Rio De Janeiro history

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – History

Rio de Janeiro is a historical city of Brazil. Its history goes back to the 16th century. Rio de Janeiro was discovered by a Portuguese captain in 1502. Portuguese defeated French and  took control over this region in 1567. The city of Rio was named Sao Sebastiao do Rio after the name of the Portuguese King, Sebastian I.  The French community was the first who settled in this region.

 In 1555, three ships full of French settlers arrived in this region and settled on a small island known as Antarctic France.

In 1710, the French attacked the cityagain. They failed at first, but they succeeded in their second attack.

A military base was established in this city to defend it from the foreign invaders. The fortresses, which can still be viewed, were built on the mountains. The sugar industry was the first to be established in this city and the local African natives did all of the labor.

 Rio de Janeiro started prosperous in the 18th century when the port was used to trade the precious stones, minerals and diamonds. Rio is also known as a party city. The carnivals started in 1830 and were spread throughout the city by the affluent middle classes.

Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro was typically a Brazilian town.  Till 1660, the population of Rio had 5000 inhabitants.  The local population was mainly involved in fish export and sugar cane industry.

Rio remained the political and economical center of Brazil. Rio was also chosen for ECO 92, which resulted in the great developments in this city. The federal government spent $1 billion to improve the infrastructure of the city. The period between 1920 and 1950 was the golden period in Rio’s history.

With the establishment of the five stars and grand hotels, Rio became a favorite destination for the Hollywood celebrities and tourists from all over the world. Rio has also become a romantic and exotic destination for the couples and honeymooners.

Rio has tropical climate. It is divided into several districts. The north zone of Rio holds great attractions for tourist. There are a lot of touristic places in Rio like sports clubs, stadiums, museums, fun parks, theaters, zoo, beaches, restaurants, nightclubs, bars and grand hotels in Rio. Rio became the popular place for many multinational companies.

The industries in the city produce chemicals, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture, ships and metal products. Rio ranks second in the industrial production in South America.