Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro ("River of January", English pronunciation: /ˈriːoʊ deɪ dʒəˈnɛəroʊ/; Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʁiu dʒi ʒaˈnejɾu]), commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America,[1][2][3] 6th largest in the Americas and receives more international visitors than any other city in the Southern Hemisphere.[4]

The city was the capital of Brazil for nearly two centuries, from 1763 to 1815 during the Portuguese colonial era, 1815 to 1821 as the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves, and from 1822 to 1960 as an independent nation. Rio is nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa or "The Marvelous City." It is considered a Beta World City.[5]

Represents the second largest GDP in the country [6] (and 30th largest in the world [7]), estimated at about 140 billion reais (IBGE/2007), and is the headquarters of two major Brazilian companies - Petrobras and Vale, and major oil companies and telephony in Brazil, besides the largest conglomerate of media and communications companies in Latin America, the Globo Organizations. Considered by many universities and institutes, is the second largest center of research and development in Brazil, accounting for 17% of national scientific production - according to 2005 data.[8]

Rio de Janeiro is known for its natural settings, carnival celebrations, samba, Bossa Nova, beaches[9] such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. Some of the most famous landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer ('Cristo Redentor') atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a permanent parade avenue lined with grandstands which is used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, the first South American city to host the event[10] and will host the final match for 2014 FIFA World Cup.[11]