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Rio de Janeiro Facts & Worksheets

Rio de Janeiro is the second-most populous municipality in Brazil and the sixth-most populous city in the Americas.

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Rio de Janeiro is the second-most populous municipality in Brazil and the sixth-most populous city in the Americas. It is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro and was founded in 1565 by the Portuguese. It is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is known for its famous Carnival.

See the fact file below for more information on the Rio de Janeiro or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Rio de Janeiro worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY OF RIO DE JANEIRO

  • Rio de Janeiro was founded by the Portuguese in 1565, but Guanabara Bay (the gateway into Brazil) was discovered earlier, on January 1st, 1502. This is where the name “Rio de Janeiro” comes from, as it translates to “January River”.
  • Portuguese settlers soon discovered that the surrounding fertile land could be advantageous to them.
  • It was decided by the Portuguese king that sesmarias (large plots of land) would be planted with sugarcane. This would provide the colony with its main source of income for decades.
  • As the colony grew in the 17th century, so did the population of African and Indian slaves.
  • By the beginning of the 18th century, Brazil began mining for gold and
    diamonds, which changed the economy and immigration of the colony.
  • With Rio de Janeiro becoming the capital of Brazil in 1763, an influx of immigration occurred.
  • Although a bump in the road occurred when the value of the colony’s exports shrank due to competition, Rio de Janeiro was tenacious. Soon, coffee production boomed and brought prosperity back to Rio de Janeiro.
  • Around the time that Brazil became a kingdom in 1815, roads and homes were built and restored, institutions were established, and, by 1822, Brazil had become independent.
  • The first railroad was built in 1852, and sewer systems were installed in the city in 1864. Brazil’s world exports now included coffee, sugar, rubber, and cotton. Rio de Janeiro became the capital of the newly named Republic of Brazil in 1889.
  • The early 1900s saw a revival in Rio de Janeiro by way of cleaning the city, improving health conditions, and making travel through the city more accessible.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO

  • Rio de Janeiro’s climate is generally hot, humid, and tropical.
  • Its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean means the city is exposed to cold fronts coming from Antarctica, floods, landslides, and strong sea breezes.
  • The temperature varies according to elevation, with higher elevations being generally cooler and wetter.
  • Drought and snow is very rare, but experts are telling people who live in Rio de Janeiro to be prepared for increasingly severe weather in the future.
  • Rio de Janeiro is split into four zones – the Central Zone, South Zone, North Zone, and West Zone.
  • Some flora and fauna you might see in Rio de Janeiro include the dusty
    azure, royal palm trees, anteaters, toucans, the flower of the lobster
    claw, and the blue macaw, all nestled among the bays, lagoons, beaches, parks, mountains, and even in chimneys of extinct volcanoes.
  • The city itself is nestled close to the Tropic of Capricorn. The entrance to the city is marked by a point of land called “Sugar Loaf”.

CULTURE AND ECONOMY OF RIO DE JANEIRO

  • Rio de Janeiro benefits from being an administrative, financial, commercial, and cultural center. Many large companies are headquartered in the city, including the Rio de Janeiro Stock Exchange, Brazilian branches of Shell, Esso, and many pharmaceutical and import-export companies.
  • Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s primary tourist attraction, receiving the most visitors per year of any city in South America. Nearly 3 million international tourists visit per year.
  • Portuguese is the official and national language, but English and Spanish are also spoken in schools.
  • The city’s art and architecture are influenced by Portuguese, English, and French styles, but it has also developed a European-style cultural life.
  • There are several libraries, galleries, and museums in the city.
  • Samba music acts as a unifying agent in the city, but there is also bossa nova, funk, hip-hop, and urban styles weaved in.
  • Carnival, an annual celebration, is one of the most recognized festivals in the world.
  • Association football is the most popular sport in Rio.
  • In 2014, Rio de Janeiro hosted the FIFA World Cup.
  • The 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were also held in the city.
  • One of the most popular sea sports in the city is yachting.

Rio de Janeiro Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Rio de Janeiro across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Rio de Janeiro worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Rio de Janeiro which is the second-most populous municipality in Brazil and the sixth-most populous city in the Americas. It is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro and was founded in 1565 by the Portuguese. It is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is known for its famous Carnival.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Rio de Janeiro Facts
  • Rio de Janeiro in Modern Times
  • Environmental Concerns
  • Rio de Janeiro Wordsearch
  • Cuisine in Rio
  • The World-Famous Carnival
  • Portuguese Translation Challenge
  • The Zones of Rio de Janeiro
  • Rio de Janeiro Crossword
  • The Life of Pedro Álvares Cabral
  • Postcard from Rio

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Link will appear as Rio de Janeiro Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 25, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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