Brazil

Rio de Janeiro (“Rio”) lies on a strip of Brazil’s Atlantic coast.  First encountered by Europeans in 1502, the English translation of the city’s name is “January River.” Rio is the second largest city in Brazil and has the third largest metropolitan area in South America, with a population of approximately 13.5 million.  Rio represents the second largest GDP in the country and ranks 30th in the world.

The city is commonly divided into historic downtown, known as Centro (also a major financial center);  the South Zone (Zona Sul) which is commercial and tourist friendly; the residential North Zone (Zona Norte); and the West Zone (Zona Oeste) including the Barra da Tijuca district.

After the discovery of the Campos Basin, which produces the majority of total oil production, some of the largest companies in Brazil made it their headquarters, including Brazillian companies such as Petrobras,  Eletrobras and Vale as well as branches of Shell, EBS and Esso.  Large multi-nationals such as Coca-Cola, Praxair, BHP Billiton, IBM and Shell are also located in the Centro area.  In addition to Centro’s business epicenter, there are many historic churches and landmarks located downtown, including the Candelaria Church, the Municipal Theatre and the National Library Building. 

The South Zone includes several districts, a few of which are Arpoador, Ipanema and Copacabana, which compose Rio’s famous Atlantic beach coastline.  This is the richest region of the city and includes the district of Leblon, home to the most expensive real estate in all of South America.

The International Airport of Rio as well as soccer and sporting arenas are located in the North Zone.  Once the world’s highest capacity soccer stadium, Maracana~ stadium is currently undergoing renovations and will have a 120,000 fan capacity when it is completed.  The stadium will also host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and soccer matches of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Furthest from the center of Rio is the West Zone where industry and agricultural areas remain with waves of new construction and growth, attracting some of the wealthier portions of the population.

Rio is Brazil’s primary tourist attraction and resort, with an average of 2.82 million visitors per year.  With world-class hotels, approximately 80 kilometers of beachland and the famous Corcovado and Sugarloaf mountains.  In addition to the beaches, other famous attractions include Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) atop Corcovado Mountain, the seventh largest library in the world, Biblioteca Nacional,  and the National Museum of Fine Arts, and Carnival.