Rio's History

BRAZIL is the fifth largest country in the world and Rio de Janeiro is one of the world's most enchanting cities. When the first Portuguese explorers ship sailed past Sugar Loaf into Guanabara Bay on January 1, 1502, the navigator thought they had entered a large river mouth, so they misnamed it Rio De Janeiro �River of January�.

The Portuguese defended the city against the Indians and the French invaders (1555-1567).

The local colony based on sugar cane and agricultural products throughout the 17th century, until the discovery of gold and diamonds in the nearby region of Minas Gerais. The most direct route to Lisbon was overland to Rio, then by sea to Europe. The port expanded, the capital of the colony transferred from Salvador to Rio in 1763 and the city emerged as a control, export and taxation center. Black slaves formed a big part of the population in these days.

When Napoleon marched to Lisbon, the Court fled to Rio de Janeiro (1808). Upon the death of Queen Maria in 1816, Prince Regent Dom Jo�o was crowned king and Rio became the capital of an independent Brazilian Empire. The town became a quite civilized city with a bank, museum and even French designers to dress the royalty for their lavish parties. The king returned to Portugal (1821), and left his son to rule.  Brazilians felt �enslaved� receiving orders from afar. The Portuguese Parliament�s ordered the prince regent to leave Brazil to �continue his studies� in Europe. The prince, instead, on September 7, 1822 ,  proclaimed independence for Brazil and crowned himself emperor of Brazil with the title of Dom Pedro I.

The second emperor, Dom Pedro II, a liberal democrat at heart and a gifted man when he assumed power at age 15,  ruled successfully from 1840 until 1889, one year after the abolition of slavery . It was a period of great economic growth led by the development of the coffee industry, which reached  61% of all exports for the decade 1881-1890 with cotton and sugar as runner-ups. Princess Isabel , acting regent while Dom Pedro II was in Europe for treatment of an illness, freed the slaves , awarding no compensation to the plantation owners. As predicted by a witness at the signing:  �Your Highness has redeemed a race but lost a throne�. Indeed, on November 15, 1889, the monarchy was overthrown and Brazil declared a republic.   

Coffee became the predominant export in the 19th century. Brazil became a Republic in 1889; Rio de Janeiro remained its capital until 1960, when the Federal government was transferred to Brasilia.

Rio has continued to grow and has become a popular destination not only for tourists but also for migrants from other parts of the country. Despite its development, the city still has more than its fair share of social problems, with a great difference between the �haves� and the �have-nots�.

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