Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro City on Guanabara Bay, se Brazil. Discovered by Europeans in 1502, it was later colonized by the French, then the Portuguese. By the 18th century, it was a major outlet for gold mined in the hinterland. In 1763, it became the seat of the viceroy. and then Brazil's capital (1834–1960). The second-largest city in Brazil, Rio is its commercial and industrial centre. Its climate and beaches make it a popular tourist resort. There are large shanty towns surrounding the city. Industries: coffee, sugar refining, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, publishing and printing, engineering, textiles. Pop. (2000) 5,850,544; 10,894,156 (metropolitan).
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Rio de Janeiro
