Rio de Janeiro

Lore & Background

Founded in 1565, the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, a domain of the Portuguese Empire. In 1763, it became the capital of the State of Brazil. In 1808, when the Portuguese Royal Court moved to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro became the seat of the court of Queen Maria I of Portugal. Under the leadership of her son, Prince Regent John of Braganza, Maria raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves. Rio remained as the capital of the pluricontinental monarchy until 1822, when the Brazilian War of Independence began. This is the only instance in modern history that the capital of a colonizing country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies. Rio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the Empire of Brazil until 1889, and then the capital of republican Brazil until 1960, when the capital was moved to Brasília.

In Their Own Story

The morning mist clings to the Tijuca Forest as the first light hits the white sand of Copacabana. A street vendor sets up his cart near the black-and-white wave-patterned sidewalk, the scent of fresh coffee mingling with the salt air. High above, the statue on Corcovado stands silent against a sky turning from violet to gold, watching over a city that is just waking up. In the distance, the rhythmic thud of a drum practice drifts from a favela nestled in the green hills, a heartbeat echoing through the concrete canyons below. Here, the ocean does not just border the land; it crashes into its very soul.

Reader's Guide

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere and is known for its natural settings, carnival, samba, bossa nova, and beaches such as Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. In addition to the beaches, other landmarks include the statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf Mountain with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a permanent grandstand-lined parade avenue which is used during Carnival; and Maracanã Stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio de Janeiro was the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, making the city the first South American and Portuguese-speaking city to host these events, and the third time that the Olympics were held in a Southern Hemisphere city. The Maracanã Stadium held the finals of the 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. The city also hosted the XV Pan American Games in 2007, and the G20 summit in 2024, and will host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027.

Did You Know?

• Rio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal GDP in the country, and 30th-largest in the world as of 2008.
• It is home to the headquarters of major Brazilian oil, mining, and telecommunications companies, including Petrobras and Vale.
• The city has a lower incidence of crime than most state capitals in Brazil.
• Rio de Janeiro is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil, accounting for 17 percent of national scientific output according to 2005 data.