Rio de Janeiro

[ree-oh dey zhuh-nair-oh, -neer-oh, juh-, dee, duh, ree-oo di zhi-ney-roo]

noun

1. a seaport in SE Brazil: former capital.

Rio de Janeiro

/ ˈriːəʊ də dʒəˈnɪərəʊ /

noun

1. a port in SE Brazil, on Guanabara Bay: the country's chief port and its capital from 1763 to 1960; backed by mountains, notably Sugar Loaf Mountain; founded by the French in 1555 and taken by the Portuguese in 1567. Pop: 11 469 000 (2005 est)

2. a state of E Brazil. Capital: Rio de Janeiro. Pop: 14 724 475 (2002). Area: 42 911 sq km (16 568 sq miles)

Rio de Janeiro

1. City in southeastern Brazil on the Atlantic Ocean. Second-largest city in Brazil, after São Paulo; its former capital; and its financial, commercial, transportation, and cultural center.

Rio is famous as a tourist attraction. Especially popular are its beaches, particularly the Copacabana.

Rio's annual carnival is world-famous.