The former capital and 2nd largest city of Brazil; famous as a tourist attraction; Also called: Rio.
Port and resort in E Brazil; Sugar Loaf Mountain stands at the entrance to the harbor. Rio was the capital of Brazil 1763–1960. The city is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, which has a population of 13,267,100 (1987 est).
Some colonial churches and other buildings survive; there are modern boulevards, including the Avenida Rio Branco, and Copacabana is a luxurious beachside suburb. The name (Portuguese “river of January”) commemorates the arrival of Portuguese explorers 1 Jan 1502, but there is in fact no river.
One-third of the population live in shanty towns, with an income of less than $70 a month per person.