Brasilia was constructed to take over the reins from Rio de Janeiro as the capital city of Brazil in 1960. However the fascination that Rio de Janeiro holds for most people remains strong and it remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Brazil. There are very few people who would turn down the opportunity to visit the world famous Copacabana beach district in Rio.
However, Rio was already world famous. In particular almost everyone would recognize the famous Christ the redeemer statue that overlooks the city from the mountain side. The city stands between the mountains with its magnificent forests and the Guanabara Bay inlet which leads to the Atlantic Ocean.
The city is considered to be a state in its own right and has the highest population of any city in Brazil. Although Sao Paulo is slightly larger in land mass than Rio, the population density is much less than in Rio. However, Rio de Janeiro does have the infamous Copacabana district with its 50km of sandy beaches to offer visitors.
Portuguese is the official national language and English and Spanish are included in the high school curriculum. Their culture is derived from a mix of many cultures and creeds. The Portuguese arrived in Brazil and established relationships with the Indians to establish a unique culture. The importation of slaves from a variety of mixed races helped to establish an interesting mix of cultures that exist and are unique to Brazil.
Some of the international events that have been awarded to this Brazilian city in future years will provide the country and the city to showcase what they can offer to the rest of the world. The Pope announced during his visit to Spain in 2011, that the next World Youth Day would be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. This will be the largest gathering of Catholic Youths from throughout the world.
The second major event is the 2014 Fifa World Cup. Brazil has the record for being only the fifth country to host the event twice. They first hosted the event in back in 1950. The tournament will run from 12 June to 13 July 2014 and will bring thousands of international fans to Brazil. The Maracana Stadium in Rio will play a major role in the tournament because it is the appointed venue for the final match in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
This city won the bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics which is a major international sporting event. The games will be held at venues throughout the city from 5 August to 21 August 2016. These will be the first Summer Olympics to be held in South America. In addition, the city will host the 2016 Summer Paralympics from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
Rio de Janeiro is a large city with a wide mix of cultures and social deprivation which leads to high crime rates. In particular, they do not actively pursue drunken driving offences and drivers are encouraged to run red lights after dark to avoid assaults. Taking appropriate precautions and following safety advice should ensure you have a trouble free and pleasurable visit to this breathtaking place.
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