Rio de Janeiro or just Rio is the second-most populous municipality in Brazil. Let’s see some amazing facts about the city that is hosting the Summer Olympic Games 2016.
1.Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, a domain of the Portuguese Empire.
2. Later, in 1763, it became the capital of the State of Brazil, a state of the Portuguese Empire.
3. Rio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal GDP in the country, and 30th largest in the world in 2008.
4. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere and is known for its natural settings, Carnival, samba, bossa nova, and balneario beaches such as Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon.
5. The 1950 World Cup Final, between Uruguay and Brazil, remains the highest attended match ever. Officially, 173,850 spectators crammed into Rio’s Maracanã Stadium, though unofficially there were said to be many more. The game is remembered as a national tragedy, however: Brazil lost 2-1.
6. Locals are called ‘cariocas’, which is pronounced care-ree-o-cas.
7. Rio Carnival is the biggest and brashest carnaval of the world.
8. Rio’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue is frequently struck by lightnings.
9. The “Brazilian” was born in Rio…The fashion for women removing all or most of their pubic hair began on the beaches of Rio, where the thong was enthusiastically embraced.
10. Rocinha is the biggest favela in Brazil and it is in Rio de Janeiro. Officials claim 70,000 inhabitants are crammed in there, but unofficial estimates reckon 180,000 is closer to the mark.
11. Despite its reputation for violence, Rio’s murder rate is 18.6 per 100,000 making it significantly safer than Detroit (44).
12. Paying for intercourse is not illegal in Rio, or the rest of Brazil, and it’s not uncommon to see sex workers plying their trade on the streets.
Read here some fun facts about Brazil!
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