Trifter

History

Rio de Janerio was first discovered by Gasbar de Lemos on January 1st 1502.  In 1808 the Portuguese royal family moved to Rio de Janerio try to escape napoleons invasion of Portugal.  There was not enough structures in the city to accommodate all of the royal family so residents were evicted from their homes.  The royal family’s presence also created an influx of African slaves to the area which reached a total of 220,000 in 1840.  In 1882 Prince Pedro I proclaimed Brazil’s Independence and kept Rio de Janerio as the capital city.

image source

Maracanã Stadium

Maracanã Stadium first opened in 1950 for the FIFA World Cup.  When it was originally constructed it could hold a total of 199,854 people however on July 19th, 1992 an upper stand in the stadium collapsed killing 3 people and injury 50 others.  Major renovations were made following the disaster reducing the maximum capacity to 88,992.  today it is used mainly for football and other cultural events and concerts.  Football teams such as Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco De Gama call play there games at Maracanã stadium.  Maracanã stadium is also scheduled to host the 2014 World Cup.

image source

image source

City Districts

There are a total of 4 districts in Rio de Janerio Downtown, South Zone, North Zone, and West Zone.  Downtown is home to Rio de Janerio Cathedral, The National Library, and Passeio Publico which is a public garden founded in the 18th century.  The North Zone is home to Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janerio International Airport, and the National Museum.  The south zone is home to Copacabana Hotel (pictured below), Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Tijuca National Park which is the second largest urban forest in the world.  Finally the West Zone which is the farthest district from the city centre is home to mostly industry but agricultural areas still remain, it was also hosted the 2007 Pan American Games in 2007.

image source

image source

Landmarks

Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer is located at the peak of Corcovada mountain.  The 120 foot tall statue has became an icon for the city of Rio de Janerio.  The idea for the statue came from a Catholic priest known as Pedro Maria Boss in the mid 19th century.  His idea went largely unnoticed until Brazil became a republic and enough signatures were gathered in support of the statue.  Once the design was finalized French Sculptor Paul Landowski began construction on the sculpture in 1922.  Construction lasted 9 years and cost an estimated $250,000.  On July 7th 2007 Christ the Redeemer was voted one o the seven wonders of the world by The New Open World Corporation.

image source

Sugarloaf Mountain

Sugarloaf Mountain got its name because it resembles the shape of concentrated refined sugar loaf.  The mountain which tops out at 1,299 feet above the sea level is one of Rio de Janerio’s most recognized landmarks.  As pictured below a cable car which can hold up to 75 people at a time travels from mountain peak to mountain peak which overlooks the city.  Another major attractions at Sugarloaf mountain is mountain climbing which is one of the largest urban climbing areas in the world.

image source

2016 Summer Olympics

On October 2nd 2009 Rio Janerio was chosen as the site for the 2016 Summer Olympics.  The city beat out Madrid, Tokyo, and Chicago to host the 36th Olympiad.  There is scheduled to be a total of 26 sports and 38 disciplines.  The 2016 games will be hosted in a South American country for the first time ever leaving only Africa and Antarctica as the only continents not to have hosted the Olympic Games.

image source

If you liked this article here are others you might enjoy:

City of 4 Cultures

Wellywood

Harbour City

Garden Isle

The City on Seven Hills