Baixada Fluminense

Baixada Fluminense map.

The Baixada Fluminense (Fluminense Lowlands or Fluminense Flats) is a region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between the city of Rio de Janeiro to the south and the Serra dos Órgãos hills to the north, and bordering on Guanabara Bay. Its government is separate from that of the city of Rio de Janeiro, but depending on the writer it is often considered to be part of the city’s greater metropolitan area. The region’s population is about three million, making it the second most populous region in the state, following only the city of Rio de Janeiro itself.

The Baixada Fluminense includes the municipalities of Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu, São João de Meriti, Nilópolis, Belford Roxo, Queimados and Mesquita, all north of the city of Rio De Janeiro. The municipalities of Magé and Guapimirim (to the east), and Japeri, Paracambi, Seropédica and Itaguaí (to the west and the northwest) are also sometimes included in this region.

History

Until the 19th century, the region was known as the Baixada da Guanabara. It experienced some development during the 18th century, when it was an important corridor for transporting gold mined in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais, and in the following century was one of the first regions to develop coffee plantations. However, during the reign of Emperor Pedro II the region suffered serious economic decline due to the creation of railroads, which led to a sharp decline in the traffic on the region’s rivers and roads.

In the early 20th century the area experienced a great influx of persons arriving from other parts of the country in search of a better quality of life near Rio de Janeiro, which at the time was the capital of Brazil. Large drainage projects were undertaken in order to improve sanitary conditions. In the second half of the 20th century, the region acquired a reputation for poverty, violent crime, and inadequate social services, which continues to this day.