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Tourist Information about Rio de Janeiro
Dubbed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Rio de Janeiro is a sight to behold. Its beautiful beaches, sunny climate, and the warm and lively Cariocas makes it the ideal tourist spot for any world traveller. It is Brazil's second largest city and used to be the capital until 1960 before Brasilia was given the honors. In Portugese, Rio de Janeiro means River of January. History says that Portugese sailors discovered it in January of 1502. They thought at first that the area they have uncovered was found at the mouth of a river, which was actually the Guanabara Bay. The city was founded in 1565 by another Portugese knight Estácio de Sá who named it after St. Sebastian, but its name was shortened into its present name. The Cariocas, Rio de Janeiro's residents, are a very friendly people. They thrive on the good life and enjoy dancing, drinking, sports, and other festivities. People are said to live head-first on the Rio as it never seems to find rest. However, Rio de Janeiro carries a huge similarity to the Roman god Janus from which January is named for, as the city carries two faces: one of happiness and the good life, while the other shows a not-so-pleasant side of the city with its heavily populated slum areas (or Favelas) as Rio is fast becoming one of the growing places of crime in the region. |
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