Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

"For over half a century, Rio has ranked as a favorite destination for visitors from all over the world. The combination of a dark blue sea studded with rocky islands and a backdrop of green clad mountains makes for a magnificent setting. In addition, the city exudes an air of exuberance that is hard to find elsewhere. Cariocas, as Rio natives are called, are fun loving people, embracing the entire world with their happy, vibrant rhythms.
Rio’s history effectively began on January 1, 1502, when a Portuguese captain, André Gonçalves, steered his craft into Guanabara Bay. Thinking he was heading into the mouth of a great river, he named the city Rio de Janeiro, or "River of January." Initial progress in Rio was slow since Salvador in the north was the center of the new Portuguese colony. In the 1690s, when gold was discovered in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais, Rios fortunes began to look up, as it became the control and taxation center for the gold trade. During the 17th century, the sugar cane economy brought new wealth to Rio. In 1763, the city replaced Salvador as Brazil’s capital. It remained the capital until 1960 when the country’s political administration was moved to the newly established federal capital of Brasilia.

Rio’s cultural diversity has derived from its nearly 500-year history. By the 18th century, the majority of the city’s inhabitants were African slaves. Unlike other foreign colonies, miscegenation became the rule rather than the exception in Brazil. Virtually nothing in Rio remained untouched by African customs, beliefs and behavior. This state of affairs clearly carried over into today’s way of life as evidenced in its mixture of Afro-Brazilian music, spiritualistic cults and exotic cuisine. It is this intriguing blend that creates an atmosphere exclusive to Rio. Its culmination can be experienced in the annual celebration of the spectacular Carnival.

Today, with the center rebuilt many times since colonial days, the major interest lies in the beach communities south of the city center rather than in Rio’s buildings and monuments. For some 60 years, the beach districts of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon have been Rio’s heart and soul, providing a constant source of recreation to maintain the city’s fame as the most dynamic and captivating tourist capital in South America.

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil News

Brazil May Have 70 Billion Barrels of Oil Near Tupi (Update1) (Bloomberg.com)
Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Brazil has between 30 billion and 70 billion barrels of oil in its so-called pre-salt fields near the Tupi discovery off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, said Julio Bueno, the state's economic affairs secretary.

Rio Governor's Lloyd's Keynote Speech Evinces Brazil's Economic Growth (Insurance Journal)
Lloyd's Sixth Annual London City Dinner at Merchant Taylors' Hall on Thursday night featured a keynote address by the Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, SÃ©rgio Cabral. In his opening remarks

Brazil May Have 70 Billion Barrels of Oil Near Tupi, Bueno Says (Bloomberg.com)
Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Brazil has between 30 billion and 70 billion barrels of oil in its so-called ``pre-salt'' fields near the Tupi discovery off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, Julio Bueno, the state's economic affairs secretary, said.

Brazilian swimmer banned for doping (GMA News)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - The International Swimming Federation on Friday banned Brazilian star Rebeca Gusmao for life for failing two drug tests.

Resentment in Brazil as Lula calls Argentine Messi 'world's best' (EARTHtimes.org)
Rio de Janeiro - Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar said Friday he was really annoyed about the praise that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva lavished on Argentine striker Lionel Messi. It made me very sad as a Brazilian citizen, especially...

Brazil gov. wants $1.8B Rio-Sao Paulo highway (INO News)
(AP:RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil) Sao Paulo Gov. Jose Serra is proposing the construction of a new 3.1 billion real (US$1.8 billion) highway linking Brazil's two biggest cities.

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