Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most populous city in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro became the colonial capital in 1763 and was the capital of independent Brazil from 1822 until 1960, when the national capital was moved to the new city of Brasília. Despite loss of the status, funding, and employment it had enjoyed as Brazil’s capital, Rio de Janeiro not only survived but thrived as a commercial and financial centre, as well as a tourist magnet.
