Rio de Janeiro is a city as well as a state of Brazil. Founded in 1565, by Portuguese knight Estácio de Sá, the city is also known as the "The Marvelous City". It was the colonial capital till 1808. The city became the capital of the empire of Prince Pedro I who proclaimed the nation's independence in1822. Later after 1889, the city became the capital of Brazil and continued with the same status till Brasilia took its position in 1960. Rio was a city-state between 1960 and 1975 with the name State of Guanabara. In 1975, following political reasons, A Fusão, a presidential decree removed its federative status and merged it with the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Area & Location: Located at 22°54' Latitude South and 43°14' Longitude West, Rio de Janeiro occupies an area of 1182.3 sq. km. Around 6,094,183 people reside in the city and its metropolitan area has a population of 11-12 million, making it the second largest city in Brazil.
Tourist Attractions: Parks, gardens and beaches constitute the attractive places in the city.
Transportation: The five airports in the city such as Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport, Santos Dumont Regional Airport -one of the best set airports in the world, Aeroporto de Jacarepaguá, Campo dos Afonsos and Santa Cruz Air Base, the military airport serve the city. Taxis, bus, trains, ferries,
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saveiros-the typical ship are the main means of transport in the city.
Hotels:The city has many luxury hotels and beach resorts like Copacabana Palace Hotel that are a frequent halt to the tourists visiting the city. Rio de Janeiro is also home to many international and star hotels that provide all modern amenities to its guests. Rio Internacional Hotel, Excelsior Copacabana Hotel, Sheraton Barra Hotel & Suites, Copacabana Palace Hotel, Martinique Copa Hotel, Best Western Sol Ipanema Hotel Copacabana Rio Hotel and Arpoador Inn are the recognized hotels in the city.
Places of Attraction: As a country famous for sports especially football, the city has a number of stadiums like Maracanã stadium, one of the largest in the world, that were witness to many international sports championships. The Environmental Protection Area, created to protect its rocky coast and native plants, Flamengo Park, Morro Dois Irmãos Park and Jardim Botânico - Botanic Gardens are the renowned park and squares that are a nice break for the tourists who visit the city to relax and enjoy themselves. The Harbour of Rio de Janeiro, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World attracts tourists from far and wide. The Carnival celebrations, samba and tourist beaches like Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon entertain the visitors. A giant statue of Jesus -Christ the Redeemer on top of Corcovado Mountain is the popular landmark of the city. Sugar Loaf Mountain with cable car; the Sambódromo- a giant permanent parade stand used in tome of Carnival are the other fascinations for the visitors. The city is home to Floresta da Tijuca, also called 'Tijuca Forest' -the world's largest forest inside an urban area.
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