Rio de Janeiro
re'o da zha-na'e-ro, the capital of Brazil and second largest city of South America. It is situated on the western coast of the harbor of the same name. The latter is considered one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world. It is entered by a narrow passage, but the bay expands immediately into a broad area comprising over fifty square miles. It is surrounded by rolling bluffs crowned with luxurious vegetation. The city itself was built on a low, ill-drained, flat, unsanitary tract, and was once a "mere chessboard of shabby, narrow streets." All this has been changed. The entire city has been provided with a sewerage system. There are numerous public squares adorned with tropical plants and cooled by stately fountains. Elevated suburbs on the surrounding heights afford delightful places of residence. Since 1750 water has been brought into the city by means of an imposing stone aqueduct resting on a double tier of arches. The water secured in this way is cool and of excellent quality. Among the buildings of note are the royal palace, the exchange, the postoffice, and the custom house. A fine municipal opera house, a national library, a school of fine arts, and other public buildings are arranged along a new central avenue. There are over fifty church buildings, built after what is known as the Jesuit style. A well kept botanic garden in one of the suburbs is a feature of interest. The citizens are fond of outdoor life. One street is given over entirely to cafes, bookstores, and the like, forming a general rendezvous. The city has manufactures of cotton cloth, furniture, and iron goods. The national arsenal is located here.
The railways center at the capital city. It has a foreign commerce of considerable importance. Over 2,000 ships, including coasting vessels, clear annually. "Rio" coffee is the chief export. Minor articles are brandy, sugar, hides, diamonds, tapioca, tobacco, medicinal herbs, gold dust, rosewood, and forest products. The bay has been filled with silt gradually, until ships of heavy draft have difficulty in approaching the shore. An artificial quay to cost many millions of dollars is under process of construction. A heavy wall of masonry is built at the edge of deep water, providing over two miles of wharfage. The space between the wharves and the old shore has been filled with earth, giving opportunity for the erection of warehouses and for the construction of railways. Beginning in 1903 the city expended $35,000,000 in public improvements.
The population of Rio de Janeiro in 1907 was 811,265. The present dominant element is Portuguese. The city has a system of electric street cars and is well lighted. The current is obtained from a water power situated fifty miles inland. The climate is tropical. The average rainfall is about sixty inches. Rio de Janeiro is the greatest coffee market and the largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world.