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Coordinates: 22°54′S 43°14′W / 22.900°S 43.233°W / -22.900; -43.233 (Rio de Janeiro)
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*'''Distances'''
*'''Distances'''
*[[Brasília]]: 1,160 km (720 miles);
*[[Brasília]]: {{length conversion | from=km | to=miles | value=1160}} ;
*[[São Paulo]]: 430 km (267 miles);
*[[São Paulo]]: {{length conversion | from=km | to=miles | value=430}}
*[[Belo Horizonte]]: 450 km (279 miles).
*[[Belo Horizonte]]: {{length conversion | from=km | to=miles | value=450}} .


===Port===
===Port===

Revision as of 12:52, 8 November 2007

This article is about the Brazilian city. For the state with the same name, see Rio de Janeiro (state).
Rio de Janeiro
Ipanema Beach
Ipanema Beach
Flag of Rio de Janeiro
Flag
Official seal of Rio de Janeiro
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Cidade Maravilhosa ("The Marvelous City") or simply, Rio
Location of Rio de Janeiro
Location of Rio de Janeiro
CountryBrazil Brazil
RegionSoutheast
StateRio de Janeiro
Government
 • MayorCésar Maia (Democrats)
Area
 • City1,260 km2 (490 sq mi)
Population
 (2006)1
 • City6,136,652
 • Density4,781/km2 (12,380/sq mi)
 • Metro
12,620,000
Time zoneUTC-3 (UTC-3)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-2 (UTC-2)
Websitewww.rio.rj.gov.br
HDI (2000) 0.842 – high

Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese IPA: [ˈhiwdʒiʒʌˈnejɾu], "River of January" English ['ɹioʊ deɪ ʒəˈnɛɹoʊ]) is the second major city of Brazil, behind only São Paulo. The city is capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The city was once the capital of Brazil (1763–1960) and of the Portuguese Empire (1808–1821). Commonly known as just Rio, the city is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa - "The Marvelous City".

It is famous for its spectacular natural setting, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana and Ipanema, paved with decorated black and cream swirl pattern mosaics. Some of the most famous local landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer ('Cristo Redentor') atop Corcovado mountain, which has recently been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a giant permanent parade stand used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio also boasts the two world's largest forests inside an urban area. The first is the forest in Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, or White Stone State Park. The second, almost connected to the first, is the famous Floresta da Tijuca, or 'Tijuca Forest'[1].

Geography

Rio de Janeiro is located at 22 degrees, 54 minutes south latitude, 43 degrees 14 minutes west longitude (22°54′S 43°14′W / 22.900°S 43.233°W / -22.900; -43.233 (Rio de Janeiro)). The population of the City of Rio de Janeiro is about 6,136,652[2], occupying an area of 1,182.3 square kilometres (456.5 sq mi).[3] The population of the larger metropolitan area is estimated at 11-12 million. It was Brazil's capital until 1960, when Brasília took its place. Residents of the city are known as Cariocas. The city's current mayor (2006) is Cesar Maia. The official song of Rio is "Cidade Maravilhosa" (translated as "Marvelous City").

Climate

Rio has a Tropical climate. The average monthly temperatures are shown below, though it can occasionally reach 40°C in inland areas of the city, but in the main tourist areas (south zone, where the beaches are located), the temperature is moderated by the cool seabreezes from the ocean, even during the warmest months. The average mimimum temperature is 21°C (69.8°F), the average maximum temperature is 27°C (80.6°F) and the average annual temperature is 23.7°C (74.66°F) (1961-1990). The average yearly precipitation is 1173 mm. The minimum temperature ever registered was 0.2ºC (32.36°F) and the maximum 43ºC (109.4°F).

History

Carioca Aqueduct, built in the first half of the 18th century.
Paço Imperial, 18th century palace that served as seat for the colonial government, King John IV of Portugal and the two Emperors of Brazil.

Guanabara Bay was reached by Portuguese explorers in an expedition led by Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos on January 20, 1502; hence Rio de Janeiro, "January River". There is a legend that the mariners named the place thus because they thought the mouth of the bay was actually the mouth of a river, but no experienced sailor would make that mistake. At the time, river was the general word for any large body of water.

An unofficial European presence in the area began not long after. In 1519 when Ferdinand Magellan resupplied his ships in the bay, French smugglers were already using the bay as a post for smuggling brazilwood. When French naval officer Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon arrived in 1555 with a fleet of two ships and 600 soldiers and colonists, he founded the first permanent European settlement in the area. The colony was referred to as "France Antarctique". The colonists consisted of mainly French Huguenots and Swiss Calvinists. Villegaignon left in 1557 after disputes with some of the colonists.

The city was founded on March 1 1565, by Portuguese knight Estácio de Sá, who called it São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro 20 (St Sebastian of the January 20th River), in honour of Saint Sebastian (day of death traditionally on January 20). For centuries, the settlement was commonly called São Sebastião – or even 'Saint Sebastian' – instead of the currently popular second half of its name. The city was founded as a base from which to invade the French settlement. They succeeded in 1567 and the French were expelled. Later, São Sebastião was frequently attacked by pirates and privateers, especially by then enemies of Portugal, such as the Netherlands and France.

The exact place of Rio's foundation is at the foot of Pão-de-Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). Later, the whole city was moved within a palisade on top of a hill, imitating the medieval European defence strategy of fortified castles – the place has since then been called Morro do Castelo (Castle Hill). Thus, the city developed from the current centre (Downtown, see below) southwards and then westwards (with large parts built over reclaimed land); an urban movement which continues today.

In the late 16th century the Portuguese crown began treating the village as a strategic location for the Atlantic transit of ships between Brazil, the African colonies and Europe. Fortresses were built and an alliance was formed with nearby native tribes to defend the settlement against invaders – Rio's neighbour, Niterói, for instance, was founded by Araribóia, a Tamoio Indian chief, for defensive purposes. Sugar cane was the first industry in the area. First native, and later African, slaves were used for manual labor. Eventually the industry dwindled as higher quality sugar cane from northern Brazil became more available.

The Copacabana Palace Hotel, built between 1919 and 1923 at Copacabana beach to develop tourism in Rio de Janeiro.
Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.

Until early in the 18th century, the city was threatened or invaded by several – mostly French – pirates and buccaneers, such as Jean-François Duclerc and René Duguay-Trouin. After 1720, when the Portuguese found gold and diamonds in the neighbouring captaincy of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro became a much more useful port for exporting wealth than Salvador, Bahia, which is much farther to the north. In 1763, the colonial administration in Portuguese America was moved to Rio. The city remained primarily a colonial capital until 1808, when the Portuguese royal family and most of the associated Lisbon nobles, fleeing from Napoleon's invasion of Portugal, moved to Rio de Janeiro. The kingdom's capital was transferred to the city, which, thus, became the only European capital outside of Europe. As there was no physical space or urban structure to accommodate hundreds of noblemen who arrived suddenly, many inhabitants were simply evicted from their homes.

When Prince Pedro I proclaimed the independence of Brazil in 1822, he decided to keep Rio de Janeiro as the capital of his new empire. Rio continued as the capital of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy was replaced by a republic.

Until the early years of the 20th century the city was largely limited to the neighbourhood now known as the historic Downtown business district (see below), on the mouth of Guanabara Bay. The city's centre of gravity began to shift south and west to the so-called Zona Sul (South Zone) in the early part of the 20th century, when the first tunnel was built under the mountains located between Botafogo and the neighbourhood now known as Copacabana. That beach's natural beauty, combined with the fame of the Copacabana Palace Hotel, the luxury hotel of the Americas in the 1930s, helped Rio to gain the reputation it still holds today as a beachy party town (though, this reputation has been somewhat tarnished in recent years by favela violence resulting from the narcotics trade). Plans for moving the nation's capital city to the territorial centre had been occasionally discussed, and when Juscelino Kubitschek was elected president in 1955, it was partially on the strength of promises to build a new capital. Though many thought that it was just campaign rhetoric, Kubitschek managed to have Brasília built, at great cost, by 1960. On April 21 that year the capital of Brazil was officially moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília.

Between 1960 and 1975 Rio was a citystate (such as Vienna (Austria), Hamburg (Germany), or Washington, D.C. (United States)) under the name State of Guanabara (after the bay it borders). However, for administrative and political reasons, a presidential decree known as A Fusão ("The Fusion") removed the city's federative status and merged it with the state of Rio de Janeiro in 1975. Even today, some Cariocas advocate the return of municipal autonomy.

City districts

The city is commonly divided into the historic downtown (Centro); the tourist-friendly South Zone, with world-famous beaches; the industrial North Zone; and the West Zone, with the newer Barra da Tijuca district.

Downtown

Rio de Janeiro downtown.

(22°54′19″S 43°10′38″W / 22.905392°S 43.177128°W / -22.905392; -43.177128 (Downtown) Coordinates: Extra unexpected parameters
) Centro (or Downtown in American English) is the historic centre of the city, as well as its financial centre. Sites of interest include the Paço Imperial, built during colonial times to serve as a residence for the Portuguese governors of Brazil; many historic churches, such as the Candelária Church, the colonial Cathedral and the modern-style Rio de Janeiro Cathedral. Around the Cinelândia square there are several landmarks of the Belle Époque of Rio, such as the Municipal Theatre and the National Library building. Among its several museums, the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) and the Museu Histórico Nacional (National Historical Museum) are the most important. Other important historical attractions in central Rio include its Passeio Público, an 18th century public garden, as well as the imposing arches of the Arcos da Lapa, a Roman-style aqueduct built around 1750. A bondinho (tram) leaves from a city centre station, crosses the aqueduct (converted to a tram viaduct in 1896) and rambles through the hilly streets of the Santa Teresa neighbourhood nearby.

Downtown remains the heart of the city's business community. Some of the largest companies in Brazil have their head offices here, including Petrobras and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (the two largest Brazilian corporations).

South Zone

Ipanema Beach, in the South Zone, as featured in the Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes song The Girl from Ipanema.

(22°58′27″S 43°11′58″W / 22.974199°S 43.199444°W / -22.974199; -43.199444 (South Zone)) The South Zone of Rio de Janeiro is composed of several districts, amongst which are São Conrado, Leblon, Ipanema, Arpoador, Copacabana and Leme, which compose Rio's famous Atlantic beach coastline. Other districts in the South Zone are Glória, Flamengo, Botafogo and Urca, which border Guanabara Bay and Santa Teresa, Cosme Velho, Laranjeiras, Humaitá, Lagoa, Jardim Botânico and Gávea.

The neighbourhood of Copacabana beach hosts one of the world's most spectacular New Year's Eve parties ("Reveillon"), as more than two million revellers crowd onto the sands to watch the fireworks display. As of 2001, the fireworks have been launched from boats, to improve the safety of the event. To the north of Leme, and at the entrance to Guanabara Bay, is the district of Urca and the Sugarloaf Mountain ('Pão de Açúcar'), whose name describes the famous mountain rising out of the sea. The summit can be reached via a two-stage cable car trip from Praia Vermelha, with the intermediate stop on Morro da Urca. It offers views second only to Corcovado mountain.

One of the highest hills in the city is the 842 metres (2,762 ft) high Pedra da Gávea (Crow's nest Rock) near the botanical gardens. On the top of its summit is a huge rock formation (some, such as Erich von Däniken in his 1973 book, "In Search of Ancient Gods", claim it to be a sculpture) resembling a sphinx-like, bearded head that is visible for many kilometers around.

Hang gliding is a popular activity on the nearby Pedra Bonita (Beautiful Rock). After a short flight, gliders land on the Praia do Pepino beach in São Conrado. Since 1961, the Tijuca Forest ("Floresta da Tijuca"), the largest city-surrounded urban forest and the second largest urban forest in the world, has been a National Park. The largest urban forest in the world is the Floresta da Pedra Branca (White Rock Forest), which is also located in the city of Rio de Janeiro [4]. The Catholic University in Rio (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro or PUC-Rio) is located at the edge of the forest, in the Gávea district. The 1984 film Blame it on Rio was filmed nearby, with the rental house used by the story's characters sitting at the edge of the forest on a mountain overlooking the famous beaches.

North Zone

Maracanã stadium.

The North Zone of Rio is home to the Maracanã stadium, once the world's highest capacity football (soccer) venue, able to hold nearly 180,000 people, as it did the World Cup final of 1950. In modern times its capacity has been reduced to conform with modern safety regulations and the stadium has introduced seating for all fans. Currently undergoing renovation, it only has the capacity for 95,000 fans; it will eventually hold around 120,000 people. Maracanã was site for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and football competition of the 2007 Pan-American Games.

Besides the Maracanã, the North Zone of Rio also holds other tourist and historical attractions, such as 'Manguinhos', the home of Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, a centenarian biomedical research institution with a main building fashioned like a Moorish palace, and the beautiful Quinta da Boa Vista, the park where the historical old Imperial Palace is located. Nowadays, the palace hosts the National Museum, specialising in Natural History, Archaeology and Ethnology.

The International Airport of Rio de Janeiro (Galeão – Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport, named after the famous Brazilian musician "Tom" Jobim), the main campus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro at the Fundão Island, and the Governador Island are also located in the Northern part of Rio. Some of the main neighbourhoods of Rio's north zone are Tijuca -- which shares the Tijuca Rainforest with the South Zone --, Grajaú, Vila Isabel, Méier, São Cristovão and Olaria among others.

West Zone

File:Barra001.jpg
Barra da Tijuca cityscape.

The West Zone is the region furthest from the centre of Rio de Janeiro. It includes Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepaguá, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Vargem Grande, Vargem Pequena, Realengo, Padre Miguel, Bangu, Campo Grande, Jardim Sulacap, and Santa Cruz. Neighbouring districts within the West Zone reveal stark differences between social classes. The area has industrial zones, but some agricultural areas still remain in its wide area.

Westwards from the older zones is Barra da Tijuca, a flat expanse of formerly undeveloped coastal land, which is currently experiencing a wave of new construction. It remains an area of accelerated growth, attracting some of the richer sectors of the population as well as luxury companies. High rise flats and sprawling shopping centres give the area a far more American feel than the crowded city centre. The urban planning of the area, made in the late 1960s, resembles that of United States suburbs, though mixing zones of single-family houses with residential skyscrapers. The beaches of Barra da Tijuca are also popular with the city's residents. Barra da Tijuca is the home of Pan-American Village for the 2007 Pan American Games.

Beyond the neighbourhoods of Barra da Tijuca and Jacarepaguá, another district that has exhibited economic growth is Campo Grande. Some sports competitions in the Pan-American Games of 2007 were held in the Miécimo da Silva Sports Centre, nicknamed the 'Algodão' (Cotton) Gymnasium, and others in the Ítalo del Cima Stadium, in Campo Grande.

Demographics

Christ the Redeemer, in Corcovado mountain. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Ethnic groups

According to the IBGE of 2005, there were 11.580.041 people residing in Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area. The population density was 4.781 inh./km². The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 6.079.521 million White people (52.5%), 4.122.494 million Pardo people (35.6%) , 1.320.124 million Black people (11.4%) and 46 thousand Asian or Amerindian people (0.4%).[5]

Most of Rio de Janeiro's population is of Portuguese descent, with a large number of people of African descent and mulattos of mixed Portuguese and African descent. Other important ethnic groups are present in the city, such as Germans, Italians, Spaniards, Arabs, Jews, Asians (mostly Koreans , Japanese) , mixed Amerindian and imigrants of others parts of world.

Source: PNAD.

Religion

Religion Percentage Number
Catholics 60.71% 3,556,096
Protestants 17.65% 1,034,009
No religion 13.33% 781,080
Kardecists 3.44% 201,714
Umbandists 0.51% 72,946
Jews 0.41% 23,862

Source: IBGE 2000.[6]

Economy

Rio de Janeiro became an attractive place for companies to settle when it was the capital of Brazil, as important sectors of society and of the government were present in the city. The city was chosen for state-owned companies such as Petrobras, Caixa Econômica and Vale do Rio Doce (which was privatized in the 1990s) to be headquartered. After the transfer of the capital to Brasília, in 1960, the process of economic transfer to São Paulo was increased, because the city wasn't the political core of the country anymore. However, it kept attracting more companies, especially after the discovery of oil in the Campos Basin, which produces most of the total oil production of Brazil. This made many oil and gas companies choose Rio de Janeiro to settle, such as the Brazilian branches of Shell and Esso. The headquarters of BNDES, an important state institution, is also in Rio de Janeiro.

Education

The Palácio Universitário, a 19th century Neoclassical building that serves as campus of the UFRJ. The Institutes for Economy, Education and Administration, among others, are based here.

Portuguese language is the official language of schools. But English language and Spanish language are part of the official high school curriculum.

Colleges and universities

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

Culture

Music

The official song of Rio de Janeiro is "Cidade Maravilhosa", which means "marvelous city". The song is considered the "civic anthem" of Rio, and is always the favourite song during Rio's Carnival in February.

Rio was eternalized in the super smash hit song "Garota de Ipanema" (The Girl from Ipanema) composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and recognized worldwide and recorded by Astrud Gilberto and João Gilberto, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald. This is also the main key song of the Bossa Nova, a musical genre that was born in Rio. A genre unique to Rio and Brazil as a whole is Funk Carioca, a youth phenomenon originated in violent Funky black Balls in the poorer areas of greater Rio. [7] After reaching all social classes and other Brazilian cities, the Brazilian Funk began attracting attention outside Brazil.

Carnaval

Carnival in Rio, famous for its production.

The carnaval is an annual celebration in Brazil held 40 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. Rio de Janeiro has many Carnaval choices, including the famous Escolas de Samba (Samba schools) parades in the sambódromo exhibition centre and the popular 'blocos de carnaval', which parade in almost every corner of the city. The most famous ones are the following:

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

Cultural events in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is among the biggest cities in South America, but the city is more widely renowned for the various cultural celebrations that are held there every year. The most popular of these is the Carnaval, held two weeks before the traditional Christian fasting of Lent.

People from all over Brazil and from all parts of the world come to Rio to take part and witness the extravaganza. The Carnival brings a lot of people, good food, colour and of course the Samba dance. The celebration of Carnival ends on "Mardi Gras" Tuesday.

Apart from the Carnival, New Year is also a big deal in Rio and is also one of the other major festivals. It's celebrated with several concerts and firework displays all around Rio, the largest one being in Copacabana beach. People wear white clothes, and some of them make offerings to a Candomblé deity called Iemanjá.

Rio also has one of the world's most talked-about nightlife. Rio has a lot of nightclubs where the rich enjoy themselves and party the night away. Clubs like Baronneti, Nuth and Catwalk are some of the country's best known and frequented by celebrities such as Ronaldo, Calvin Klein, Mick Jagger and Naomi Campbell.

Infrastructure

Airports

File:SBGL01.jpg
International Airport of Rio de Janeiro, located in the North Zone.

The City of Rio de Janeiro has five airports.

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

Transportation

In Rio de Janeiro, buses are the main means of mass transportation. There are nearly 440 municipal bus lines serving over four million passengers each day, in addition to intercity lines. Although cheap and frequent, Rio's transportation policy has been moving towards trains and subway in order to reduce traffic jams and increase capacity.

Metro

Rio de Janeiro has two subway lines (Metro Rio) and several commuter rail lines. Future plans include building a third subway line to Niterói and São Gonçalo, including an underwater tunnel beneath Guanabara Bay to supplement the ferry service currently there.

Highways

In Brazil, most interstate transportation is done by road. A large terminal for long-distance buses is in the Santo Cristo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. There are also two port facilities for cargo and passenger ships (Rio de Janeiro and Sepetiba port). From São Paulo: take the BR 116 (Presidente Dutra Federal Highway) or the BR-101 (Rio-Santos Federal Highway). From Belo Horizonte: BR 040. From Salvador: BR-101 or BR-324/BR-116/BR-393/BR-040.

Port

The Port of Rio de Janeiro is visited by cruise boats, which travel along the Brazilian coast.

Sports

File:Riolympicstadium2.jpg
The João Havelange Stadium, built for the 2007 Pan American Games.

More notable sports events in Rio include the MotoGP Brazilian Grand Prix and the World Beach volleyball finals. Jacarepaguá was the place of Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix into 1978-1990 and the Champ Car event into 1996-1999. WCT/WQS Surf championships were contested on the beaches from 1985-2001. The city has built a new stadium near the Maracanã, to hold 45,000 people. It was named after Brazilian ex-FIFA president João Havelange.

Rio de Janeiro was an applicant city for the 2012 Summer Olympics but failed to make the shortlist of official candidate cities. Copacabana beach would have been the site of the triathlon and beach volleyball, while yachting competitions would have been held in Guanabara Bay. On September 2006, it was announced that Rio would bid for 2016 Summer Olympics. Depending on quantity and quality of bids that the IOC will receive from other NOCs, the IOC will probably announce a shortlist of official candidate cities (Rio was cut at this stage for the 2012 Games) in early 2008, and conduct voting for the host city in 2009.

Sports are a very popular pastime in Rio de Janeiro. The most popular is futebol (soccer). Rio de Janeiro is home to four traditional Brazilian football clubs:Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco.

The João Havelange Stadium.

Other popular sports are beach football, beach american football, beach volleyball, surfing, kitesurfing, hang gliding, motor racing, jiu-jitsu, recreational sailing, beach rugby and competitive rowing. The Brazilian dance/sport/martial art capoeira is also popular. Another sport that is highly popular on the beaches of Rio is called "frescobol" (IPA: [fres.ko.'bɔu̯], matkot), a type of beach tennis.

Rio de Janeiro is also a paradise for rock climbers, with hundreds of routes all over the town, ranging from easy boulders to highly technical big wall climbs, all inside the city. The most famous, Rio's granite mountain, the Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar), is an example, with routes from the easy 3rd grade (American 5.4, French 3) to the extremely difficult 9th grade (5.13/8b), up to 280 metres.

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

Fishing is a very popular activity in Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, one can expect to catch a plethora of famous Brazilian copperfish, known as peixe de cobre. Many markets sell peixes de cobre and these fish are quite popular for traditional meals.

Social conditions

File:Favela-CCBY.jpg
A favela.

Rio is a city of contrast: there are enormous disparities between rich and poor. Although the city clearly ranks among the world's major metropolises, a significant proportion of the city's 6.1 million inhabitants lives in poverty. The worst of the poorer areas are the slums and shanty towns known as 'favelas'; often crowded onto the hillsides, where sturdy buildings are difficult to build, and accidents, mainly from heavy rainfall, are frequent.

A unique aspect of Rio's favelas is their very close proximity to the city's wealthiest districts. Upper-class neighbourhoods such as Ipanema and Copacabana are squeezed in between the beach and the hills, the latter of which are covered with poor neighbourhoods. Bad public education, a poor health system combined with the saturation of the penitentiary system contribute to the overall poverty and social injustice of the favelas. But then North Zone, the poorest area of Rio that tourists rarely see, gathers the vast majority of Rio's famished and impoverished masses. This social contrast creates a clash between rich and poor.

Violence

BOPE acts on a favela.

Rio is one of the most violent cities in the world.[8][9] As of 2007 the homicide rate of the greater metropolitan area stands at nearly 80 victims per week, with the majority of victims falling to homicide, assault, stray bullets or narcoterrorism.[10][11] In 2001 the murder rate in Rio was 45 for every 100 thousand people and between 1978 and 2000, 49,900 people were killed in Rio.[12] The numbers are comparable with war conflict zones like Baghdad and Kabul.[13][14]

Rio de Janeiro's low paid and ill-equipped police are violent as well. In 2006 the police killed 1,063 people in the state of Rio de Janeiro, 1.195 in 2003 and as of April 2007 the police were killing 3.7 people a day. In comparison the American police killed just 347 people in whole of the USA during 2006.[15][16] Rio's policeman earns on average only R$ 874 a month or R$ 10.488 (around US$ 5,500) a year.[17] Compounding the problem of violence is impunity. Only 3% of the murders are solved by Rio's police.[18]

The Urban Warfare involves drug-traffic battle with police fighting against outlaws, or on their side in case of corrupt policemen.

A form of execution used by drug dealers in Rio is burning people standing inside a pile of tires. This form of execution is called microondas, "the microwave".[19] The movie Tropa de Elite depicts such an execution presenting BOPE an elite urban warfigter group in daily battles.

Lists

Parks and squares

Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro in the central Cinelândia square.
  • Flamengo Park - Large park in the Flamengo neighbourhood, beside Guanabara Bay.
  • Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden – Magnificent park founded in the early 19th century.
  • Quinta da Boa Vista - Site of the palace used by the emperors of Brazil.
  • Zoological Garden of Rio de Janeiro - Located in the Quinta da Boa Vista.
  • Passeio Público - 18th century public garden in central Rio.
  • Arpoador Park
  • Parque Lage – Contains areas of woodland, gardens, aquaria and a children's playground. The School of Visual Art occupies a luxurious early 20th century building faced with Italian marble and tiles. The buildings are protected as national monuments.
  • Tijuca Forest - A huge rainforest that covers highlands which rise in the middle of the city. It is the second world's largest urban rainforest (the first is besides it, in the Pedra Branca State Park). There, people can find beauty, peace and they can gaze the luxurious variety of fauna and flora. Unfortunately, through the years, the forest is being threatened by ilegal occupation, mainly slum which grows by the borders and put the integrity of the forest in danger. Besides it, the place remais wonderful and magic. A highly adviseble place to visit.

Famous Cariocas

The Sugar Loaf.

Cariocas, as residents of Rio de Janeiro are called in Brazil, have made extensive contributions to Brazil's history, culture, music, literature, education, science, technology etc. – particularly when Rio de Janeiro was the federal capital and a great hub of Brazilian growth and innovation in all these areas. Some important Cariocas, who were born in Rio, are:

Miscellaneous

In 1992 the city hosted the UNCED Earth Summit on sustainable development.

Rio has also been used as a backdrop for many films, such as Flying Down to Rio (1933), Notorious (1946), Black Orpheus (1959), L'Homme de Rio (1964), 007 Moonraker (1979), Blame It on Rio (1984), Wild Orchid (1990), Bossa Nova (2000), The Girl from Rio (2002) and City of God (2002). The film The Brazilian Job, a sequel for The Italian Job (2004) as well as the sequel to Hulk (2003), The Incredible Hulk are being filmed in the city.

In The Simpsons episode "Blame it on Lisa", the family visited Rio de Janeiro, only to encounter a myriad of ludicrously exaggerated problems. The episode infuriated Brazilian tourist officials who threatened to sue the producers of the show.

In CSI: Miami episode "Rio" the cops arrived in the city to hunt down a traffic leader.

Featured/recreated in the video games Driver 2, Forza Motorsport, SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam. The popular Half-life game mod, Counter-strike featured a level (cs_rio) that pictured a favela in Rio de Janeiro. [20]. In the game World of Warcraft there is a place in Stranglethorn Vale called Janerio's Point, with a statue of a goblin in the same pose as the Redeeming Christ statue.

The Harbour of Rio de Janeiro was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World by CNN.

Rio de Janeiro was also mentioned in both versions of The Producers as being the place the Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom would escape to after their sure-fire-flop musical. In the 2005 version, they sing a song about Rio entitled "You'll Find Your Happiness in Rio".

In the popular Ender's Shadow series, Rio de Janeiro is the location of Peter Wiggin's Hegemon Headquarters.

In the series Lupin III, Rio is visited on many occasions. One time for a robbery of the Maracana Stadium, where they stuffed the ticket money inside the famous Christ the Redeemer statue and nearly escaped.

References

  1. ^ Floresta da TijuaTemplate:Pt icon
  2. ^ "Estimativas para 1º de Julho de 2006" (in Portuguese). IBGE. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  3. ^ "Área Territorial Oficial" (in Portuguese). IBGE. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  4. ^ Engelbrecht Ferreira, Daniel Ernesto (2005). "Poluição afeta Pedra Branca" (in Portuguese). O Globo. Retrieved 2007-07-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Síntese de Indicadores Sociais 2006 (PDF) (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: IBGE. 2006. ISBN 85-240-3919-1. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  6. ^ http://www.sidra.ibge.gov.br/bda/tabela/listabl.asp?z=cd&o=7&i=P&c=2094
  7. ^ Veash, Nicole (2000-02-21). "In The Fight Clubs of Rio]". The Free Radical. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  8. ^ http://www.riobodycount.com.br/
  9. ^ http://rss.news.yahoo.com/imgrss/events/wl/041807riodrugsguns
  10. ^ http://oglobo.globo.com/pais/mat/2007/01/01/287254604.asp
  11. ^ http://noticias.terra.com.br/ultimas/0,,EI316,00.html
  12. ^ http://odia.terra.com.br/brasil/htm/geral_126206.asp
  13. ^ http://noticias.terra.com.br/brasil/interna/0,,OI1595166-EI316,00.html
  14. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/04/17/brazil.rio.violence.ap/index.html
  15. ^ http://renajorp.blogspot.com/2007/07/polcia-do-rio-mata-41-civis-para-cada.html
  16. ^ http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/cotidian/ff1607200701.htm
  17. ^ http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/ancelmo/reporterdecrime/post.asp?cod_Post=54810
  18. ^ http://www.drclas.harvard.edu/brazil/news/cidades_violentas
  19. ^ Ronaldo França. "Como na Chicago de Capone". Veja on-line (January 30, 2002). Retrieved 2007-10-08.
  20. ^ "Counter-strike screen shot". Nashalife.ru. Retrieved 2007-07-18.

See also

Sister cities

Rio de Janeiro's sister cities are:

Official

Education

Photos

Tourism

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