HOsting cities

Rio de Janeiro, commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil, third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America and the sixth largest in the Americas.

The city lies on a strip of Brazil's Atlantic coast, close to the Tropic of Capricorn. Rio de Janeiro is known for its natural settings, carnival celebrations, samba, Bossa Nova, beaches such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. the Centre "centro", the core of Rio, lies on the plains of the western shore of Guanabara Bay.

Some of the most famous landmarks, in addition to the beaches, include the giant statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açucar) with its cable car; the Sambodromo, a permanent parade avenue lined with grandstands which is used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums.

The city hosted the 2007 Pan American Games and will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup final and the 2016 Olympic Games.

Niteroi is 14 km distant from Rio de Janeiro city, to which it is linked by the Rio-Niterói bridge and two ferry-boat services. This city was founded on November 22, 1573 by the Tupi Amerindian chief Araribóia (who later was converted to Roman Catholicism and given the Christian name of Martim Afonso, after the Portuguese explorer Martim Afonso de Sousa). It makes Niteroi the only Brazilian city to have been founded by a non-Christian, non-assimilated Brazilian Amerindian.

Niteroi is the third most visited of Rio de Janeiro State and is known by its beaches, like Icarai and Sao Francisco. A very famous site is the Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.