"Rio, 443 years old Foundation ! " a Rio de Janeiro Travel Page by Alless

FOUNDATION OF THE CITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO (March,01,1565)

Founded by Estácio de Sá in l565, its name comes from an earlier comment made by André Gonçalves, commander of the expedition responsible for surveying the land discovered by Cabral. On January1, 1502 he discovered an estuary that he thought must be the mouth of a great river, and called it Rio de Janeiro - January River. He was wrong about the river, but the name stuck. And the wonderful January “Rio” has continued to flow, a generous stream of love and beauty that still today fills everyone who comes near it.

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The village of Rio de Janeiro was founded in 1565 by the Portuguese near Sugar Loaf mountain as a stronghold to defend the territory against foreign invaders after the expulsion of the French settlers. The full name of the city, São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, was a tribute to the Portuguese king. In 1567, when the village was moved to Morro do Castelo, the population amounted to some 3000 people, most of them indigenous. The main industries at that time were fishing, especially whale fishing, and sugar production, with large sugar cane plantations and processing plants that extended from Gávea and the Rodrigo de Freitas Lake to the suburbs.

At the end of the 17th century, the gold rush in Minas Gerais, north-west of Rio, gave a boost to the city development. There was a substantial increase in immigration from Portugal that turned the city into the main port in the colony. This, in turn, attracted a legion of French pirates and smugglers, who invaded the city in 1710 and 1711, until they were finally expelled. The city boomed and the increase in population forced the frantic development of infrastructure to keep up. The most famous aqueduct in Rio, the Lapa Arcs, was opened in 1793. The structure is so solid that it is used today as a tramway connecting the district of Santa Teresa to the city centre.

The arrival of the Portuguese royal family in 1808 turned Rio into the temporary capital of Portugal, and the population increased to 70000 people. It was at this time that the city began to develop its characteristic division between rich and poor districts. The more affluent families established themselves in the areas between the sea and the hills, known today as the Zona Sul, and the poorer families went beyond the hills to the Zona Norte. It was around this time, also, that the Botanical Garden, the Casa França-Brasil, the Royal Library and the Customs House were built.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the world's most spectacular destinations offering a fun loving, beach-orientated lifestyle. Set between mountains and the sea, it is South America's most popular beach resort and is referred to as 'Cidade Maravilhosa' (Marvellous City) by the 'Cariocas' whose friendly, carefree attitude to life is infectious. Renowned for its lively nightlife it's also a sophisticated and cultural destination with numerous theatres, museums and galleries, most of which are found in the Zona Sul along with the majority of restaurants, shops and nightspots...

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