Rio is the Marvelous CityRio de Janeiro is famous for fantastic scenery, great music, and the magic of Carnival. It is not the largest city of Brazil, but it is certainly the heart and soul of the country. It is called Cidade Maravillosa or the Marvelous City. Plan to spend a few days watching the sexy latinas on the beautiful beaches of Copacabana or Ipanema and I am sure you will agree. 
Guanabara Bay was first discovered on January 1, 1502, by Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos. The area was inhabited by many native indios. A city was founded soon after. Nearby gold and diamond mines made this a valuable port and attracted many pirates. The city served as the capital of Brazil for almost two hundred years. A unique culture developed with a very interesting mix of history, traditions, and languages. Portuguese is the official language but many people also speak Spanish and English. There are about 12 million people living in the area.
The South Zone has the famous coastal beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. The Reveillon, one of the world’s biggest parties, happens here on New Year’s Eve. There are spectacular fireworks and millions of people. One of the first hotels built in Rio was the Copacabana Palace in 1923. Just north of this area is magnificent Sugarloaf Mountain. It has a cable car that runs to all the way to top. They have operated for nearly 100 years. 
In the North Zone is the Maracana Stadium, one of the biggest
soccer
arenas in the world. Nearly 200,000 people watched the World Cup final there in 1950. Brazil has been chosen as the official host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Rio also hosted the 2007 Pan-American Games. This area has a lot of great tourist and historical places to visit. Most of the samba schools are here. Carnaval and samba show the great influence that African music and
dance
have had on the culture.
Rio has always been the symbol of Brazil's cultural diversity. Since 1840, the Brazilian carnival has been held for several days just before the start of Lent. It is very similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The city is filled with live music, dancing, shows, and parties. The samba schools put on some fantastic parades in the Sambadrome center. This year’s parade featured the controversial dancer Viviane Castro. The sexy latina appeared totally nude except for some political messages done in body paint.
The famous statue of Christ the Redeemer sits on top of Corcovado Hill. It's 38 meters high (about 125 feet) and overlooks the entire city. Residents of the city are known as Cariocas, and you can feel the heavy beat of funk carioca music all over town.
Rio de Janeiro is a city pulsing with life. There is no place more exciting!!
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