!!!Rio de Janeiro 1

by Dmitry Moiseenko and
Stas Sedov,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

29 May 2014

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

The Marvelous City is an unofficial name of Rio de Janeiro, and it suits
the city very well. With the total area of 1,260 square kilometers, the
city of Rio de Janeiro lies on the western shore of Guanabara Bay, the
Atlantic coast of Brazil. Valleys, hills, mountains, and beaches create
a picturesque landscape.

[{Image src='01_Rio de Janeiro in pink.jpg' caption='Rio de Janeiro in pink' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='421'}]

Before 1960, the city of Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil.
However, the administrative functions were transferred to the city of
Brasília, which was built  in the middle of the country due to several
reasons.( First of all, the capital must be hard to reach for intruders
in times of war. Secondly, Rio de Janeiro has always been overpopulated
with a high percentage of poor citizens that can easily create an
uprising or revolution.

[{Image src='02_Christ the Redeemer Statue.jpg' caption='Christ the Redeemer Statue' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='442'}]

It's worth mentioning that the locals are one of the true attractions of
Rio de Janeiro in the full sense of the word. Favelas, the poorest areas
of the city, huddle on slopes of surrounding mountains. By nature, they
are "states within a state" with their own set of "laws" and such high
criminal levels that federal law enforcement barely tries to interfere.
Despite that, favelas attract a lot of tourists in search of extreme and
exotic experiences. However, there is a big chance to get in trouble,
even with a must-have local guide.

[{Image src='03_President Costa e Silva Bridge, or Rio-Niteroi Bridge.jpg' caption='President Costa e Silva Bridge, or Rio-Niteroi Bridge' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='549'}]

But, of course, there are more than just the favelas in Rio de Janeiro
that make the city so attractive and interesting. There is a giant
statue of Christ The Redeemer located on Mount Corcovado. It became a
true symbol not only of Rio de Janeiro but also the entire Brazil. The
statue is one of the most famous and popular monuments in the world.
Nearly 2 million tourists visit Christ The Redeemer every year, and it
was rightfully chosen as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World not
that long ago. The statue is 38 meters high (including an 8-meter-tall
pedestal), weighs 1,145 tons, with its arms stretched 30 meters wide. An
electric train (first in Brazil) goes to the top of the mountain; one
can also reach the statue of Christ The Redeemer by car. Once on the
top, visitors take a 220-step-long winding staircase to the foot of the
monument.

[{Image src='04_Christ the Redeemer Statue.jpg' caption='Christ the Redeemer Statue' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='422'}]

Every tourist snapshot of Rio de Janeiro also features the
396-meter-high mountain called "Sugar Loaf." Although its shape truly
resembles a piece of sugar, another version of the name is a direct
translation from aboriginal language meaning "Guardian of the bay." The
mountain is located in the mouth of the bay, and famous beaches of Rio
de Janeiro lie behind it protected, literally, as if they are behind a
stonewall.

[{Image src='05_Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.jpg' caption='Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='601'}]

Rio de Janeiro also has the botanical garden, several forests and parks
(including the biggest city forest in the world located on top of Mount
Corcovado), the former Emperor's residence, and numerous colonial
churches and monasteries. Record-setting locations include the
Rio-Niteroi Bridge (officially known as President Costa e Silva Bridge),
connecting distant shores of Guanabara Bay. This is the longest bridge
in South America: 13,290 meters long with 8,836 meters above the water
and a 72-meter-high passing point for ocean-size vessels. The
Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian (Catedral Metropolitana de São
Sebastião) is one of the most interesting architectural landmarks of Rio
de Janeiro. Built in 1979, it was designed in a modern style and
resembles a Mayan pyramid.

[{Image src='06_Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.jpg' caption='Rio de Janeiro, Brazil' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='631'}]

Today, Brazil attracts a lot of attention because of the 2014 FIFA World
Cup, which starts on June 12. The best soccer teams from all continents
will compete for the 2014 World Cup for the 20th time. The final game
will take place at the famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on July
13th 2014.

Brazil will be the fifth country hosting the World Cup for the second
time (after Mexico, Italy, France, and Germany). Before that, the FIFA
World Cup was held in Brazil in the year 1950; and the last time FIFA
World Cup visited South America was in 1978.

[{Image src='07_Ipanema.jpg' caption='Ipanema' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='464'}]

During the championship, Brazil expects over 3 million tourists that
will, undoubtedly, visit the city of Rio de Janeiro to admire its
beauty.

[{Image src='08_Boats at Rio de Janeiro.jpg' caption='Boats at Rio de Janeiro' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='552'}]

We invite those who don't plan to travel to Rio in June to view the
attractions of Brazil's most famous city through our aerial panoramas.

Apart from the virtual tour you can see the gallery of photos of Rio de
Janeiro for printing.

\\ \\
[26 Panoramas of Rio de Janeiro 1|Geography/America/Brazil/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Rio_de_Janeiro_1]











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