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Rio De Janeiro (Simply RIO a city and seaport)

or simply RIO, a city and seaport, capital of Brazil and of the province of the same name, and the largest and most important commercial city of South America; on the W. side of one of the finest bays in the world, 80 miles W. of Cape Frio. The city stands on a tongue of land close to the shore, on the W. side of the bay, at the foot of several high mountains which rise behind it. The houses are generally built of stone or brick. The streets are straight, well paved, and have excellent footpaths. The convents RIO DE ORO and churches are numerous, but none of them can be called fine buildings. The cathedral is of a superior style of architecture . Parallel with the beach runs the main street, Primeiro de Marco, from which the minor streets branch off at right angles and are intersected by others at regular distances. The former imperial palace, now the National Museum, skirts the beach, and is seen to great advantage from the landing-place, which is within 60 yards of its entrance.

The other public buildings are the naval and military arsenal, a public hospital, a national library containing about 300,- 000 volumes, colleges, and other educational and charitable establishments. It has, besides, several scientific institutions, a museum of natural history, a botanic garden, and a theater. The harbor is one of the bor is one of the finest known, and indeed can scarcely be excelled for capaciousness and the security which it affords to vessels of every description.

The entrance into it from the sea does not exceed a mile from point to point; it afterward widens to about three or four miles, and is commanded in every direction with heavy batteries-all the numerous little islands with which it is interspersed being crowned with artillery. This city is the chief mart of Brazil, and especially of the provinces of Minas-Geraes Minas-Geraes, São Paulo, Goyaz, and Grosso. The manufacturing interests are comparatively unimportant. The imports in 1918 were valued at $119,- 419,000, the exports at $65,427,000. Pop. about 1,200,000. The first settlement at Rio, made by the French, dates back to 1555. The Portuguese founded the city proper in 1567, and it became the capital gal was in residence at Rio from 1808 of Brazil in 1762. The court of Portuto 1821.