   #copyright

Rio de Janeiro

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Geography

   Rio de Janeiro
   Rio de Janeiro
   Rio de Janeiro

   Official flag of Rio de Janeiro

                                  Official seal of Rio de Janeiro
   Flag                           Seal
   Location of Rio de Janeiro
   Location of Rio de Janeiro
   Coordinates: 22°54′30″S, 43°11′47″W
   Country Brazil
   Region Southeast
   State Rio de Janeiro
   Mayor Cesar Maia ( PFL)
   Area
    - City 1,260 km²
   Population
    - City (2005) 5,613,000
    - Density 4.781 inhabitants per km²/km²
    - Metro 11,620,000
   Time zone UTC-3 ( UTC-3)
   Website: www.rio.rj.gov.br
   Rio de Janeiro in 1895
   Enlarge
   Rio de Janeiro in 1895

   Rio de Janeiro ( pron. IPA [ˈʁiu dʒi ʒaˈneiɾu]; Portuguese for River of
   January) is the name of both a state and a city in southeastern Brazil.
   The city was the capital of Brazil ( 1763- 1960) and of the Portuguese
   Empire ( 1808- 1821). Commonly known as just Rio (particularly in
   English and by its inhabitants), 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, Ipanema, and Leblon, pavements decorated with black and
   cream swirl pattern mosaics, and the easygoing lifestyle of its
   inhabitants. 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; Sugar Loaf 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. Rio also boasts the world's largest forest inside an urban
   area, called Floresta da Tijuca, or ' Tijuca Forest'.

   Rio de Janeiro is located at 22 degrees, 54 minutes south latitude, 43
   degrees 14 minutes west longitude ( 22°54′S 43°14′W). The population of
   the City of Rio de Janeiro is about 6,094,183^ ( 2005 IBGE estimate),
   occupying an area of 1182.3 km² (456.5 mi²)^ . The larger metropolitan
   area population is estimated at 11-12 million. It is Brazil's
   second-largest city after São Paulo and was the country'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."

History

   Rio de Janeiro's waterfront and the Morro de Castello, from the Ilha
   das Cobras in 1919, by Harriet Chalmers Adams.
   Enlarge
   Rio de Janeiro's waterfront and the Morro de Castello, from the Ilha
   das Cobras in 1919, by Harriet Chalmers Adams.

   Guanabara Bay, future site of the city, was reached by Portuguese
   explorers in an expedition led by Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos
   on January 20, 1502; hence Rio de Janeiro, "River of January". 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.

   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 contentions with some the colonists.

   The actual city was founded in March 1, 1565, by Portuguese knight
   Estácio de Sá, who called it São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (St
   Sebastian of the January River), in honour of King Sebastian I of
   Portugal. 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.
   Cristo Redentor, the famous Christ the Redeemer statue at the top of
   the Corcovado mountain
   Enlarge
   Cristo Redentor, the famous Christ the Redeemer statue at the top of
   the Corcovado mountain

   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.
   Lagoa, with Corcovado in the background
   Enlarge
   Lagoa, with Corcovado in the background

   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 a native chief for the purpose of supporting defence,
   the Tamoio Indian Araribóia. 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.

   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, but,
   by then, the city region was gradually losing importance – economic and
   political – to São Paulo.

   Rio continued as the capital of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy
   was replaced by a republic.
   Copacabana Palace Hotel at Copacabana beach. One of the best known and
   most luxurious hotels in Rio, it was built in the 1920s
   Enlarge
   Copacabana Palace Hotel at Copacabana beach. One of the best known and
   most luxurious hotels in Rio, it was built in the 1920s

   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 stength 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 city-state (such as Hamburg, or Bremen
   in Germany) 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 Municipal Theatre, originally an opera house in a classic European
   style, built in the beginning of the 20th century in the centre of Rio
   Enlarge
   The Municipal Theatre, originally an opera house in a classic European
   style, built in the beginning of the 20th century in the centre of Rio

   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

   Centro (or Downtown in American English) is the historic centre of the
   city, as well as its financial centre. Sites of interest include the
   so-called 'Paço Imperial', built during colonial times to serve as
   residence to the Portuguese governors of Brazil; many historic
   churches, such as the Candelária; the modern-style cathedral, the
   Municipal Theatre and several museums. Downtown remains the heart of
   the city's business community. The "Bondinho", a tram (trolley car),
   leaves from a city centre station, crosses a former Roman-style
   aqueduct – the 'Arcos da Lapa', built in 1750 and converted to a tram
   viaduct in 1896 - and rambles through the hilly streets of the Santa
   Teresa neighbourhood nearby.

   Some of the largest companies in Brazil are headquartered here,
   including Petrobrás and CVRD (the two largest Brazilian corporations)

South Zone

   A view of Ipanema from Corcovado. The Cagarras Islands can be seen on
   the background, with the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in the foreground.
   Enlarge
   A view of Ipanema from Corcovado. The Cagarras Islands can be seen on
   the background, with the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in the foreground.

   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 beach coastline. Other districts
   in the South Zone are Botafogo, Flamengo and Urca, which border
   Guanabara Bay and Lagoa, Gávea, Jardim Botânico and Laranjeiras.

   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 firework 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, lies the
   district of Urca and the Sugarloaf Mountain ('Pão de Açúcar'), whose
   name describes the famous hump rising out of the sea.
   Ipanema beach, in the South Zone, as featured in the Tom Jobim and
   Vinicius de Morais song The Girl from Ipanema. Dois irmãos belvedere
   can be seen in the background.
   Enlarge
   Ipanema beach, in the South Zone, as featured in the Tom Jobim and
   Vinicius de Morais song The Girl from Ipanema. Dois irmãos belvedere
   can be seen in the background.

   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 mountains in the city, however, at 842 metres, is
   the Pedra da Gávea (Topsail Rock), in São Conrado near the botanical
   gardens. On the top of its summit we can see a giant sculpture of an
   european head with a beard carved on the rockstone. A phenician
   sentence is carved on the side with theses words : Badezir Phenician of
   Tyro son of JethBaal. That big sculpture is visible from many
   kilometres around.

   Hang gliding is a popular activity on the nearby peak, called 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 . The Catholic University in Rio
   (Pontifícia Universidade Catôlica-Rio, or PUC-Rio) sits right at the
   edge of the forest linking city with forest. 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

   A picture of the Zona Norte of Rio de Janeiro, taken from NASA's
   Landsat 7
   Enlarge
   A picture of the Zona Norte of Rio de Janeiro, taken from NASA's
   Landsat 7

   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 observed during the World Cup final of 1950). (The biggest
   football stadium is the Rungnado May Day Stadium, in Pyongyang, North
   Korea ) In modern times the 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
   45,000 fans, it will eventually hold around 120,000 people. Maracanã
   will be the 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 its
   main building fashioned like a Moorish castle, and the beautiful
   'Quinta da Boa Vista', the old imperial palace (Paço), which is now the
   National Museum.

   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, who shares The Tijuca Forest with the
   South Zone, and Grajaú, Vila Isabel, Méier, São Cristovão among others.

West Zone

   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, Campo Grande, 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. Barra da Tijuca
   now has a tiny, but growing movement for separating Barra from the city
   of Rio and making Barra a new city.

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

Climate

   Rio has a tropical climate with warm to hot temperatures year-round and
   generally high humidity. Summer heat can be oppressive, occasionally
   reaching 40°C (104°F) and higher. However, the cool waters of the local
   beaches provide an excellent escape, as do high-elevation areas nearby,
   such as Petrópolis. Precipitation is moderately high, being most heavy
   in the summer months when thunderstorms are common. The same cool
   waters enjoyed by local beachgoers prevent tropical cyclones from
   forming off the coast of Brazil.
     Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
   Max °C/°F 33/91 33/93 32/90 31/87 28/82 27/81 27/81 28/82 27/81 29/84
   31/87 32/89 30/86
   Min °C/°F 23/74 24/75 23/74 22/71 19/67 18/65 18/64 18/65 19/66 20/68
   22/71 22/72 21/69

   Precipitation
   135/5.3 124/4.9 134/5.3 109/4.3 78/3.1 52/2.1 45/1.8 46/1.8 62/2.4
   82/3.2 100/4.0 137/5.4 1104/43.5
   Sources: Weatherbase and The Weather Channel

   In a 2006 study, Rio de Janeiro was found to have the bluest sky in the
   world.

Social conditions

   A Rio de Janeiro favela
   Enlarge
   A Rio de Janeiro favela

   Rio is typical of the rest of Brazil in that there are enormous
   disparities between rich and poor. Though the city clearly ranks among
   the world's major metropolises, a significant proportion (15%) of the
   city's 6.5 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. The
   favelas are troubled by widespread drug-related crime, gang warfare and
   other poverty-related social issues.

   A unique aspect of Rio's favelas is their very close proximity to the
   city's wealthiest districts. Upper-class neighborhoods such as Ipanema
   and Copacabana are squeezed in between the beach and the hills, the
   latter of which are covered with poor neighbourhoods.

Culture

Music

   Rio was eternalized in the song " Garota de Ipanema" (The Girl from
   Ipanema) composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and recognized worldwide and
   recorded by Astrud 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.

Carnival

   Carnival in Rio.
   Enlarge
   Carnival in Rio.

   The carnaval in Rio de Janeiro has many 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).

Funk

   Funk carioca is a very popular music genre in Rio. It grew during the
   last 20 years mainly among the low income population while recently
   becoming mainstream friendly. In Rio, funk music is made by simple
   people of communities, without artistic requirements: it's an
   expression of the way of life of these people. This music, like the
   original funk beat is very requested for dance in parties and clubs
   where thousands of people join together on weekends to celebrate the
   funk carioca way of life.

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 Carnival,
   held two weeks before the traditional Christian fasting of Lent.

   Not only people from all over Brazil, but from all parts of the world
   come to Rio to take part and witness the extravaganza. The Carnival
   comes with a lot of music, 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. Cultural Events in Rio de Janeiro

Sports

   Maracana Stadium as viewed from Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
   Enlarge
   Maracana Stadium as viewed from Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

   Rio de Janeiro will host the 2007 Pan American Games.

   More notable sports events in Rio includes 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 was disputed on the
   beaches from 1985-2001. The city is building a new stadium near the
   Maracanã, to hold 145,000 people. It will be named after Brazilian
   ex-FIFA president João Havelange. Rio de Janeiro was also a candidate
   for the 2012 Summer Olympics but unfortunately for the Brasilians these
   games are to be held in London, England. Copacabana beach would have
   been the site of the triathlon and beach volleyball, while yachting
   competitions would have been held in Guanabara Bay.
   Interior of Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
   Enlarge
   Interior of Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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

   Other popular sports are beach football, beach volleyball, surfing,
   kitesurfing, hang gliding, motor racing, jiu-jitsu, recreational
   sailing, and sport rowing. The peculiarly Brazilian dance/sport/
   martial art Capoeira is also popular. Another sport that is highly
   popular on the beaches of Rio is what is termed in Brazil "Fresco Ball"
   (or 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, due to 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$ 100.00. In the Summer, between December and March,
   it’s recommended to book in advance.

   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.

Airports

   A NASA satellite image of Rio de Janeiro
   Enlarge
   A NASA satellite image of Rio de Janeiro

   The City of Rio de Janeiro has 5 airports.
     * Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport - used for all
       the international flights and some long-haul domestic flights;
     * Santos Dumont Regional Airport – The first, and formerly the
       International Airport. It is considered one of the best set
       airports in whole world, due to its location between Sugar Loaf,
       Corcovado, the Aterro do Flamengo and the Guanabara Bay. Today it
       is used by the São Paulo – Rio de Janeiro Air Shuttle Service and
       some flights inside the Rio de Janeiro state, especially between
       the city and the oil-producer 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.
     * Santa Cruz Air Base – military airport.

Famous Cariocas

   'Cariocas', as residents of Rio de Janeiro are popularly 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:
     * Adolfo Lutz, physician and scientist
     * Adriano Leite Ribeiro, football player
     * Aldir Blanc, poet, composer
     * Bruno Barreto, film director
     * Carlos Chagas Filho, physician and scientist
     * Carlos Lacerda, politician, governor of Rio
     * Carolina Solberg, beach volleyball player
     * Cazuza, composer and singer
     * Chico Buarque, composer, singer and writer
     * Bruno Campos, actor
     * Fernanda Montenegro, actress
     * Fernando Henrique Cardoso, sociologist, twice president of Brazil
     * Garrincha, former football player
     * Heitor Villa-Lobos, classic composer and regent
     * Ismael Silva, composer and singer
     * Ivo Pitanguy, plastic surgeon
     * Isabel Clark, snowboarder
     * Jacob do Bandolim, mandolin virtuoso
     * Jaguar, cartoonist
     * Jô Soares, television entertainer and writer
     * Jorge Ben Jor, singer and composer
     * Machado de Assis, writer
     * Madame Satã, famous outlaw
     * Marisa Monte, singer
     * Millôr Fernandes, cartoonist and playwright
     * Milton Nascimento, singer and composer
     * Noel Rosa, composer and singer
     * Oscar Niemeyer, architect
     * Paulinho da Viola, one of the top names in Samba
     * Paulo Coelho, writer
     * Emperor D. Pedro II
     * Pixinguinha, one of the fathers of Chorinho music
     * Baden Powell, composer and musician (guitar)
     * Rodrigo Santoro, actor
     * Royce Gracie, mma legend
     * Romário, football player
     * Ronaldo, football player
     * Sérgio Vieira de Mello, diplomat
     * Silvio Santos, entrepreneur, media mogul and television entertainer
     * Tom Jobim, composer and musician, one of the creators of Bossa Nova
     * Vinícius de Moraes, writer, poet, musician and diplomat
     * Walter Salles, film director
     * Zico, former football player, former Japanese national football
       team's coach.

Important Colleges

     * Public Colleges/ Universities
          + Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca
            (CEFET) - Federal Centre of Technology Education Celso Suckow
            da Fonseca
          + Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) – State
            University of Rio de Janeiro
          + Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) – Federal
            University of Rio de Janeiro
          + Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) – "Fluminense" Federal
            University (Fluminense, in Portuguese, is someone who is born
            in the state of Rio de Janeiro)
          + Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UniRio) –
            Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro
          + Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME) – Military Institute of
            Engineering
          + Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada (IMPA) –
            National institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics

     * Private Colleges/ Universities
          + Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) –
            Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
          + Instituto Metodista Bennett
          + Universidade Cândido Mendes (UCAM)
          + Universidade Gama Filho (UGF)
          + Universidade da Cidade (UniverCidade)
          + Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) – Getúlio Vargas Foundation
          + Instituto Brasileiro de Mercado de Capitais (IBMEC) –
            Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets

     * Public & Private Schools
          + Colégio Pentágono
          + Colégio Pedro II
          + Colégio Andrews
          + Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca
            (CEFET) - Federal Centre of Technology Education Celso Suckow
            da Fonseca
          + Corcovado
          + CEL- Centro Educacional da Lagoa
          + Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro (EARJ)
          + Escola Parque
          + EDEM
          + São Bento - Saint Benedict School
          + Santo Ignácio
          + Santo Agostinho - Saint Augustin School
          + São Vicente de Paula
          + Sion
          + Colégio dos Santos Anjos
          + Colégio Marista São José
          + Liceu Molière - Lyceé Molière
          + Liceu Franco-Brasileiro
          + CEAT- Centro Educacional Aloísio Teixeira
          + Teresiano
          + PH
          + Colégio Nossa Senhora de Lourdes
          + Colégio de Aplicação da U.F.R.J.
          + CEFETEQ - "Federal Tecnological Centre of Chemistry"
          + Military School of Rio de Janeiro
          + The British School-Rio de Janeiro

Parks and Squares

     * Arpoador Park
     * Flamengo Park
     * Morro Dois Irmãos Park
     * Jardim Botânico – Botanic Gardens

Sister cities

   Rio de Janeiro's sister cities are:
     * United States Atlanta, United States
     * Spain Barcelona, Spain
     * Brazil Cabo Frio, Brazil
     * South Africa Durban, South Africa
     * Turkey Istanbul, Turkey
     * Japan Kobe, Japan
     * Portugal Lisbon, Portugal
     * Brazil Niterói, Brazil
     * Brazil Teresópolis, Brazil

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
