With six million inhabitants, Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil after São Paulo. It is located in the southeast of the country in the state of the same name on the Atlantic. With its numerous beaches and world-famous location on a mountainous forested coast, "Rio" is Brazil's most famous travel destination. But the city itself, which was the country's capital between 1822 and 1960, also has numerous sights to offer.
The city owes its fame to its beautiful location between the coastal
mountains covered with lush vegetation and the sea. Copacabana and
Ipanema beaches are visited by millions of tourists from all over the
world every year. Another attraction is the world-famous Carnaval with
its bandas and blocos (street parades), where thousands of dancers and
musicians from the samba schools (sambistas) parade through the streets.
A stadium, the Sambódromo, was specially built for the competition of
the largest and most popular samba schools.
Rio de Janeiro was
the capital of Brazil for a long time (until 1960) and also its economic
and cultural center until the retort capital Brasília was built in the
1950s. At the same time, Rio was overtaken by São Paulo with its
international companies (car industry) based there, making São Paulo the
largest city in Brazil today. Nevertheless, Rio de Janeiro is still an
important center of Brazil's economy. Its gross national product per
capita is among the highest in the country. In Rio there is a big gap
between rich and poor, which is particularly noticeable because of the
high population density. The best examples of this are the slums
(favelas) such as B. Rocinha, which is only a few hundred meters from
the affluent Leblon district.
Today Rio de Janeiro is a
cosmopolitan metropolis with influences from almost every continent. The
majority of the inhabitants are of European descent (mainly with
Portuguese or Italian roots), alongside there is a large group of
Afro-Brazilians. A striking number of Japanese emigrants have also built
a new life in Rio. There is also a lively Jewish community in Rio. A
minority of Indios is represented, but many of these have already mixed
heavily with European or Afro-Brazilian Cariocas. Like all major cities
in Brazil, Rio is subject to high immigration by campesinos (landless
farmers) from agriculturally impoverished areas. Above all, Nordestinos,
people from the drought zone in northeastern Brazil, are drawn to the
economically more attractive Rio de Janeiro.
The climate is mild,
partly tropical and humid. The best time to travel is in winter (May to
October), when temperatures are around 25-28 degrees Celsius during the
day and it rarely rains. Even at night, temperatures rarely drop below
20 degrees Celsius. Summer is muggy and very humid.
Administrative regions of the city of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de
Janeiro is divided into 33 administrative regions (Regiões
Administrativas). These are statistically assigned to five planning
areas (Áreas de Planejamento). The administrative regions are divided
into 159 districts (Bairros).
Area de Planejamento 1 (Zona
Central): Centro, Paquetá, Portuária, Rio Comprido, Santa Teresa, São
Cristóvão
Area de Planejamento 2 (Zona Sul): Botafogo, Copacabana,
Lagoa, Rocinha, Tijuca, Vila Isabel
Area de Planejamento 3 (Zona
Norte): Anchieta, Complexo do Alemão, Ilha do Governador, Inhaúma,
Irajá, Jacarezinho, Madureira, Maré Maré, Méier, Pavuna, Penha, Ramos,
Vigário Geral
Area de Planejamento 4: Barra da Tijuca, Cidade de
Deus, Jacarepaguá
Area de Planejamento 5: Bangu, Campo Grande,
Guaratiba, Realengo, Santa Cruz
Areas 4 and 5 form the Zona Oeste
The most important tourist areas are:
Barra da Tijuca, with the
Olympic Park
Centro, the historic old town
Santa Teresa
Copacabana, world famous beach
Ipanema, world famous beach
By plane
Guanabara
Rio's International Airport
Rio de Janeiro-Antônio Carlos Jobim Airport (IATA: GIG), located on an
island in Guanabara Bay, is the second largest international air hub in
Brazil after São Paulo.
transport connection
Connection bus
direction Copacabana (Ipanema): There are fully air-conditioned and
modernly equipped buses that are marked with Copacabana. It is the
cheapest and by far the safest connection with the districts of
Copacabana and Ipanema/ Leblon/ Barra de Tjiuca.
It takes at least 25
minutes between Galeão and Santos Dumont by taxi and 1½ hours by metro.
From Christmas 2022, the two airports Galeão and Santos Dumont will be
connected by express courier. The journey takes 20 minutes.
Recommendation: Real Auto Ônibus, the one with the crown in the logo.
These buses are slightly better equipped than normal city buses
(including air conditioning) and therefore cost a little more. They run
approximately every 15 minutes between Galeao/Santos Dumont and various
Zona Sul destinations. Depending on the time of day, the one-way route
can take up to 90 minutes.
Santos Dumont
For flights within
Brazil, there is a second airport called Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont
Airport (IATA: SDU). This is also on the Bay of Guanabara, but closer to
the city center, as it is directly in front of the Centro district,
where Rio's business world hums during the day, on a promontory.
By bus
The means of transport par excellence. Buses run from Rio de
Janeiro to practically every corner of Brazil. There are also
connections to neighboring countries, notably Argentina and Uruguay. But
a special connection via the Transocéanica via São Paulo with Lima in
Peru, which is offered twice a week in each direction, has recently been
set up. The route of over 6200 kilometers in 102 hours is said to be the
longest bus line in the world.
The central bus station of Rio de
Janeiro for all destinations is located in the São Cristóvão district,
on the way between Galeão - Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG) and
the districts of Centro, Copacabana and Ipanema. The buses there are
marked with Rodoviária or Novo Rio.
RODOVIÁRIA NOVO RIO (Central
Bus Station), Av. Francisco Bicalho, 1 - Sao Cristovao. Tel: +55(021)
2291.5151.
In the street
The road network in the region around
the city is well developed. Rio de Janeiro is connected to São Paulo,
430 kilometers away, via the Via Dutra motorway.
By boat
Rio
is a popular destination for cruise ships. The port is near the historic
center.
City buses
All of Rio can be easily explored by
bus. The prices (2.90 BRL as of 2016) and destinations are written on
the front window. It is best to have the money counted ready for the
inspector to go through. If you have any questions, the bus staff will
be happy to help, but only in Portuguese. You can find out which bus
goes where on Google Maps.
Subway
There is a subway (Metrô) in
Rio de Janeiro, but so far it only has three lines. Therefore, most of
the city traffic is handled by buses. When buying a metro ticket, you
can get a connection ticket for the metro bus, which serves other places
from the terminal stations, at no extra charge.
By train
A
stream of people pours out of the Supervia trains arriving at Central
station from the north during the weekdays. You will be brought to the
city by several train lines. In the evenings, too, the trains are packed
to capacity between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
By bicycle
Since 2011, a
bike rental system has been available in Zona Sul and the center,
sponsored by a local bank. The customer has to register and can rent
bikes for 10 RS per month for up to 60 minutes free of charge via mobile
app or by telephone (only in Portuguese). However, this low price is put
into perspective by hardly maintained bicycles and poor availability. If
you have found a station with the desired number of bicycles, you should
definitely check before renting whether the tyres, drive and brakes are
in order. Finding a complete and working bike is a real hit.
Occasionally, the station does not release the rented bike. In this case
you have to wait 15 minutes and then you can rent another bike. More
information can be found on the BikeRio website. A very helpful bicycle
map with bicycle parking spaces, bicycle shops and bicycle routes is
available online. Bicycle tours outside of the manageable network of
cycle paths are particularly recommended on Sundays when car traffic is
noticeably less.
Cableways
The Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) in
the district of Urca can be climbed by cable car in two stages
(intermediate station). The ticket for the trip to the Sugar Loaf costs
R$ 76.00 (standard price for adults return; as of 2016).
Since
July 2011 there is also a cable car in the "Complexo do Alemão" that is
connected to the "Bonsucesso" train station. The 3.5 km cable car can be
used with a SuperVia ticket when using the "Integracao" in Bonsucesso.
Otherwise the trip costs 1 R$. With the gondolas, the passengers fly
over one of the largest favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
Tram
The
squeaky and ancient Bonde (pronounced bõnd͡ʒɪ) or affectionately known
as Bondinho, connected Lapa to the hilly artists' quarter of Santa
Teresa via a former aqueduct. The valley station is located just behind
the striking Petrobras cube building. Since an accident a few years ago,
only a small section is still in operation.
In recent years, new
tram lines have been built north of the city center.
Rack railway
Trem do Corcovado. Valley station in the district of Cosme Velho and the
street of the same name. Ascent to the Rio towering Jesus statue Cristo
Redentor Corcovado.
Taxi
Taxis are only conditionally
recommended. And if so, then only the registered official companies with
a telephone number are to be considered. Some tourists are ripped off
with exorbitant prices. Therefore always make sure that the taximeter is
running. Then taking a taxi is more expensive than bus or metro, but
still affordable.
Tip: If you have had good experiences with a
taxi driver, ask for his phone number and give him preference for your
next trip through Rio. He will thank you.
There is no end to the sights in Rio de Janeiro.
Fantastically located on the Bay of Guanabara and the open Atlantic with
its gigantic waves and interspersed with bizarre mountain formations
such as Corcovado, Sugar Loaf or the Rock of the Two Brothers (Dois
Irmãos), Rio offers a wide range of attractions.
The most famous
are certainly the Sugar Loaf and the Cristo Redentor (Jesus statue, 38
meters high), the symbol of the city. On the 710 m high Corcovado, Jesus
stands on the highest pedestal in the world and spreads his arms
protectively over the city. According to legend, he is said to have
divided Rio de Janeiro into the north and south districts (Zona Norte e
Zona Sul). Furthermore, the slightly self-deprecating rumor goes; should
this Jesus ever fold his arms, the cariocas (residents of Rio) would
finally go to work.
The Trem do Corcovado cogwheel train or a
taxi takes you to the top of Corcovado, from where you have stunning
views of the city, Guanabara Bay, the bridge to Niterói, the Atlantic
Ocean and the beaches of Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema . Right next
to the Corcovadobahn valley station is the Museum of Naive Art (Museu
Internacional de Arte Naïf do Brasil), which gives a colorful insight
into how Brazilians paint their world. Helicopter sightseeing flights,
although expensive, are becoming increasingly popular. The noise of the
rotors is now part of the city's identity, like the squeaking of the
stopping and departing buses.
From the Praia vermelha (the red
beach) in the idyllic district of Urca you can take the world-famous
cable car to the Sugar Loaf. At the top, not only is the breathtaking
view worthwhile, but also a short tour of the park. The sunset is
particularly impressive on a clear day, after you can see the city
awakening to nightlife below. Incidentally, on the left side of Praia
vermelha at the valley station, a beautiful and shady path leads through
the typical hill vegetation with jungle flair and with a bit of luck you
will discover little monkeys and colorful butterflies.
In the Centro
district, the Largo da Carioca square is the starting point for many
excursions. Only a few hundred meters away is the Confeitaria Colombo,
Rio's most famous and probably most beautiful café. Just a few minutes
from here is the Saára, a huge bazaar that runs through many streets and
halls, and the Campo de Santana Park, where you can enjoy a little peace
and quiet in the middle of the metropolis under magnificent giant trees.
Also near Largo da Carioca is Cinelândia, another district where the
theatre, the Fine Arts Museum and the National Library are located. If
you walk south down the boulevard Avenida Rio Branco, you will
inevitably come across the Museum of Modern Art (Museu de Arte Moderna).
From the starting point, Largo da Carioca Square, you can also see
the cubic-shaped building of Petrobras (the state oil company), at the
foot of which is the Bondinho, the iconic yellow tram stop. You
shouldn't miss a trip with this gem, because for a few centavos it takes
you rattling over the bridge of Lapa and up into the old villa district
of Santa Teresa, which is now popular with the alternative scene and
many artists.
Back at Largo da Carioca square, the metro takes
you quickly and cheaply to the Estádio do Maracanã, the legendary
football stadium where Pelé scored his thousandth goal in front of an
estimated 200,000 spectators, played his last game in the Brazilian
selection Selecão, where the deceased Garrincha was publicly bid
farewell by the residents of Rio and today the city clubs Flamengo,
Vasco da Gama and Fluminense share home rights. Incidentally, football
is played all year round. There are four different championships.
Incidentally, in the immediate vicinity of the gigantic stadium is the
zoo, which is home to many tropical animals.
A visit to the
Jardim Botânico botanical garden, created by the last king of Portugal
(Dom João VI) during his exile (1807-1821) in Brazil near the Rodrigo de
Freitas lagoon, is also highly recommended. The botanical garden is home
to many flowers, including countless species of orchids and a variety of
trees, but also a piece of Atlantic rainforest where you can spot
monkeys, butterflies and small lizards. Nature lovers should definitely
take a short trip to the Floresta da Tijuca with its numerous
waterfalls. Incidentally, right next to the botanical garden is the 6
Jockey Club Brasileiro racetrack in Rio, which enjoys an international
reputation. A visit with a small stake can definitely be worthwhile.
And of course, no visit is complete without visiting the two famous
beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. The beach sections are divided into
lifeguard posts, the so-called Postos. For example, Posto 8 on Ipanema
Beach is a popular meeting place and stage for gays. Anyone who feels
connected to the young alternative scene is in good hands at Posto 9
1/2.
Carnival
The next carnival will take place between
Sat 10/02/2024 and Tue 13/02/2024. For more see Rio Carnival. Many
carnival events begin 14 days before the official dates (Pré-Carnaval).
It is therefore advisable to arrive a few days in advance in order to
obtain comprehensive information and to experience how the whole city is
emotionally pumped up. On the Friday before the start of the carnival,
the key to the city is officially handed over to the carnival king, Rei
Momo.
Sambadromo - The competition of samba schools
From this
samba stadium, conceived by Oscar Niemeyer, we Europeans get the
colorful pictures of the most famous samba schools in Rio. A visit to
the competition on one of the evenings requires good physical condition,
the event lasts 8-9 hours into the early hours of the morning.
Terreirão do Samba - The Samba Festival Grounds
Right next to the
stadium of the Sambodromo is a large festival area, where various music
concerts are held every evening during the carnival to dance the night
away. A wide selection of Brazilian food also makes a visit worthwhile.
Blocos and Bandas - street parades
The heart of Rio's carnival.
Street processions in which everyone can participate. With the purchase
of an official T-shirt from the organizing Bloco clubs, you are already
included in the circle of thousands of people celebrating. Join the
crowd and experience something never seen before!
The most famous
moves:
Cordão do Bola Preta - Carnival Saturday 10am. Start in the
center.
Banda de Ipanema - Saturday before Carnival and Carnival
Saturday at 4 p.m. Start in Ipanema.
Dois Pra Lá, Dois Pra Sá -
Carnival Saturday 2pm. Start in Botafogo.
street spectacle
One
of the biggest street spectacles of the five days takes place in Praça
Floriano, Cinelândia. The biggest idols of the Rio Carnival perform on a
stage, and the spectators sing the big hits of the carnival along with
their stars.
Visit a samba school
From September, the samba
schools will open their doors and show what they have practiced to the
general public for the first time. These events are big dance parties
and a good opportunity to meet locals as well. The best known and most
popular Samba schools (Escolas de Samba) are Mangueira, Unidos da Tijuca
and Grande Rio.
Mangueira, Rua Visconde de Niterói, Mangueira,.
Tel: +55(021) 2567 4637. 10pm Saturdays.info edit
Unidos da Tijuca,
Rua Francisco Bicalho 47, Cidade Nova. Tel: +55 (0)21 2516 4053. 11pm
Saturdays.info edit
Grande Rio, Rua Almirante Barroso 5-6, Duque de
Caixas,. Tel: +55 (0)21 2775 8422. 10pm Saturdays.info edit
During
the carnival, performances by these samba schools intended for tourists
also take place in the various nightclubs (e.g. Rio Scala, Avenida
Afrânio de Melo Franco 296, Leblon). In addition to their performances
in the Sambódromo, of course.
costume contests
Stage for drag
queens and carnival addicts. Events at Hotel Glória.
Centro de
Convenções do Hotel Glória - Rua do Russel, 632 - Glória -
Tel:
2555-7272 - Fax: 2555-7282
Rio de Janeiro is a city so full of attractions that
shopping can seem like a waste of time. On the other hand, there are
several interesting shopping options at attractive prices, and as it is
difficult to resist a little purchase, here are some good options:
Handicrafts - It is possible to find handicrafts on the sidewalks of
all the beaches in the South Zone and also at night in Lapa and Santa
Tereza.
Pé de Boi - The Brazilian handicraft shop located in the
picturesque neighborhood of Laranjeiras is a reference when it comes to
popular handicrafts. This is because it gives space to artists who,
motivated by intense creativity and the need to create, create wonderful
works without having any kind of academic training. Guarantee of
authentic, genuinely Brazilian products.
Girl from Ipanema. The
timeless muse, the eternal Girl from Ipanema, inspiration for Tom and
Vinícius to compose the great international success, created a line of
bikinis, a product that is as much a trademark of the city as samba or
caipirinha. Due to the low weight and space they occupy in a suitcase,
bikinis are an ideal gift idea when returning home.
Brasil & Cia -
The store, located in the heart of Ipanema, manages to masterfully
assemble works of good taste that maintain the picturesque character
typical of Brazilian handicrafts. There you can find art in different
original materials such as gourd, fiber, wood... Always maintaining the
cultural identity of our handicraft
Organic
products have now also arrived in some Brazilian supermarkets. However,
the prices in the supermarkets are significantly overpriced and only a
fraction of the money goes to the producers. This is one of the reasons
why six weekly markets with exclusively organic products are held in the
urban area of Rio de Janeiro. You can find the Circuito Feiras Organicas
Carioca here:
Tuesday:
Ipanema, Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz,
from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m
Thursday:
Tijuca, Praça Afonso Pena, from
7am to 1pm | Leblon, Praça Antero de Quental, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m
Saturday:
Bairro Peixoto, Praça Edmundo Bittencourt, from 8am to
1pm | Glória, Rua do Russel, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Jardim Botânico,
Praça da Igreja São José da Lagoa, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m
The gastronomic circuit of Rio de Janeiro is very
diversified. You can find international cuisine restaurants with the
refinement worthy of European cities, but there are also the traditional
"pés-sujos" taverns that serve in a musical and relaxed atmosphere the
most varied snacks or appetizers.
Lapa (in the center of the
city) and Vila Isabel (in the north zone) also share the role of Rio's
bohemia, being popular meeting points on Friday and Saturday nights for
the locals.
The new fashion in Rio is the chic bars, which have a
relaxed atmosphere, but more elegant than the traditional bars. In them
you can find beers of different brands (some houses have an extensive
list of beers) and various snacks. There are many restaurants in this
category. Among them: Devassa; Manuel and Juaquim; Chic dump; Boteco
Salvação and Belmonte.
Botecos - a social institution in Rio
Samba in
Lapa.
Cariocas are known for their constant habit of drinking lots
and lots of beers. No wonder the city is full of bars, of the most
varied kind. A few years ago there was a phenomenon in the issue of the
traditional "pé-sujo". That shitty bar, with colored eggs, not
frequented. The concept was refurbished and one of the main targets of
the bar market in the city is the "pe-limpos". With a pleasant
atmosphere, inviting decoration, interesting gastronomic options, these
chic taverns do not stop popping up on every corner, especially in the
south zone. If you want to experience a traditional bar, perhaps the
first "clean foot" in Rio, go to Academia da Cachaça. This bar was
elected the best Brazilian food restaurant by Revista GULA, in addition
to winning the award for best feijoada. In addition, it has a pleasant
atmosphere and the best caipirinhas, cachaças and snacks. You can find
excellent bars and taverns on the website below. Some bars I recommend
for live chorinho, a Brazilian musical style, are the Semente and
Carioca da Gema bars located in Lapa. For those who like Forro, another
style of music, I suggest Asa Branca, also in lapa.
Going out tips can be found in the current issue of
Veja Rio, available at every newsstand in Rio.
district of Lapa
Young people meet under the bridge of Lapa (aqueduct) on Friday and
Saturday evenings for beer, samba and singing. The city government of
Rio closes the thoroughfares on these nights. During Carnaval, this area
boils over with impromptu street parties going on until dawn. Very
popular clubs like the Rio Scenarium and the Carioca da Gema are also
located there.
The canecao
The Canecão concert hall with many
gigs by Brazilian and international music greats all year round. Located
near the Rio Sul Shopping Center and the Leme Tunnel in the Botafogo
district.
Rio hotels are the most expensive compared to the rest
of the country. Book well in advance for Carnival and New Year periods.
There is a wide variety of hotels on the famous Avenida Atlântica next
to Copacabana beach, from the classic Copacabana Palace to the
comfortable Porto Bay Rio Internacional.
The cheapest hotels are
in the Center and in less touristy neighborhoods in the South Zone, such
as Flamengo and Botafogo, which have accommodations more geared towards
business travelers and tourists who don't mind using transport to go to
the beach and the most famous attractions. Copacabana, in turn, has a
huge number of options aimed at tourists, and icons such as the
Copacabana Palace, the starry Sofitel and the famous Meridien (recently
became Iberostar). Ipanema and Leblon offer the most sophisticated and,
of course, expensive options.
Youth hostels have become
increasingly popular and are emerging as a super-economical option in
several neighborhoods, including Ipanema. Santa Teresa, the artistic
neighborhood in the center of Rio, has become the place for charming
inns, with old mansions converted into inns that are popular with
tourists interested in the city's cultural circuit, especially
Europeans.
For the more exotic and adventurous, even the favelas
can serve as shelter, in inns such as Pousada Favelinha, which offers
accommodation in one of the most peaceful hills in Rio.
For
longer seasons, it may be worth renting a furnished apartment. There are
numerous agencies and websites that provide this service and prices tend
to compensate for hotels.
JW Marriott Hotel Rio de Janeiro. The
JW Marriott Hotel Rio de Janeiro is located in front of Copacabana
Beach, in one of the most beautiful and famous regions of Rio de
Janeiro. The hotel is 24 km from Antônio Carlos Jobim International
Airport and 12 km from Santos Dumont Domestic Airport. It has a
privileged view of four of the main tourist attractions in the city:
Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Morro da Urca and Copacabana
Fort. In addition to being close to the postcards, the hotel offers one
of the best and most modern infrastructure in the hotel industry. The
245 apartments, spread over 17 floors (including the 15 junior suites
and the presidential suite), have CD players and other technological
varieties to guarantee the comfort and convenience of guests, such as,
for example, a modern telephone center, a safe adapted for laptops and
Internet in the rooms to receive executives. Inside the hotel, there is
a sophisticated atrium -the apartments built into the lobby-, fully air
conditioned.
Porto Bay Rio Internacional ((Porto Bay Hotels &
Resorts)), Avenida Atlântica, Copacabana, (+5521) 2546 8000 ✆, fax:
(+5521) 2542 5443, reservas@portobay.com.br. Right on Copacabana beach,
with stunning views over the beach.
CabanaCopa Hostel at Travessa
Guimarães Natal, 12 - Copacabana - +5521.39889912 - . Located three
blocks from Copacabana beach, one block from the Arcoverde subway
station and next to the beautiful Chacrinha natural park, CabanaCopa is
a brand new, unique hostel in Rio de Janeiro. A large colonial house,
completely renovated and located in the safest part of Copacabana, with
clean and spacious bedrooms and suites, comfortable social areas and a
friendly and attentive service. hostel@cabanacopa.com.br.
Ducasse Rio
Hotel at Rua Sá Ferreira, 76 - Copacabana - 21 3202-8500. Located one
block from Copacabana beach and close to Ipanema, the Ducasse Rio Hotel
is a great option for those looking for a hotel in Rio de Janeiro that
meets their needs and can add up to a perfect trip. The hotel has 47
apartments, terrace with swimming pool, sauna and a great view of
Copacabana.
Pousadas Copacabana - ElMisti. We offer you a special,
relaxing combination to visit Rio de Janeiro. A different space in a
privileged location, Copacabana!! (close to everything, and at the same
time hidden, cozy). Comfortable spaces and most importantly, being in a
different and fun house that you will never forget. Our Albergue &
Pousada is located in the Copacabana neighborhood, close to Copacabana
beach, and very close to the famous Sugarloaf Mountain. Our neighborhood
is safe and typically carioca: bars, restaurants, elderly people playing
cards and children playing soccer on our street!, +55 (21) 2547 0800,
Travessa Frederico Pamplona, 20 - Copacabana.
Rio de Janeiro -
Brazil/Brasil. CEP: 22061-080.
Aeroporto Othon Travel at Av.
Beira Mar, 280 - Center. The hotel in the center of Rio de Janeiro is a
great option for those looking for tranquility and a beautiful view of
the trees. The hotel is close to Guanabara Bay and Flamengo Park, 5
minutes from Santos Dumont Airport and the financial center of Rio. In
addition, it offers the luxury category, for those who want an
economical option and just the right amount of comfort.
ElMisti
Pousadas. Our Albergue & Pousada is located in the Botafogo district, in
front of Botafogo beach, and very close to the famous Sugarloaf
Mountain. Located in the middle of this urban paradise, El Misti Hostel
Rio de Janeiro, is located in a small village street, without cars,
without traffic. When you walk through the front door, you will be
infected by the peaceful and happy atmosphere that surrounds our house.,
+55 (21) 22 26 09 91, Rua Praia de Botafogo, 462, house 9 - Botafogo -
CEP: 22250-040 - Rio de janeiro Brazil.
The Caminhos Language Center is the largest language school in Brazil for learning Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro. Every day the school organizes free activities. The language school is recognized as educational leave and offers the possibility to stay in Brazil for 6 to 12 months with a student visa.
The city administration and the state government of
Rio de Janeiro have made immense efforts in recent years to protect
tourists from the injustice of high crime. Among other things, a tourist
police department was set up, and problematic city zones and various
beach sections are permanently monitored by video cameras. Nevertheless,
there are several points that must be observed:
Staying on all
beaches after sunset should be avoided, since these are the places where
youth gangs prefer to commit robberies.
Certain parts of the city
should simply be avoided for safety reasons. Rio de Janeiro is caught in
an ongoing drug war between military police and drug gangs, who are also
fighting each other. A Marxist-dressed organization (Comando Vermelho),
which is financed by drugs, is also at loggerheads with the state power.
It is therefore not unlikely that an uninvolved person suddenly finds
himself caught between the fronts. The problem is that there is a lot of
sharp shooting here and many a stray shot (bala perdida) has claimed
innocent lives. Please inquire about these currently unsafe parts of the
city before excursions. When planning the trip, you should always think
about the following things in advance: How do I get there and back?
Only take an amount of money with you that will not
hurt you if you lose it.
Dress modestly, unadorned and casually
and take the locals as a role model. Do not show off your expensive
camera or even your laptop in a demonstrative manner (alternative: cheap
disposable cameras).
Always carry a copy of your passport or
other identification document with you (the military police can also
make a big fuss and unfortunately the lines between police and criminals
are blurred). On the other hand, it is better to lock the original
passport in the hotel safe.
Consider only registered taxis with
phone numbers. Prefer the bus, its controllers are extremely courteous!
If in doubt, have the motorista (driver) confirm the exit location when
you get in and ideally sit near him.
In the event of an attack,
it is not advisable to fight back. The willingness to use violence of
the mostly young perpetrators is high and often even weapons are
involved.
Stay away from both hard and soft drugs. The prisons in
Brazil are already overcrowded, the hygienic conditions there defy
description and bloody riots are not uncommon.
As in the rest of Brazil, some beaches in Rio are not
suitable for swimming and conditions can change from one day to the
next. On the day of your visit, consult the latest INEA bathing
bulletin. At the bottom of the page, there is an advertisement for a
mobile app called Partiu Praia Inea that provides an updated map of
bathing facilities.
Rio has good private hospitals such as the
D'or network (Copa, Barra, Quinta and Rios - Copacabana, Barra da
Tijuca, São Cristóvão and Freguesia - Jacarepaguá), Hospital São Vicente
de Paulo (Tijuca), Clínica São Vicente (Gávea), Hospital Pasteur
(Méier), among others.
In addition to private hospitals, there
are good reference public health centers such as Hospital da Lagoa
(cardiology), INCA (National Cancer Institute), INTO
(Traumato-Orthopedics Institute), Andaraí Hospital (burns), among
others.
On the other hand, the regular public health system
(municipal, state and federal) is going through a crisis, being in a
precarious situation in many cases. An interesting option for tourists
and a reference in the city, especially among the hotel chain.
Either because it is a beach town, where bodies and figures are widely
exposed all year round, or because of the very nature of cariocas,
exhibitionists by nature, avid for novelties in the area of health and
aesthetics, the fact is that in Rio there are several options regarding
services in this field. Why not take advantage of the fact that the city
is a barn of beauty and use the holidays to return home more beautiful?
Options abound!
Clínica de Recuperação is very good for tourists,
as it is located in the heart of Copacabana and offers services in
several languages.
Amaderm is a multidisciplinary center for
aesthetic medicine, health and beauty, Amaderm is a balm for the tourist
who is so worn out on a beach vacation. There are several treatments
that with just one session already offer satisfactory results. Located
in the heart of Ipanema.
Multi-Oral, it is not new that carioca
dentists are internationally renowned, being considered a reference in
terms of technical excellence. Taking advantage of free days in the city
to have a whitening treatment or refilling may not be the ideal of fun,
but your smile will certainly thank you.
Spa Maria Bonita, Massages!
What human being does not adore? The urban spa offers 5 types of
massages: Ayurvedic, Relaxing, Shirodhara, Swedish and Shiatsu. In
addition you can also perform therapies such as colon therapy and hot
stones. It's the perfect option after the beach, considering it's right
behind Posto 9 in Ipanema.
As everywhere in tropical countries, you should
refrain from salads and fruits that have already been peeled. Failure to
do so can result in diarrhea.
If you have stomach problems, the
author recommends Coca-Cola. That helps surprisingly often.
The Robert Koch Institute advises travelers to
Brazil to protect themselves with mosquito nets and insect sprays. The
author also advises never to drink stagnant water. Since December 2005,
dengue fever, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, has been increasing in
Rio de Janeiro. The disease, for which there is no vaccine protection,
is usually only fatal if it is infected again.
See also:
News:2008-03-27: Dengue fever in Rio.
Like Salvador da Bahía, Rio de Janeiro is also a popular holiday destination for sex tourists from the rich industrial nations. The sexually exploited victims also include children of both sexes, while the perpetrators are heterosexual and homosexual. Since unprotected sexual intercourse is the rule in many cases and is also demanded by the perpetrators, serious consequential damage to health is only inevitable. The author does not want to encourage the use of condoms here, but goes far beyond that. He appealed to the decency and common sense of every traveler to Brazil, because the following applies: "The dignity and health of every Brazilian is also inviolable".
The Carioca body language
In everyday dealings
with each other, we often communicate exuberantly with gestures and
facial expressions. Here is a random selection:
Holding the
thumbs up and smiling means: Alright! But also: No thanks, I don't want
to buy anything!
Place the index finger on the lower eyelid and
open the eye slightly --> watch out!
Put your thumb out in the
other open palm like a cigarette--> Bad!
Flick your palms over
each other--> back and forth.
A finger clamped between the first
and second fingers of a clenched fist corresponds in its meaning to the
European thumb-press. But here something suggestive meant.
To
show hurry or to tell someone to hurry up, the tips of the thumb and
middle finger are touched lightly. Then the hand is swung up and down
several times in rapid succession, as if trying to shake off drops of
water.
To threaten someone, turn your palm up and swing your hand
back and forth several times.
If you don't want something, you
slap the back of your hand as if you wanted to get rid of something for
good.
Caution: If the tips of the thumb and index finger are
placed on top of each other in an oval shape, this does not mean super
or excellent, as in Europe, but you are trying to convey to someone that
the person opposite you is a huge a...hole.
General manners
The Cariocas (residents of Rio) are a very fun-loving and also
extremely drinking people, their number 1 stimulant is clearly beer.
Before you know it, you'll be handed a beer can in many places, and
turning down such an invitation isn't exactly conducive to a future
friendship. Of course, the same goes the other way around, so buying
someone a beer is never a bad idea. The same goes for cigarettes too.
Arranging a specific time with a Brazilian requires a lot of
forbearance and forbearance from a European. For example, if you make an
appointment with him at two o'clock, then four o'clock is still okay for
him. However, these delays should not be taken personally, they are
simply part of Brazil's cultural achievements.
Most correiros (post offices) are open Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm. Poste Restante can be picked up at the Main Post Office (Rua Primeiro de Março 64, Centro)
International dialing code: 0055
Country
code: 21
When telephoning in the country, take into account the
code of the respective telecommunications provider and buy the necessary
prepaid telephone card at the newspaper stand. Be careful when choosing
a provider: If you already have a few friends in Rio, first ask them
which mobile phone provider they have. Conversations within the live
network are very cheap - cross-network connections are very expensive!
The internet is the second most popular in Brazil after telenovelas (TV soap operas) and Rio de Janeiro is awash with internet cafes. Many hotels and guest houses (pousadas) offer free access.
Geographical location
Rio de Janeiro is located
just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, nestled between the Atlantic
Ocean to the south, Guanabara Bay to the east, and the foothills of the
Serra do Mar, part of the central Brazilian highlands, to the north and
west. The administrative metropolitan area has an area of 1182 square
kilometers and has an average elevation of 31 meters above sea level. It
is characterized by the bays and beaches along the shore, as well as by
granite hills called Morros, which belong to the foothills of the Serra
do Mar.
These granite hills also include Rio's two landmarks, the
394 meter high Sugar Loaf Mountain, located directly on a peninsula in
Guanabara Bay, and the 704 meter high Corcovado with the Christ the
Redeemer on the summit. Another is the 533 meter high Morro Dois Irmãos.
The highest points of the urban area are the 1022 meter high Pico da
Tijuca and the 1025 high Pico da Pedra Branca, both of which are
surrounded by extensive nature reserves.
A chain of hills
separates the urban area into two parts. The Zona Sul (South Zone)
stretches along the Atlantic coast with the famous beach districts of
Ipanema and Copacabana. In the northern part are the historic city and
today's business center and some parts of the city.
city outline
See also: Administrative Regions of the City of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de
Janeiro is divided into 4 geographical regions (North, South, West and
Central), these are further divided into 8 sub-prefectures
(Subprefeituras), 33 administrative regions (Regiões Administrativas)
and 160 districts (Bairros). These in turn are statistically assigned to
five planning areas (Áreas de Planejamento). The planning areas are:
Area de Planejamento 1: Centro, Paquetá, Portuária, Rio Comprido,
Santa Teresa, São Cristóvão
Area de Planejamento 2: Botafogo,
Copacabana, Lagoa, Rocinha, Tijuca, Vila Isabel
Area de Planejamento
3: Anchieta, Complexo do Alemão, Ilha do Governador, Inhaúma, Irajá,
Jacarezinho, Madureira, Maré, Méier, Pavuna, Penha, Ramos, Vigário Geral
Area de Planejamento 4: Barra da Tijuca, Cidade de Deus, Jacarepaguá
Area de Planejamento 5: Bangu, Campo Grande, Guaratiba, Realengo, Santa
Cruz
Due to Rio de Janeiro's location in the lower
latitudes, on the Atlantic Ocean and on Guanabara Bay, the city's
climate is tropical with twelve humid months. A warm climate dominates,
but this is moderated by the steady trade winds.
The highest
temperature in Rio de Janeiro was officially measured on January 14,
1984 at the weather station in the district of Bangu with 43.2 °C, the
lowest on July 19, 1926 at the weather station in the district of Campo
dos Afonsos with 4.8 °C.
The annual average temperature is 22.6
°C with only small monthly deviations (maximum temperature in
January/February: 25.5 °C, low temperature in July: 20.2 °C) and an
average annual precipitation of 1173 millimeters. The highest
precipitation falls in the months of December to April, when it is
summer in the southern hemisphere. The least precipitation falls in the
winter months of July and August.
According to the Treaty of Tordesillas, the Portuguese
laid claim to what is now Brazil, discovered in the late 15th century.
France did not recognize the treaty and founded Fort Coligny in 1555 on
the Ilha do Serigipe off the coast of present-day Rio de Janeiro under
Vice-Admiral de Villegagnon; the area controlled from here was given the
name France Antarctique. On the opposite coast, de Villegagnon then
founded the settlement of Henriville. At that time, the Tupi Indians of
the Tamoios and Tupinambás tribes, with whom the French allied, lived in
this region. Ten years later, in 1565, the French were expelled from
there by the Portuguese, who then founded the city of São Sebastião do
Rio de Janeiro on March 1, 1565 at today's Morro do Castelo.
In
1680 Rio de Janeiro became the capital of the southern regions of
Brazil; at that time the settlement with around 4000 inhabitants was one
of the most important Portuguese bases on Brazilian territory. Since
1700, Rio de Janeiro has developed into the most important port city in
Brazil, mainly triggered by gold discoveries in the neighboring region
of Minas Gerais.
The city was attacked by the French in 1710/1711
and occupied after the Battle of Rio de Janeiro in 1711. The French left
after paying a large ransom. The city recovered quickly in the years
that followed and on January 27, 1763 became the capital of the
Viceroyalty of Brazil.
Rio de Janeiro experienced a further
increase in importance in 1808, when the Portuguese court fled there
from Napoleon's forces marching towards Lisbon in connection with the
French invasions. A large number of artists, scientists and nobles moved
to Brazil with the court, and the economic and cultural life of the city
changed enormously. For example, the Brazilian National Library goes
back to the holdings that the Portuguese royal family brought with them.
In 1815 Rio de Janeiro became the capital of the United Kingdom of
Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.
In the course of this, many
colonial restrictions were lifted, which greatly promoted economic
development and triggered a population explosion that lasted into the
1980s. Within almost a hundred years, the population rose to over
500,000 inhabitants (1891) and reached around five million by 1980.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Rio became a hub for the
African slave trade in South America. About 900,000 slaves arrived on
the continent via the Valongo Quay in the city center, begun in 1811.
The Portuguese royal court returned to Portugal in
1822 after the 1820 Liberal Revolution broke out in Portugal. After the
departure of the Portuguese court, Brazil declared itself an independent
Brazilian Empire under Prince Dom Pedro de Alcântara. Rio de Janeiro
retained status as the capital, where the prince now resided as Emperor
Pedro I. Because of disputes over the succession to the throne in
Portugal and domestic political problems in Brazil, he abdicated in
April 1831 and left his son (* 1825) behind. This was proclaimed Pedro's
successor in 1831 and crowned on July 18, 1841 as Dom Pedro II. Among
other things, he initiated the construction of a railway, the first
section of which opened in Rio de Janeiro in 1858; the Companhia
Ferro-Carril de São Cristóvão followed in 1873 (see also Rail Transport
in Brazil#History).
Even when Brazil became a republic after a
military coup in 1889, Rio de Janeiro remained the capital. Magnificent
urban development unfolded here during the Belle Époque Brasileira,
financed by rubber and coffee oligarchs. In the first half of the 20th
century, Rio de Janeiro experienced a social boom as the city became a
meeting point for film stars and international high society. Some
Portuguese writers, such as the writer and translator Jorge de Sena,
sought refuge in Rio de Janeiro from the Estado Novo, an authoritarian
dictatorship in Portugal founded by António de Oliveira Salazar. A last
cultural outflow of this era was the emergence of Brazilian jazz bossa
nova from 1957, which became world famous through songs such as Garota
de Ipanema/The Girl from Ipanema by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de
Moraes.
Due to mass tourism since the 1950s, the image of the
parts of the city close to the beach has changed significantly, which
today is mainly characterized by numerous hotels, while the parts of the
city further away from the sea were mainly characterized by increasing
slums, called favelas.
In 1960, Rio de Janeiro lost its status as
capital to the newly built city of Brasília under Juscelino Kubitschek.
At the same time, the city became an independent city-state of
Guanabara, which was merged with the state of Rio de Janeiro in 1975.
The city became the capital of the new state. The city gained
international attention again in June 1992, when the UN Environment
Summit was held there.
As a venue for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and
as the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics, the city once again attracted a
lot of media attention; After that, however, she was insolvent and was
kept afloat financially by the federal government.
Carioca (plural Cariocas) is the name given to the
residents of Rio de Janeiro. The word comes from the language of the
indigenous Tupi people who used to live there. However, its meaning is
disputed. The most likely origin comes from the composition of two Tupi
words kara'iwa or kari (white man) + oka (house) and means "house of the
white man". This meant the whitewashed houses of the Portuguese.
According to a study by Robert Levine published in American Scientist
Magazines, cariocas are described as being exceedingly friendly. The
article presents the Cariocas as follows:
“There is an important word
in Brazil: lovable (simpático)… It refers to a set of desired social
traits – kind, nice, agreeable and good-natured. A person who is fun and
easy to deal with... Brazilians, and especially the Cariocas of Rio de
Janeiro, want to be lovable. And making an effort to help a stranger is
part of that picture.”
With the development of industry and trade in the
period after the Second World War, large numbers of people migrated from
the interior (urbanization); Rio de Janeiro expanded greatly. The city's
population has doubled to 6.7 million (as of 2019) since the mid-1950s.
The high birth surplus for decades also contributed to this. In the
meantime, the population in the actual urban area is hardly growing, but
almost only in the suburban belt, which has grown considerably.
The social situation in Rio de Janeiro is characterized, among other
things, by the great tolerance between the different ethnic groups,
which is typical for Brazil, and by the low average age (more than 25%
of the population is younger than 18 years, more than 80% are under 60).
The main problem of the city consists in the dramatic differences in
the social situation of the inhabitants. On the hillsides of the city
are the favelas of shanty towns, while the more upscale residential
areas to the south lie near beaches on the Atlantic coast, such as
Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. In the Rocinha, the largest favela in
South America, on the southern outskirts of the city, 200,000
inhabitants live under sometimes catastrophic conditions, such as
poverty or an extremely high crime rate. One problem facing the favelas
is that armed forces of the drug mafia have created a legal vacuum and
are defending it against the executive branch. They sometimes monitor
entire districts and terrorize their residents while the police do not
appear there.
The following overview shows the population
according to the respective territorial status. 1680 and 1750 are
estimates, since 1799 census results.
The majority of the population is Christian-oriented.
Catholics make up the majority here, although Protestant churches and,
in recent years, the spectrum of Pentecostals have also become
increasingly important. Judaism (23,862 followers) and Islam (656
followers) are in the minority, as are derivatives of Christian
denominations such as Adventists. Far Eastern religions, religions based
on various Brazilian customs such as Umbanda and Candomblé and other
spiritual movements are also numerically insignificant. The open
confession to lack of faith is strongly represented.
The Catedral
de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, also known as Catedral
Metropolitana, is of architectural interest. Named after the city's
patron saint, the cathedral was completed in 1979 and is located on the
edge of the city center. The height of the conical modernist building is
96 meters, the diameter at the bottom is 106 meters. The capacity is
given as 20,000 people.
At the end of July 2013, the Catholic
Church held World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.
The demographic development since the middle of the
20th century has led to a partially uncontrolled expansion of Rio de
Janeiro. Since urban planning could not keep up with these changes,
countless irregular settlements (“loteamentos irregulares”) and illegal
settlements (favelas) emerged on the periphery. A quarter of the city's
people live in these simple quarters. Nevertheless, there is a basic
infrastructure almost everywhere (running water, sewage pipes, power
supply, waste disposal, schools). Also, most residents own the basic
necessities of a middle-class society (refrigerator, gas stove,
television, internet connection, air conditioning).
Today,
sprawling, sprawling peripheries with little urban infrastructure
stretch around a densely populated city center. For the majority of the
residents of Rio de Janeiro, informal construction is the only way to
find housing. The inadequate housing situation of the population and the
numerous ecological problems have made the government responsible for
thinking about a new urban planning policy. Since 1993, the
Favela-Bairro urbanization program has attempted to reintegrate these
informal settlements into the formal city.
In a 2018 ranking of
cities according to their quality of life, Rio de Janeiro ranked 118th
out of 231 cities surveyed worldwide.
A big problem for the city is the high crime rate. The
Candelária massacre in 1993 caused a stir.
According to the
Brazilian Ministry of Justice, the homicide rate in Rio de Janeiro in
2002 was over 60 people per 100,000 people, while the average in Brazil
was 30 per 100,000 people (Germany 1 per 100,000 people), the figure
dropped significantly to 37.7 by 2006 . 80 percent of homicides were
caused by firearms. In 2015, the homicide rate was 18.6.
In
addition to homicides, the police also have to deal with kidnappings,
robberies and organized drug and criminal syndicates (such as the
Comando Vermelho). According to estimates by the Brazilian police, the
Comando Vermelho (CV) in Rio is made up of around 5,000 criminals, some
of whom are armed with weapons of war. It controls about 40 percent of
the local illegal drug market. According to expert studies, the clear-up
rate for the murders in Rio de Janeiro is one percent.
On
December 28, 2006, a series of attacks against police stations and other
civilian facilities took place in Rio de Janeiro, killing more than 18
people. The series of attacks was preceded by a massive police presence
just before the New Year holidays, with 10 favelas being occupied by
military police. Numerous shootings broke out in the Vila Cruzeiro
favela and even in a well-known shopping mall. These actions were
probably controlled by the Comando Vermelho.
In the slums of Rio
de Janeiro controlled by the drug trade, there are also attacks by
so-called "Milícias", who attack and drive away the members of the drug
gangs and who themselves rule the favelas. It is believed that the
militias are controlled or even formed by plainclothes police officers,
former security forces and firefighters. They reportedly demand some
form of security levy from residents of the neighborhoods they control.
Some cases of attacks against residents who are not willing to pay have
become known. Even if the militias ensure some peace, they are often
overzealous: if a person is denounced by several residents, the militias
can kill them.
In July 2017, 8,500 soldiers were deployed to the
city to support the security forces. According to Amnesty International,
there were 2,600 shootings across the city in the first half of the
year, killing 800 people, and the total number of deaths from violent
crime rose by 10.2 percent to 2,723 in the first half of 2017. There
were also more than 2,000 deaths in 2017 through September 100 police
officers killed. This despite a high level of security in the
intensively protected tourist centers and some favelas.
Since January 1, 2009, Eduardo Paes (PMDB) has
governed the city of Rio de Janeiro. He won the runoff on October 26,
2008 against Fernando Gabeira (PV) with 50.8 percent of the votes cast.
Paes replaced César Maia (PFL), who won the local elections three times
(1992, 2000 and 2004), as mayor.
Eduardo Paes was succeeded on
January 1, 2017 by Marcelo Crivella (PRB), who won the mayoral runoff on
October 30, 2016 with 59% of the votes. In the 2020 municipal election,
Paes and Crivella faced each other again. Paes won the runoff on
November 29, 2020 with 64.1% of the vote, so he took up the post of city
prefect again on January 1, 2021.
Local politics, along with the
federal and state levels, have an increasing influence on the lives of
the citizens of Rio de Janeiro. Mayors are elected to four-year terms in
direct universal suffrage. Local election campaigns are largely
influenced by people and local issues.
Voter turnout is very high
due to universal voting in the country, but non-voters can easily and
unbureaucratically justify their absence. In general, only 15 percent of
those entitled to vote do not go to the polls, and a further five
percent cast either invalid or intentionally blank ballot papers.
The Theatro Municipal (Municipal Theater) is the most
impressive building on Praça Floriano, in the Cinelândia district - it
is home to the Opera and Orchestra of the city of Rio de Janeiro. It was
built between 1905 and 1909 by Francisco de Oliveira Passos, who was
inspired by the magnificent Paris Opéra Garnier.
Various marble
arcades, but also details in bronze and Vitreaus imported from Europe
decorate the stylish building - the stage curtain was painted by Eliseu
Visconti (1866-1944) and portrays a total of 75 famous personalities
from the artistic field, such as Carlos Gomes, Rembrandt van Rijn and
Richard Wagner. In the basement, the Café do Teatro, decorated with
mosaics, is located in the Assírio room.
The Cidade das Artes (City of the Arts) is an events complex in the Barra da Tijuca district designed by French architect Christian de Portzamparc. It is the headquarters of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, the large hall with its up to 1,222 seats offers space for theatre, classical concerts, musicals and operas.
The city is home to various museums (such as the
"Museu Paço Imperial" and the "Museu do Indio"). The "Museu Chácara do
Céu" shows works by Pablo Picasso and other modern masters such as Henri
Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani and Claude Monet. The "Museu Histórico
Nacional" is one of the few surviving buildings from the 16th century.
It is dedicated to Brazilian history and displays furniture and other
items from Brazil's colonial era.
The Museu da República is
located in the Catete district south of the city center near the Catete
subway station. Not to be forgotten is the "Museu Nacional do Brasil" in
the northern part of the city. Opened in 1938, the Museu Nacional de
Belas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) in the city center houses an
important collection of Brazilian art from the 19th and 20th centuries,
as well as Italian and French masters from the 17th to 19th centuries.
The Museu Carmen Miranda opened in 1976.
Also worth seeing is
the "Museu de Arte Moderna", MAM for short, which was designed by the
well-known Brazilian architect Affonso Eduardo Reidy. The MAM has
exhibits of modern Brazilian art and the history of cinema. After the
catastrophic fire in 1978, the collection was able to be rebuilt through
various donations and purchases. Since 1993 the museum has also housed
the collection of art patron Gilberto Chateaubriand.
In the
museum of the art school "Dom João VI." there are works and documents of
Brazilian art production of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially from
Rio de Janeiro, but also European art. The "Museu Castro Maya" houses
collections of Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya (1894-1968) in two
facilities: the "Museu do Açude" (Decorative Arts) and the "Chácara do
Céu", Museum of Brazilian Art and Iconography.
In 2015, the
futuristic "Museu do Amanhã" ("Museum of Tomorrow") by architect
Santiago Calatrava was opened on Praça Mauá in the harbor zone.
A famous landmark of Rio de Janeiro is Christ the
Redeemer, which is located on Corcovado Mountain - accessible by the
Corcovado Mountain Railway. The statue is 30 meters high, stands on a 8
meter pedestal and weighs 1145 tons. From there you can also see the
famous Sugar Loaf.
At the southern end of the "Avenida Rio
Branco" in the city center is the "Praça Floriano", one of the most
impressive squares in Rio de Janeiro. "Cinelândia" on one side is a
lively district with cafes, bars and cinemas. In the northern part of
the Praça is the magnificent "Theatro Municipal".
Also on Avenida
Rio Branco are two large Neoclassical buildings: the Biblioteca Nacional
(opened in 1910) and the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes. Also worth
seeing is the Art Nouveau Confeitaria Colombo on Rua Gonçalves Dias.
On the "Avenida República do Chile" you will find the modern
"Catedral Metropolitana", which looks like a concrete volcano and has a
capacity for 20,000 worshippers. Near the new cathedral, a steep cobbled
street leads to the artists' quarter "Santa Teresa" via the "Arcos da
Lapa" aqueduct from the 18th century.
Numerous old churches and
monasteries such as the "Candelária Church" (Igreja da Candelária) and
the "São Bento" Monastery (Mosteiro de São Bento) and other buildings
from the colonial era such as the residential palace "Paço de São
Cristóvão" stand in stark contrast to the modern architecture.
In
the city center across from the cube-shaped Petrobrás building (Brazil's
state oil company) is the small park Largo da Carioca. Behind it, the
simple, white "Igreja e Convento de Santo Antônio" rises on a hill, the
oldest and probably the most beautiful church in Rio de Janeiro. Next to
the Franciscan monastery "Santo Antônio" is the church "São Francisco da
Penitência", decorated with magnificent baroque decoration.
Praça
Quinze de Novembro (Praça XV), near the shore of Guanabara Bay, was the
main square of colonial Rio de Janeiro; the elegant three-storey
building on the south-east side is the "Paço Imperial", the first
residence of John VI built by the French architect Auguste Henri Victor
Grandjean de Montigny. (1767–1826), King of Portugal after moving his
court to Brazil in 1807.
Not so far away, on the "Praça Pio X" is
the church "Nossa Senhora da Candelária". Its magnificent interior is
decorated throughout with marble of different colors, and marble angels
support the two huge bronze pulpits.
The most famous parks in Rio de Janeiro are the
Botanical Garden (Jardim Botânico) and the "Quinta da Boa Vista", the
largest park in the city. Located in the district of São Cristóvão, the
park offers green gardens, lakes, sports facilities and playgrounds. Its
main attractions include a zoo, which has over 350 different animal
species, and the National Museum, which was founded in Imperial times.
In the district of Barra da Tijuca is the Bosque da Barra, a nature
reserve and park that preserves the original vegetation of the Baixada
de Jacarepaguá.
The botanical garden, at the beginning of the
19th century at the behest of Prince Regent Johann VI. created, is one
of the most important green spaces in the city. In it there are several
points of interest, including the "Kuhlmann Museum", the seat of the
garden administration, the portal of the former "Academia Imperial de
Belas Artes" (Imperial Academy of Fine Arts), which after the
destruction of the building by Grandjean de Montigny (1772- 1850) was
moved here in the 1930s, as well as the former gunpowder factory. Nearby
are the "Horto Florestal", the tree nursery, and the "Solar da
Imperatriz", the former palace of the empress (on the Estrada Dona
Castorina). The Lage Park is also historically significant.
The "Sugar Loaf", a symbol of Rio de Janeiro, is a 394
meter high granite rock, which is located in front of the city on a
peninsula in the Atlantic, in Guanabara Bay. It is called "Pão de
Açúcar" (literally carrot, the Portuguese term for sugar loaf) in Brazil
because of its shape. In addition, the Indians living there called the
mountain Pandasuka, whereby the Portuguese understood Pão de Açucar.
A cable car ("O Bondinho") leads to the top of the mountain, its
cabin is completely made of glass, so that you can already see the rock
during the ascent. The first section of the cable car was completed on
October 27, 1912, but it was only the second section, completed in 1913,
that led to the top of the mountain.
The steep wire ropes of the
railway have also been used for artistic arts. In 1967, for example, a
German rode a motorcycle up the ropes and in 1977 the American tightrope
walker Steven McPeak balanced to the summit. In 1979, the mountain was
the setting for a fight between James Bond (Roger Moore) and Jaws,
played by Richard Kiel, in the film "James Bond 007 - Moonraker - Top
Secret".
On the southern side of the "sugar loaf" are the beaches
of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, up to the Rock of Gávea. On the
northern side lies the Bay of Guanabara with the adjacent districts of
Botafogo, Flamengo, Ilha de Governador up to the hill "Dedo de Deus"
near Teresópolis. To the west is Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado.
Recreational areas close to the city include the
beaches, particularly those of Ipanema and Copacabana, the gorges of
Barra da Tijuca and the islands of Guanabara Bay, which was heavily
polluted by oil spills following an accident in January 2000.
Copacabana
Copacabana is one of the most famous districts of Rio de
Janeiro, which lies directly on the Atlantic and has the famous
four-kilometer-long sandy beach. Nicknamed “Princesinha do Mar” (Little
Sea Princess), the crescent-shaped beach and promenade saw its golden
age in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. A bohemian, wealthy and glamorous
district, Copacabana has been the subject of many pieces of music, books
and pictures. The term "Copacabana", which is common in German-speaking
countries, does not exist in Brazil because the name refers to the
district as a whole. The busy coastal road with its attractive marbled
Portuguese sidewalks that separates the beach from the buildings is
called "Avenida Atlantica".
Ipanema
Ipanema is the name of a
neighborhood and a famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Besides Copacabana,
Ipanema has the most important beach in Rio de Janeiro. The neighborhood
directly adjacent to it is one of the more upscale and pleasant in Rio.
The combination of beach and pleasant urban district is unique in this
form. West of Ipanema, separated by the connecting channel between Lagoa
da Freitas and the sea, is the smaller and quieter district of Leblon.
Both thus form a unit between the rock formations as in the case of
Copacabana. The neighborhood is also known for the song "Garota de
Ipanema" (The Girl from Ipanema) by Antônio Carlos Jobim. Between the
calm beach of Copacabana (clear water) and the beach of Ipanema (wild
water) lie the rocky outcrop Arpoador (“harpooner”) and a fort used by
the military. Ipanema-Leblon beach differs from that of Copacabana in
that the buildings are more recent, it doesn't have the attractive
"crescent" shape (like Copacabana's) and the sun shines a few minutes
longer in the evening.
Soccer is the national sport in Brazil. Each of the 26
states and the Distrito Federal do Brasil conducts its own football
championship (torneio estadual) in the first half of the year. Some
tournaments like the "Campeonato Carioca" in Rio de Janeiro have been
held since the beginning of the 20th century and attract hundreds of
thousands of fans to the stadiums.
The "Campeonato Carioca" is
the scene of one of the most important and world-renowned classic duels,
that between Flamengo Rio de Janeiro and Fluminense Rio de Janeiro.
Flamengo is the club that has most often won the Rio de Janeiro state
championship, the “Campeonato Carioca”. Flamengo has been champion 37
times, Fluminense 32 times, CR Vasco da Gama 24 times and Botafogo FR 19
times (as of 2022). America FC, a former Rio de Janeiro big club, has
won 7 times and Bangu AC has won 2 titles.
The city's most
successful club in the Brazilian soccer league is Flamengo. The club was
7 times Brazilian Football Champion, followed by CR Vasco da Gama and
Fluminense with 4 titles and Botafogo with 2 national titles.
In
the first Brazilian league play Vasco da Gama (with a following more
from the population of Portuguese origin), Botafogo (from the district
of the same name, with a very mixed following), Flamengo (the most
popular club in Brazil with the largest following mainly from the poor
neighborhoods and favelas of Rio de Janeiro) and Fluminense (followers
come from the middle class and the rich, white population of Rio de
Janeiro).
Games between these four clubs are usually played in
the Maracanã (actually Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho), which was built
for the 1950 World Cup. It was intended to seat around 200,000
spectators during the 1950 Games. In the course of several renovations
in 1998, 2006 and 2010-2013, the spectator capacity was significantly
reduced. With an official capacity of 78,838 (national games) and 74,738
spectators (international games), it is still the largest football
stadium in Brazil, but the largest football stadium in South America is
now the Estadio Monumental "U" in Lima.
Other stadiums are the
Estádio Olímpico João Havelange (opening: 2007, capacity: 45,000
spectators), the home ground of Botafogo, the Estádio São Januário
(opening: 1927, capacity: 25,000 spectators), the home ground of Vasco
da Gama, the Estádio das Laranjeiras (opened in 1919, capacity: 8000
spectators), home ground of Fluminense and Estádio da Gávea (opened in
1938, capacity: 4000 spectators), home ground of Flamengo.
From
July 13th to 29th, 2007, Rio de Janeiro was the venue of the XV. Pan
American Games. The center of the games was the district of Barra da
Tijuca. 5662 athletes from 42 countries took part in the two-week
competitions. Medals were awarded in 332 disciplines and 35 sports. Pan
American Games are traditionally held every four years in North or Latin
America a year before the Summer Olympics in the Olympic sports.
On October 2, 2009, the IOC selected Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016
Summer Olympics from among competitors Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid. To
this end, the city presented an investment plan for around 11 billion
euros, a large part of which will go to improving public transport and
increased safety precautions are to be dispensed with. In Rio, this
acclaimed decision is seen as the start of a new phase in the city's
history, and nationwide as a clear signal for modern Brazil. However,
there is some resistance to the eviction of the favela Villa Autódromo,
which is to make way for the Olympic Park.
Brazil hosted the 2014
FIFA World Cup. One of the 12 venues was the Maracanã. In this, Germany
won the 4th world championship title on July 13, 2014 with a 1:0 against
Argentina.
Scores of people attend the annual colorful Rio
Carnival, held on the eve of Lent. Carnival officially begins (actually
earlier) on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and is one of the city's
main attractions. The colorful parade of the samba schools is one of the
largest parades in the world.
Most of the magnificently costumed
'kings', 'queens', 'princesses' and 'baianas' have worked hard all year
to afford the costumes they wear here for just a few hours. The carnival
is organized by so-called Samba schools - the "Escolas de Samba".
The grandstands have room for 60,000 spectators. The parades begin
each evening in the 700-meter-long arena of the Sambódromo and last
about 12 hours each day of the festival. This means that the last two
parades are held the following morning.
Annual celebrations in honor of Saint Sebastian take
place on January 20th. The statue of the patron saint of Rio de Janeiro
is carried through the city in a procession. The procession starts from
the Saint Sebastian Church in Barra da Tijuca and proceeds to the
Catedral Metropolitana, where a solemn service is held.
June
hosts the Bonfire Festival (with games, dances, bonfires, and fireworks)
and the Rio de Janeiro Pride gay and lesbian parade. In July, Anima
Mundi, the largest Latin American animation festival, takes place and
numerous cinemas have events on the topic, at the end of July the Rio de
Janeiro marathon.
In September, the “International Book Biennale”
is held in the Centro de Convenções. In October, the "Festival do Rio
BR" - one of the most important audiovisual media festivals in Latin
America - and the "Festival do Rio" - one of the largest international
film festivals - take place.
On December 31, the religious
festival of the sea goddess "Iemanjá" is celebrated on the beaches of
Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. Flowers are thrown into the water and
offerings in the form of combs, mirrors, soap and perfume are offered to
the sea on small, handmade boats.
Also on New Year's Eve, the
celebrations at the turn of the year, called "Réveillon", take place on
the beach of Copacabana with open-air concerts, parties and fireworks.
Rio de Janeiro's cuisine reflects the influences of
the peoples who have shaped this city. In the beginning it was the
Africans, the indigenous population and the Portuguese, later also the
French, Italians and numerous others. From the other regions of Brazil
come the exotic fish of the Amazon, the spicy dishes of the Northeast
and the rustic of Minas Gerais, the "churrasco" (charcoal-grilled spit
roast) of the south of the country, and countless others. Originally
from Rio de Janeiro, only the “feijoada” (a bean dish with meat and side
dishes) served on Wednesdays and Saturdays is. Even if you can eat quite
well in Rio, if you know where, the catering on the tourist beaches is
by no means of the Mediterranean standard. The "churrascarias" in the
street canyons away from the beach are the best, also with regard to
pork and chicken, which are first-rate in Brazil. Beef, since it mostly
comes from tropical Zebu cattle in Rio, is often hard and has a stubborn
taste, with the exception of the coveted "Filet Mignon".
The
nightlife is very varied and offers a wide range of alternatives with
numerous cafés, scotch bars, discotheques, pubs and beer halls. There
are good cultural programs throughout the year. Rio de Janeiro residents
are very big beef lovers. There are three basic types of service:
one-plate meals, self-service buffet, which is billed by the kilo, or
the rodízio, where the guest is served the food (pizza, sushi, beef,
chicken and sausages) continuously. There are also chopes (ice-cold beer
on tap) and aipim (a form of cassava that is cooked and tastes similar
to potatoes).
Since the city's founding as a fortress and Portuguese
trading post, Rio de Janeiro has expanded and gradually filled all the
territory between the coast and the mountains of the hinterland. Until
the 20th century, the Portuguese royal family, which had moved to Brazil
and Rio de Janeiro, feared labor unrest and saw no significant
industrial settlements in the city. That explains why economic
development in Rio de Janeiro has fallen behind the economically
strongest city in Brazil, São Paulo. Today's economic core of the city
is concentrated around Avenida Presidente Vargas and Avenida Rio Branco.
This includes some tall office buildings. In the north are extensive
industrial districts and residential areas.
The gross domestic
product (GDP) of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro was 118.980 billion
reals in 2005. The GDP per capita was 19,524 real (about 6489 euros)
(Brazil: 11,658 real and state of Rio de Janeiro: 16,052 real). The
municipality's share of the GDP of Brazil (2.147 trillion reals) was 5.5
percent, the share of the GDP of the state of Rio de Janeiro (246.936
billion reals) was 48.2 percent. According to a study from 2014, the Rio
de Janeiro metropolitan area has a gross domestic product of 208 billion
US dollars (KKB). In the ranking of the economically strongest
metropolitan regions worldwide, it took 53rd place.
As Rio de
Janeiro is the most popular tourist destination in the country, the
city's major industries are also linked to tourism, services and
finance. In South America, the city ranks second behind São Paulo in
economic terms. Rio de Janeiro is also one of the main locations for the
manufacturing industry in Brazil, mainly clothing, chemical and
pharmaceutical products, furniture, metal goods, food, ships and
textiles are manufactured here.
Banking is dominant and the
country's second-largest stock exchange, the Bolsa de Valores do Rio de
Janeiro, is based in the city, although since the stock market moved to
São Paulo in 2000, only public securities are traded. In addition, in
recent decades all national banks have relocated their headquarters to
São Paulo, so that the financial influence of Rio de Janeiro on Brazil
is steadily declining.
Agriculture in the area around the city
plays an important role in the economy of Rio de Janeiro. The main
exports are coffee and soybeans. Problems are caused by inflation and
high unemployment, and there are also serious differences between the
poor and rich population, which is one of the reasons why crime has
developed into an unofficial economic sector. Tourists in particular are
often victims of petty theft.
Since the new national currency,
the real, was introduced in 1994, the economy of Rio de Janeiro has
stabilized. As recently as 1990, economic growth was slow and inflation
was extremely high. The city was heavily in debt and politics
directionless. Foreigners have been allowed to invest in stock exchanges
in the country since 1996. In addition, to attract more foreign
investment, the Brazilian government has eliminated trade restrictions,
privatized industries and lowered tariffs. These measures have
facilitated market access for foreign companies to Rio de Janeiro, which
have thereby been able to increase their profit margins.
Several
of the country's largest companies, including Embratel and Petrobras,
have their headquarters in the city. The most important, partly
international, corporations with branches in Rio de Janeiro include
ExxonMobil, Petróleo Ipiranga, Shell and Texaco. The high concentration
of consulates compared to other cities has prompted numerous companies
to move their South American headquarters to Rio de Janeiro. The most
important investors are US corporations, but also German and Japanese
ones. Most of the trading venues and businesses are located downtown and
in Barra da Tijuca.
long-distance
Rio de Janeiro is a major port city
on the shipping routes that connect the coastal cities of northeastern
Brazil with the economically more developed areas of southeastern
Brazil. The city is connected to the rest of the country by an extensive
network of railways and airlines.
The Rio de Janeiro region has a
total of five airports. Three are used for civil air traffic and two for
military flight operations.
Rio de Janeiro–Antônio Carlos Jobim
Airport (Galeão) is a major international airport in Brazil and the main
airport in Rio de Janeiro. The name comes from the Brazilian musician
Antônio Carlos Jobim. In February 2000, a new terminal building with a
capacity of up to eight million passengers per year was completed here.
In the 1970s, Antônio Carlos Jobim Airport was a Concorde destination.
In addition to the international airport, there is also the local
airport of Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont for domestic traffic. The
“Aeroporto de Jacarepaguá” in the Tijuca district is operated by the
“Aeroclube do Brasil”. The two military airfields are the "Base Aérea de
Santa Cruz" and the "Campo dos Afonsos".
New road tunnels and the
Rio-Niterói Bridge, which stretches 14 kilometers across Guanabara Bay
to Niterói, have eased commuter traffic, which regularly caused traffic
jams.
Transportation
The Metrô Rio de Janeiro was inaugurated
on March 15, 1979 and has three lines: Line 1 (General Osório-Uruguai,
20 stations) and Line 2 (Botafogo-Pavuna, 22.0 kilometers, 25 stations),
both lines between the city center and Botafogo share a route; line 4
(Jardim Oceânico-Uruguai, 16 km, six stations in operation and one under
construction), built and opened for the 2016 Olympic Games, shares the
entire route with line 1 from or after the General Osório connection
station. Others three lines (3, 5 and 6) are planned. Among them is a
privately funded route from Carioca Station on Line 1 through an
underwater tunnel under Guanabara Bay to Niterói and São Gonçalo. The
operator of the subway is Opporttrans–Concessão Metroviária S.A. Several
bus lines are integrated into the metro tariff.
Further public
transport is guaranteed by the SuperVia rapid transit system, the BRT
Rio bus rapid transit system, the Teleférico do Alemão cable car system
(under repair since 2016) and a dense city bus network. These networks
each have their own tariff system.
On January 30, 1859, the
city's first horse-drawn tram went into service. The seven-kilometer
stretch between Rio de Janeiro and the suburb of Tijuca was the most
important after those of New York (1832), Paris (1855), Boston (1856),
Santiago de Chile (1857), Havana and Mexico City (both 1858). seventh in
the world.
On October 8, 1892, the Vice President of Brazil,
Floriano Peixoto, opened the country's first electric tramway between
Largo da Carioca and Largo do Machado in Rio de Janeiro. Due to
increasing car traffic, the previously extensive network was almost
completely shut down in the 1960s. In 2011, the tram only ran an
eight-kilometer section to Silvestre (connection to the Corcovado
mountain railway) and Paula Mattos, both stations in the Santa Teresa
district. The tram's location outside of the city center and the
spectacular route from the city-side terminus via the "Arcos da Lapa"
aqueduct saved it from being closed until 2011. In addition to the tram
in Braunschweig, this tram was the last in the world to have a gauge of
1100 millimeters. The operation of the "Bonde de Santa Teresa" was
stopped after an accident on August 28, 2011 with six fatalities until
further notice. At the beginning of 2016, four kilometers were put back
into operation.
A modern tram has also been operating in Rio de
Janeiro since 2016, which was opened on the occasion of the Olympic
Games in the same year.
A cable car takes you to the 704 meter
high Corcovado. The order for the railway was given on January 7, 1882
by Emperor Dom Pedro II. The two engineers Teixeira Soãres and Francesco
Passos received the concession for the construction of the railway. The
meter-gauge cog railway was opened in 1884, but the summit could only be
reached from July 1, 1885. In 1910, the single-track line was
electrified by Sulzer AG from Switzerland. It was the first electrically
operated railway in Brazil.
You can get to the Sugarloaf Mountain
by cable car (O Bondinho).
Trolleybuses ran in the city between
September 3, 1962 and April 1971.
The print media are of great importance in Rio de
Janeiro. Their level is relatively high, since the press is primarily
aimed at the upper and middle income groups. Newspapers such as the
"Jornal do Brasil" and the political magazines "Istoé" and "Veja" need
not fear international comparison. Rio also has a major tabloid, O Povo
na Rua (The People on the Street), which tends to appeal to broader
segments of the population.
Rio de Janeiro is the headquarters of
the media group Grupo Globo, which, in addition to numerous newspapers
such as O Globo and other publications, also includes Rede Globo, the
third largest television network in the world. The headquarters are
located in the Jardim Botânico district in the Zona Sul. In the Central
Globo de Produção, the "Globo Production Center" or "Projac" for short,
from "Projeto Jacarepaguá", in Jacarepaguá in the west of the city, many
of their programs, such as the novelas, are produced.
90 percent
of the city's residents have a television. The television stations are
based on the North American model and predominantly prefer entertainment
programs and feature films that promise high ratings and advertising
revenue. Telenovelas, which are only mentioned here as novelas, are
particularly popular.
In many favelas there are local radio
stations, some of which are illegal, which mainly allow music and
artists from the favelas to have their say.
Cable television is
becoming more and more popular in Rio de Janeiro and includes all the
major national television channels such as TV Globo, Record,
Bandeirantes, Rede TV and TV Cultura, but also the programs of the
sports channel ESPN and its Brazilian branch, the news channel CNN, the
Italian RAI and MTV as well as all major broadcast stations. These
include Rádio CBN (Central Brasileira de Noticias), Jovem Pan,
Radiobrás, Rádio Eldorado, Nove de Julho and Rádio Católica, among
others.
The Portuguese language is the official national
language and therefore the language of education. English and Spanish
are typically taught as part of the official higher education system.
There are also international schools, such as the American School of Rio
de Janeiro, Lady of Mercy School, German School Corcovado and British
School of Rio de Janeiro.
Primary schools are largely under
municipal administration, while the state plays a larger role in the
extensive network of secondary schools, with schools such as the
renowned Colégio Pedro II. The Rio de Janeiro agglomeration is home to
numerous universities, colleges and technical schools, research
institutes and libraries. Leading educational institutions include the
Federal University (established in 1792 and reopened in 1920), the
University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (1950), and the Pontifical
Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (1940). The city is also home to
the Instituto Militar de Engenharia, the Military Technical University,
the National Archives and the Brazilian National Library.
The
Universidade Federal Fluminense, on the bay in Niterói, also enjoys a
good reputation, as do a few municipal and many private denominational
institutions, most notably the Cândido Mendes University. The large
Estácio de Sá University has branches in almost all parts of the city
and in the suburbs. A number of state national research centers in Rio
de Janeiro conduct studies in areas such as economics, geography and
statistics, biology and physics, and public policy, such as the Centro
Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas or the Instituto de Matemática Pura e
Aplicada.
The literacy rate for Cariocas aged ten and older is
nearly 95 percent, well above the national average. In 1995, Rio de
Janeiro had 1,033 primary schools with 25,594 teachers and 667,788
students and 370 secondary schools with 9,699 teachers and 227,892
students. There were also 53 preparatory schools with 14,864 teachers
and 154,447 students. The city has six major universities and 47 private
schools for higher education. In Rio de Janeiro there are currently more
than 80 universities recognized by the MEC (Ministry of Education).
Light Serviços Eletricidade, S.A. is an energy company from Rio de Janeiro. The company is listed in the financial index IBOVESPA. Light Serviços Eletricidade was privatized by the Brazilian state in 1996 when it was bought by a consortium of Houston Industries, AES Corporation and Électricité de France for US$1.7 billion.