Rio de Janeiro

capital and largest city of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil. It is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Until April 21, 1960, it was the capital city of Brazil. According to the 2022 Census, the city had 6,211,223 people, and an area of over 1,000 km2. In 2021 Eduardo Paes became Mayor, having been mayor before in 2009 to 2017.[6]

Rio de Janeiro
Municipality of Rio de Janeiro
Coat of arms of Rio de Janeiro
Nicknames: 
Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous City) Princesa Maravilhosa (Marvellous Princess) Cidade dos Brasileiros (City of Brazilians)
Location in the state of Rio de Janeiro
Location in the state of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is located in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Location within Brazil
Rio de Janeiro is located in South America
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Location within South America
Coordinates: 22°54′40″S 43°12′20″W / 22.91111°S 43.20556°W / -22.91111; -43.20556
CountryBrazil
RegionSoutheast
StateRio de Janeiro
Historic countriesKingdom of Portugal
United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves
Empire of Brazil
Settled1555; 469 years ago (1555)
Founded1 March 1565; 459 years ago (1565-03-01)[1]
Named forSaint Sebastian
Guanabara Bay
Government
 • TypeMayor-council
 • BodyMunicipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro
 • MayorEduardo Paes (PSD)
 • Vice MayorNilton Caldeira (PL)
Area
 • Municipality1,221 km2 (486.5 sq mi)
 • Metro
4,539.8 km2 (1,759.6 sq mi)
Elevation
2 m (7 ft)
Highest elevation
1,020 m (3,349 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2022)[2]
 • Municipality6,211,223
 • Rank4th in South America
2nd in Brazil
 • Density5,174.6/km2 (13,402/sq mi)
 • Urban
11,616,000[needs update]
 • Metro
12,280,702[needs update] (2nd)
 • Metro density2,705.1/km2 (7,006/sq mi)
DemonymCarioca
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
 • Year2023
 • Total (Metro)$285.9 billion[3]
 • Per capita$23,700
Time zoneUTC−3 (BRT)
Postal Code
20000-001 to 23799-999
Area code21
HDI (2010)0.799 – high[4]
Nominal 2018 GDP (City)US$ 93.9 billion (2nd)[5]
Per capitaUS$14,046 (2nd)
Websiteprefeitura.rio
Official nameRio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea
TypeCultural
Criteriavi
Designated2012 (36th session)
Reference no.1100
The city of Rio de Janeiro, viewed from Corcovado mountain

History and geography

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The city was started in 1565. It is named for a river that does not exist after Portuguese explorers mistook an oceanic bay for a river.[7]

Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach, Sugar Loaf Mountain (in Portuguese, Pão de Açúcar), the statue of Christ the Redeemer (in Portuguese, Cristo Redentor), a harbor on Guanabara Bay, and Tom Jobim Airport are in Rio de Janeiro. It has much commerce and many industries, especially textiles, food, chemicals, and metallurgy. Most of these industries are in the northern and western suburbs of the city. Rio de Janeiro also has a small rural area, near the suburb of Campo Grande, where fruits and vegetables are grown.

Other cities near Rio de Janeiro, like Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu, Queimados and São Gonçalo, that form the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, also have a lot of industries and population.

The city hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 2016.

Geography

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The city is 420 kilometers (about 261 miles) away from São Paulo, the biggest city in South America. The cities of Rio and São Paulo are linked by the Presidente Dutra Highway (also known as Via Dutra). The region crossed by the Presidente Dutra Highway has been an important industrial zone since the 1950s.

In the city of Rio de Janeiro lies Tijuca National Park, created in 1961. This park contains some 33 km2, between the northern and the southern parts of the city. The district (in Portuguese, bairro) of Santa Tereza can be reached by taking an electric tram (in Portuguese, bonde) from central Rio de Janeiro (near Largo da Carioca subway station), crossing over the Arcos da Lapa, an aqueduct built during the colonial period to provide water to the city.

Sister cities

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References

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  1. "Rio de Janeiro Info". paralumun.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  2. "Rio de Janeiro (RJ) | Cidades e Estados | IBGE". www.ibge.gov.br. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  3. "TelluBase—Brazil Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series)" (PDF). Tellusant. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  4. "IDNM Ranking" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  5. "Gross Domestic Product of Municipalities". ibge.gov.br. Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  6. "Members of the Global Commission | New Climate Economy | Commission on the Economy and Climate". Archived from the original on 2015-06-07. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
  7. "11 Fun Facts About Rio". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 20 July 2024.

Other websites

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