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Rio De Janeiro Districts
Home » Brazil » Rio De Janeiro - Overview and History » Rio De Janeiro DistrictsThe city is commonly divided into the historic center called Centro, the tourist-friendly South Zone with its famous beaches, the industrial North Zone and the West Zone.
In Centro, better known as Downtown, sites of interest include the Paco Imperial that was built during the colonial times to serve as a residence to the Portuguese governors of Brazil, many historic churches, the Municipal Theatre and several museums. Centro remains the heart of the city’s business community. The Bondinho, a trolley car, leaves from the city center station, crosses a former Roman-style aqueduct, the Arcos da Lapa, which was built in 1750 and converted to a tram viaduct in 1896. It rambles through the nearby hilly streets of the Santa Teresa neighborhood.
The South Zone of Rio is composed of several districts that make up Rio’s famous beach coastline. These districts include Sao Conrado, Leblon, Ipanema, Arpoador, Copacabana and Leme. Other districts include Botafogo, Flamengo and Urca. South Zone features include the Sugarloaf Mountain, the New Year’s Eve party on the Copacabana beach and the Tijuca Forest, which is the largest urban forest in the world.
The North Zone of Rio is home to the Maracana stadium, which has the world’s highest seating capacity of nearly 200,000 people. The International Airport of Rio de Janeiro and the Governador Island are also located in the Northern part of Rio.
The West Zone is the region furthest from the center of Rio de Janeiro. It includes Barra de Tijuca, Jacarepagua, Recreio dos Bandeiranties, Santa Cruz and Bangu. This area has industrial zones, but some agricultural areas still remain in its wide area. The urban planning of the area in the late 1960s resembles that of United States suburbs. High rise flats and sprawling shopping centers give the area a far more American feel than the crowded city centers. The beaches of Barra da Tijuca are also popular with the city’s residents. Barra da Tijuca is the home for the 2007 Pan American Games.
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