Rio de Janeiro

One of the major economic and cultural hubs of South America, the City of Rio de Janeiro sits at the heart of the Southeastern Region. A cosmopolitan metropolis, known worldwide for its scenic beauty and its natural resources, the city provides a harmonious and agreeable environment for its inhabitants and visitors, for both leisure and work, which combined with its infrastructure, makes Rio an important center for commerce and services, with the advantage of a modern and diversified industrial sector. The City of Rio de Janeiro, which occupies an area of 1,261 Km2, and has a population of about 6.000.000, recognizes that one of its main virtues is the kindness and hospitality with which its residents welcome all visitors.

The City of Rio de Janeiro receives annually more than 2 million foreign tourists, which according to EMBRATUR makes it the most visited city in the country, with an approximate share of 33% of the total number of foreign tourists. Added to this more than 5 million Brazilian tourists visit the city per year. With its ample infrastructure of tourism services, Rio de Janeiro is ranked among the top destinations in the world in reception for cultural, commercial, technical and scientific events/fairs, symposia, congresses, conventions and exhibitions. Its exuberant natural resources include 90 Km of beaches, the Tijuca National Park, which includes the largest urban forest in the world, with 3,200 hectares of Atlantic Forest, the State Parks of Pedra Branca, Desengano and Chacrinha, covering an area of 48.500 hectares, and the Rodrigo de Freitas, Jacarepaguá, Camorim, Tijuca and Marapendi lakes and lagoons.

Culture

Rio de Janeiro is the cultural capital of Brazil. Over its nearly 500 years of history, it has been the spring board for all the country's principal cultural exports. Rio's architecture embraces churches and buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, blending with the world renowned designs of the 20th. Rio was home to the Portuguese Imperial family and capital of the country for many years, and was influenced by Portuguese, English and French architecture. Today, these wonderful old buildings contrast with the high rise ultra-modern intelligent structures, in a city that knows how to progress while at the same time preserving its past.

There are more than 50 museums, with collections that help to relate Brazil's 500 year history. They can be found in buildings listed as national historic heritage, or in award-winning buildings, illustrating the creativity of Brazilian architecture. The principal cultural centers, such as the Modern Art Museum, the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Bank of Brazil Cultural Center are geared today to show international exhibits under conditions of safety and conservation identical to the best museums in the world.

In the borough of Santa Teresa, the Montmartre or Soho of Rio, there is a row of houses dating from the start of the 20th century, with around 50 ateliers where more than 80 artists work, and who during the year open their doors to the public to show works of art that vary from the classic to the contemporary. In Lapa, a neighboring borough nearer to the center of town, antique shops live alongside dance halls, both preserving important cultural habits of the city.

In the field of music, Rio is the birthplace of the samba, which has its greatest celebration in February, during Carnival. The parade of the principal Samba Schools is a unique and unforgettable spectacle.

In the South Zone, along the sea front, the city preserves the memory of names such as Tom Jobim and João Gilberto, who wrote the first chords of the Bossa Nova. The greatest names in Brazilian popular music have always gravitated to Rio from all over the country, for various reasons such as the number of clubs offering live music, the fact that the international recording companies set up their head offices here, or because Rio is the home of the greatest TV network in the country.

Nature also has its cultural influence. One has just to visit the Botanical Gardens, with one of the most important collections of plants in the world - or the Tijuca Forest, the green heart of this marvelous city.