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From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium

Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city of Brazil (after São Paulo), and the former capital of the country until the 1960s, when it was replaced by the planned city of Brasília.

Founded in 1565 as São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, the city is famous nowadays for its many touristic attractions, most notably its famous beaches (like Copacabana and Ipanema), its carnival celebrations, the Christ the Redeemer statue on the top of Corcovado Mountain and the Sugar Loaf Hill (Pão de Açucar).