Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: [ˈʁi.u d(ʒi) ʒɐˈne(j)ɾu] ^ⓘ^[6]), or simply Rio,^[7] is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.

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Rio de Janeiro
Municipality
Municipality of Rio de Janeiro
Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado with Sugarloaf Mountain and Guanabara Bay (background) Sugarloaf Cable Car Theatro Municipal Museum of Tomorrow Maracanã Stadium Barra da Tijuca Downtown Rio from Santa Teresa, with the Metropolitan Cathedral (center), Carioca Aqueduct (right) and Rio-Niteroi Bridge (background)
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames: Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous City), Princesa Maravilhosa (Marvellous Princess), Cidade dos Brasileiros (City of Brazilians)
Location in the state of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro Location within Brazil Show map of Brazil Rio de Janeiro Location within South America Show map of South America
Coordinates: 22°54′40″S 43°12′20″W
Country	Brazil
Region	Southeast
State	Rio de Janeiro
Historic countries	Kingdom of Portugal United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves Empire of Brazil
Settled	1555; 469 years ago (1555)
Founded	1 March 1565; 459 years ago (1565-03-01)^[1]
Named for	Saint Sebastian Guanabara Bay
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Body	Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro
• Mayor	Eduardo Paes (PSD)
• Vice Mayor	Nilton Caldeira (PL)
Area
• Municipality	1,221 km² (486.5 sq mi)
• Metro	4,539.8 km² (1,759.6 sq mi)
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Highest elevation	1,020 m (3,349 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2022)^[2]
• Municipality	6,211,223
• Rank	4th in South America 2nd in Brazil
• Density	5,174.6/km² (13,402/sq mi)
• Urban	11,616,000^{[needs update]}
• Metro	12,280,702^{[needs update]} (2nd)
• Metro density	2,705.1/km² (7,006/sq mi)
Demonym	Carioca
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
• Year	2023
• Total (Metro)	$285.9 billion^[3]
• Per capita	$23,700
Time zone	UTC−3 (BRT)
Postal Code	20000-001 to 23799-999
Area code	21
HDI (2010)	0.799 – high^[4]
Nominal 2018 GDP (City)	US$ 93.9 billion (2nd)^[5]
Per capita	US$14,046 (2nd)
Website	prefeitura.rio

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea
Type	Cultural
Criteria	vi
Designated	2012 (36th session)
Reference no.	1100

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Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, a domain of the Portuguese Empire. In 1763, it became the capital of the State of Brazil, a state of the Portuguese Empire. In 1808, when the Portuguese Royal Court moved to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro became the seat of the court of Queen Maria I of Portugal. She subsequently, under the leadership of her son the prince regent John VI of Portugal, raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom, within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves. Rio remained as the capital of the pluricontinental monarchy until 1822, when the Brazilian War of Independence began. This is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonizing country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies. Rio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the independent monarchy, the Empire of Brazil, until 1889, and then the capital of a republican Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to Brasília.

Rio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal GDP in the country,^[8] and 30th-largest in the world in 2008.^[9] This is estimated at R$343 billion. In the city are the headquarters of Brazilian oil, mining, and telecommunications companies, including two of the country's major corporations, Petrobras and Vale, and Latin America's largest telemedia conglomerate, Grupo Globo. The home of many universities and institutes, it is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil, accounting for 17 percent of national scientific output according to 2005 data.^[10] Despite the high perception of crime, the city actually has a lower incidence of crime than most state capitals in Brazil.^[11]

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere and is known for its natural settings, carnival, samba, bossa nova, and balneario beaches^[12] such as Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. In addition to the beaches, landmarks include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf Mountain with its cable car; the Sambódromo (Sambadrome), a permanent grandstand-lined parade avenue which is used during Carnival; and Maracanã Stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio de Janeiro was the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Paralympics, making the city the first South American and Portuguese-speaking city to ever host the events, and the third time the Olympics were held in a Southern Hemisphere city.^[13] The Maracanã Stadium held the finals of the 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the XV Pan American Games. The city will host the G20 summit in 2024, and the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027.^[14]^[15]