Nine Basic Facts About Rio

Last week, Rio de Janeiro became the first city in South America to be selected as a site for the Olympic games. The games are not until 2016. Until then, I’m going to work on learning more about both Rio and Brazil.

Here are some interesting facts about Rio:

• Until 1960, Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil. Now it’s Brasilia.
• Rio de Janeiro is a state and also the next biggest city of Brazil after Sao Paulo.
• Rio de Janeiro means “river of January” in English
• A native of Rio refers to him or her self as a “carioca.”
• Rio is home to the world-famous “Christ the Redeemer” statue.
• Besides miles of beaches, Rio is home to both the largest and second largest urban forests in the world.
• The city’s annual Carnaval festival (starting Feb. 13 next year) attracts more than half a million visitors each year.
• Rio is the world’s happiest city, according Forbes magazine.
• Woody Allen is reportedly considering Rio as the site for his next film, which is expected to be finished in 2011.

Know any interesting facts about Rio?

Image by Savaman (via Creative Commons)