In
January of 1502, a Portuguese exploratory expedition happened on what
is now known as Guanabara Bay in Brazil. The explorers called the
river entering the Atlantic Ocean “January River,” in Portuguese
of course, and the name stuck: Rio de Janeiro.
In
various sources, today is cited as being either Foundation Day or
Saint Sebastian's Feast Day in Rio. I'm not sure which of these
reports is accurate—perhaps both—but it is a great day to take a
look at this important Brazilian city.
Rio
de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil for almost 200 years, but a new
inland city, Brasilia, was planned and built in the late 1950s and
became the capital in 1960.
Rio
is the second largest city in Brazil, after only Sao Paulo. It's the
third largest in South America, the sixth largest in the Americas,
and the 26th largest in the world!
Also,
Rio is the second largest city in Brazil by economic terms (Gross
Domestic Product, GDP).
In
what way is Rio number one? Well, it's the most visited city in all
of Brazil. As a matter of fact, Rio de Janeiro is the most visited
city in all of the Southern Hemisphere!!
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| Copacabana |
It's
known for its beaches and natural surroundings—including Copacabana
beach and Sugarloaf Mountain—as well as for its carnival
celebrations and cultural contributions such as the samba (a dance)
and Bossa Nova (a style of music). One of the most famous landmarks
is considered on the New Seven Wonders of the World, a giant 130-foot
(40-meter) statue of “Christ the Redeemer.”
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| Carnival |
In
2016, Rio hosts the Summer Olympic Games!
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| One of the largest statues in the world... |
 |
| ...but not nearly as large as several others. The largest statue on this chart is Spring Temple Buddha (153 meters). Do you recognize the statue that is second from the left? |
Also on this date:
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