Janeiro has many Carnaval choices, including the [samba school](https://bliptext.com/articles/samba-school) (Escolas de Samba) parades in the [sambadrome](https://bliptext.com/articles/sambadrome-marqu-s-de-sapuca) exhibition center and the popular [blocos de carnaval](https://bliptext.com/articles/carnival-block), street revelry, which parade in almost every corner of the city.\nIn 1840, the first Carnival was celebrated with a masked ball.\nAs years passed, adorned floats and costumed revelers became a tradition among the celebrants.\nCarnival is known as a historic root of [Brazilian music](https://bliptext.com/articles/music-of-brazil).\n[Rock in Rio](https://bliptext.com/articles/rock-in-rio) is a music festival conceived by entrepreneur Roberto Medina for the first time in 1985, and since its creation, recognized as the largest music festival in the Latin world and the largest in the world, with 1.5 million people attending the first event, 700,000 attending the second and fourth, about 1.2 million attending the third, and about 350,000 people attending each of the 3 [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon) events.\nIt was originally organized in Rio de Janeiro, from where the name comes from, has become a world level event and, in 2004, had its first edition abroad in [Lisbon](https://bliptext.com/articles/lisbon), [Portugal](https://bliptext.com/articles/portugal), before [Madrid](https://bliptext.com/articles/madrid), [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain) and [Las Vegas](https://bliptext.com/articles/las-vegas), [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states).\nThe festival is considered the eighth best in the world by the specialized site Fling Festival.\n# [New Year's Eve fireworks at Copacabana Beach | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Rio///New///Year///Fireworks.jpg]\n\n## Sports\nAs in the rest of Brazil, [association football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) is the most popular sport.\nThe city's major teams are [Flamengo](https://bliptext.com/articles/clube-de-regatas-do-flamengo), [Vasco da Gama](https://bliptext.com/articles/cr-vasco-da-gama), [Fluminense](https://bliptext.com/articles/fluminense-fc) and [Botafogo](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo-de-futebol-e-regatas).\n[Madureira](https://bliptext.com/articles/madureira-esporte-clube), [Bangu](https://bliptext.com/articles/bangu-atl-tico-clube), [Portuguesa](https://bliptext.com/articles/associa-o-atl-tica-portuguesa-rj), [America](https://bliptext.com/articles/america-football-club-rj) and [Bonsucesso](https://bliptext.com/articles/bonsucesso-futebol-clube) are small clubs.\nPlayers born in the city include [Zico](https://bliptext.com/articles/zico-footballer), [Romário](https://bliptext.com/articles/rom-rio) and [Ronaldo](https://bliptext.com/articles/ronaldo-brazilian-footballer).\nRio de Janeiro was one of the host cities of the [1950](https://bliptext.com/articles/1950-fifa-world-cup) and [2014 FIFA World Cups](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup), for which on both occasions Brazil was the host nation.\nIn 1950, the Maracanã Stadium hosted 8 matches, including all but one of the host team's matches.\nThe Maracanã was also the location of the tournament-deciding match between [Uruguay](https://bliptext.com/articles/uruguay-national-football-team) and [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil-national-football-team), where [Brazil](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazil-national-football-team) only needed a draw to win the final group stage and the whole tournament.\nBrazil ended up losing 2–1 in front of a home crowd of more than 199,000.\nIn 2014, the Maracanã hosted seven matches, including [the final](https://bliptext.com/articles/2014-fifa-world-cup-final), where [Germany](https://bliptext.com/articles/germany-national-football-team) beat [Argentina](https://bliptext.com/articles/argentina-national-football-team) 1–0.\nOn 2 October 2009, the [International Olympic Committee](https://bliptext.com/articles/international-olympic-committee) selected Rio de Janeiro to host the [2016 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2016-summer-olympics).\nRio made their first bid for the [1936 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/1936-summer-olympics), but lost to Berlin.\nThey later made bids for the [2004](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2004-summer-olympics) and [2012](https://bliptext.com/articles/bids-for-the-2012-summer-olympics) Games, but failed to become a candidate city both times.\nThose games were awarded to [Athens](https://bliptext.com/articles/athens) and [London](https://bliptext.com/articles/london) respectively.\nRio is the first Brazilian and South American city to host the Summer Olympics.\nRio de Janeiro also became the first city in the [southern hemisphere](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-hemisphere) outside of Australia to host the games – [Melbourne](https://bliptext.com/articles/melbourne) in [1956](https://bliptext.com/articles/1956-summer-olympics) and [Sydney](https://bliptext.com/articles/sydney) in [2000](https://bliptext.com/articles/2000-summer-olympics).\nIn July 2007, Rio successfully organized and hosted the [XV Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games).\nRio de Janeiro also hosted the [2011 Military World Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2011-military-world-games) from 15 to 24 July 2011.\nThe 2011 [Military World Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/military-world-games) were the largest military sports event ever held in Brazil, with approximately 4,900 athletes from 108 countries competing in 20 sports.\nRio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.\nThe Olympic Games were held from 5 to 21 August 2016.\nThe Paralympics were held from 7 to 18 September 2016.\nThe city has a history as host of major international sports events.\nThe [Ginásio do Maracanãzinho](https://bliptext.com/articles/gin-sio-do-maracan-zinho) was the host arena for the official [FIBA Basketball World Championship](https://bliptext.com/articles/fiba-basketball-world-championship) for its [1954](https://bliptext.com/articles/1954-fiba-world-championship) and [1963](https://bliptext.com/articles/1963-fiba-world-championship) editions.\nLater, the [Jacarepaguá](https://bliptext.com/articles/aut-dromo-internacional-nelson-piquet) circuit in Rio de Janeiro was the site for the [Formula One](https://bliptext.com/articles/formula-one) [Brazilian Grand Prix](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-grand-prix) from 1978 to 1989.\nRio de Janeiro also hosted the [MotoGP](https://bliptext.com/articles/grand-prix-motorcycle-racing) [Brazilian Grand Prix](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-grand-prix) from 1995 to 2004 and the [Champ Car](https://bliptext.com/articles/champ-car) event from 1996 to 1999.\n[WCT/WQS](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-of-[surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing)-professionals) [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing) championships were contested on the beaches from 1985 to 2001.\nThe [Rio Champions Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/rio-champions-cup) Tennis tournament is held in the spring.\nAs part of its preparations to host the [2007 Pan American Games](https://bliptext.com/articles/2007-pan-american-games), Rio built a new stadium, [Estádio Olímpico João Havelange](https://bliptext.com/articles/est-dio-ol-mpico-jo-o-havelange), to hold 45,000 people.\nIt was named after Brazilian ex-[FIFA](https://bliptext.com/articles/fifa) president [João Havelange](https://bliptext.com/articles/jo-o-havelange).\nThe stadium is owned by the city of Rio de Janeiro, but it was rented to [Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas](https://bliptext.com/articles/botafogo-de-futebol-e-regatas) for 20 years.\nRio de Janeiro has also a multi-purpose arena, the [HSBC Arena](https://bliptext.com/articles/hsbc-arena-rio-de-janeiro).\nThe Brazilian [martial art](https://bliptext.com/articles/martial-art) [capoeira](https://bliptext.com/articles/capoeira) is very popular.\nOther popular sports are [basketball](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball), [beach football](https://bliptext.com/articles/beach-soccer), [beach volleyball](https://bliptext.com/articles/beach-volleyball), Beach American Football, [footvolley](https://bliptext.com/articles/footvolley), [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing), kite [surfing](https://bliptext.com/articles/surfing), [hang gliding](https://bliptext.com/articles/hang-gliding), [motor racing](https://bliptext.com/articles/motor-racing), [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu](https://bliptext.com/articles/brazilian-jiu-jitsu), [Luta Livre](https://bliptext.com/articles/luta-livre), [sailing](https://bliptext.com/articles/sailing-sport), and competitive [rowing](https://bliptext.com/articles/rowing-sport).\nAnother sport that is highly popular in beaches of Rio is called frescobol, a type of beach tennis.\nRio de Janeiro is also a popular location for [Rock climbing](https://bliptext.com/articles/rock-climbing), with hundreds of routes all over the city, ranging from easy boulders to technical climbs.\n[Sugarloaf Mountain](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugarloaf-mountain-brazil) is an example, with routes from the easy third grade (American 5.4, French 3) to the extremely difficult ninth grade (5.13/8b), up to 280 m.\n# [Maracanã Stadium | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Maracana///2022.jpg]\n# [Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Rio2016///Gerais///030///8069///-c-2016///GabrielHeusi///HeusiAction.jpg]\n# [Barra Olympic Park, built for 2016 Summer Olympics | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Parque///Ol%C3%ADmpico///Rio///2016///%282%29.jpg]","revisionCount":1},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}