Travel > Rio de Janeiro – Rio de Janeiro

Information about Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is a city in southeastern Brazil, capital city of the state. The city was the capital of Brazil (1763-1960) and the Portuguese Empire (1808-1821). Commonly known as Rio, the city also nicknamed as Cidade Maravilhosa – "The Marvelous City".

It is famous for its spectacular natural position, the carnival celebrations, samba and other music genres, beaches such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, pedestrian streets with black and white mosaics, and the relaxed lifestyle of residents. Some of the most famous sights of the city beyond the beaches are the giant Art Deco-style statue of Jesus, on top of the hill Korkovado, the Pao de Asoukar (cone sugar – Sugar Loaf) cable car, the Sampodromio (Sambadrome) a pedestrian street for Carnival parade, and one of the biggest stadiums in the world, the famous Maracana. Rio is also the largest forest in the world intermediate urban area, Tichouka the forest.

It is the second largest city in Brazil after Sao Paulo and was the capital of the country to 1960, when Brasília took its place. The townspeople are known as Carioca (Cariocas). The city held the Summer Olympics 2016.