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Guanabara Bay was first discovered by explorers from Portugal in January, 1502, which is how the January River, as ‘Rio de Janeiro’ translates, gained its name. At that time, ‘river’ was used by the Portuguese for any larger body of water. Soon after, Europeans from all over were coming there, with French smugglers already taking advantage of the bay by 1519. The first permanent European settlement in the area, called France Antarctique, was founded in 1555 by French naval officer Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon. However, Villegaignon was forced to leave two years later after coming into conflict with the rest of the settlers.
Portuguese knight Estácio de Sá officially founded the city in March of 1565, calling it São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro 20 (St. Sebastian of the January 20th River). For many years, the city’s common name was São Sebastião. Founded as a base from which to conquer France Antarctique, the French were driven out within two years. The exact site of Rio de Janeiro's founding is at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain. As it evolved over the years, the entire city was relocated to the top of a hill, according to the Medieval European defensive strategy, bringing the current center of town in a southwesterly direction, an urban shift which continues to this day.
Sugarcane was the area’s first product, with slaves from both Africa and domestic areas utilized for the labor. When higher-quality sugarcane from northern districts of Brazil became more popular, this industry went into decline. In 1763, the colonial administration was relocated to the city of Rio de Janeiro, and it remained mainly a colonial capital until 1808, when the Portuguese royal family had to flee from Napoleon's invasion, winding up in Rio. Thereafter the city served as the kingdom’s capital, becoming the only European capital located outside of Europe.
Prince Pedro I declared Brazil’s independence in 1822, but by that time the city’s economic and political importance was dwindling when compared to São Paulo. However, it remained the capital even after the late 19th Century, when the monarchy was thrown out and a republic established in its place. Then, in the early decades of the 20th Century, Copacabana Beach's natural beauty combined with the allure of the Copacabana Palace Hotel brought Rio de Janeiro the reputation it retains to this day, as the ultimate beach party locale.
When Juscelino Kubitschek was elected president of Brazil in 1955, he kept his campaign promises to build a new capital in the territorial center of the country. By 1960, Brasília’s constructions was complete, at great expense. The capital was officially relocated from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília in April of that same year.
The Rio of today is a city of contrasts, with huge disparities between rich and poor. Though it definitely ranks among the major metropolises of the world, 15% of Rio's citizens lives in poverty. The slums and shantytowns known as favelas are usually crowded upon the sides of the hills, where rainfall makes disaster quite frequent. These favelas are situated quite close to Rio's wealthiest neighborhoods, with Ipanema and Copacabana wedged inbetween the beaches and the favela-filled hillsides.
Some of the highlights
Carnaval is an annual festival held in Brazil forty days prior to Easter, marking the beginning of Lent. Carnaval traditionally features the world-renowned Escolas de Samba Parades in the Sambódromo Exhibition Center and the Blocos de Carnaval, parading through nearly every inch of the city. Carnaval brings lots of people, offers great food, is filled with color and dance, and ends on Mardi Gras Tuesday.
Apart from Carnaval, the New Year’s celebration is a huge one here, with many concerts and fireworks shows all over Rio. People generally wear white clothing and make offerings to a Candomblé god named Lemanjá.
The downtown area in the center of Rio offers several historical sites of interest, including Paço Imperial, a palace constructed during the colonial era as a residence for the Portuguese governors of Brazil, along with Candelária Church, the colonial Cathedral and the Rio de Janeiro Cathedral.
Local museums include the National Museum of Fine Arts and the National Historical Museum, and you shouldn’t miss Passeio Público, an 18th-Century garden, as well as the Arcos da Lapa, a Roman aqueduct constructed in the mid-18th Century.
Rio is home to an endless number of nightlife venues, mainly nightclubs where the rich and famous party all night long. The more famous of them are Baronneti, Nuth and Catwalk, where stars like Calvin Klein, Mick Jagger and Naomi Campbell have frequently been spotted.
Significant sporting events which regularly take place in Rio include the MotoGP Brazilian Grand Prix and the World Beach Volleyball finals. The city is currently constructing a brand-new stadium close to the Maracanã, which will hold up to 45,000 spectators.
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