Brazil, with a population of just over two hundred million people, is one of the largest nations in the world in terms of numbers. Most Brazilians (more than 80%) live in cities. The largest cities in Brazil are inhabited by more than a million people. These are modern megacities, with their cultural and historical monuments.
Major Cities of Brazil - List
The largest settlements are located mainly in the west of the country:
- Brazil.
- Manaus.
- Curitiba.
- Recefi.
- Porto Alegre.
- Salvador.
- Rio de Janeiro.
- Fortaleza.
- Sao Paulo.
Today we will take a short tour of some of these cities.
Brazil
Very bright and original country Brazil. The capital and major cities are distinguished by diversity and national flavor. We will start our acquaintance with them from the capital of the country - the city of Brasilia.
He is still very young. It was founded in 1960 on the bank of an artificial reservoir. The population of the city is 2.2 million people.
The modern capital of the country is located in its central parton a plateau, at an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level. There are two rivers nearby - the Preto and the Descobertu. It is no coincidence that such a location of the city was chosen. It was recognized as the most advantageous from a military and strategic point of view.
The climate here is tropical, with rainy summers and sunny and dry winters. The average air temperature is +21 °C, with seasonal fluctuations from +15 to +30 °C throughout the year. The hottest month is September.
Sao Paulo
This largest city in Brazil is the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in the South-East of the country, in the valley of the Tiete River. The distance from the city to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean is 70 kilometers. The area of Sao Paulo is 1523 square kilometers. The population is over eleven million, making it one of the most densely populated cities in the southern hemisphere.
In the city you can see buildings of different styles and eras. There are many old buildings, churches and museums. But at the same time, Sao Paulo is a modern city in Brazil. Most of its territory is built up with huge skyscrapers. At the same time, such a neighborhood of styles does not seem alien or far-fetched. Experts assure that the oldest church can look harmoniously against the background of a modern building.
Rio de Janeiro
Calling the largest cities in Brazil, one cannot but mention Rio de Janeiro. This is the second city in Brazil, second only to Sao Paulo, the center of the state of the same name. I would especially like to note that for 196 years (from 1764 to 1960) this city was the capital of the country.
Formerthe capital is located on the shores of Guanabara Bay, covers an area of 1256 square kilometers. About seven million people live in the city, and about thirteen million live in Greater Rio.
This is a city of contrasts. Wretched dwellings huddle on the slopes of the surrounding mountains. These are the poorest areas of the former capital - favelas. They are inhabited by several million people. In these areas, the standard of living is very low, often there are no basic amenities, hospitals, schools, etc. As a result, a difficult crime situation is developing in the favelas.
And right next to it is modern architecture, luxurious houses, hot-tempered citizens and surprisingly calm police officers. The city is located between the ocean and mountains. Forest thickets can be seen in the center of Rio de Janeiro, and modern new skyscrapers are being built on the outskirts of the city.
Salvador
The largest cities in Brazil are represented in our article by Salvador. Founded in 1549. Until 1763 it was the capital of the country. It is an integral part of the Salvador agglomeration mesoregion. The population of the city is 2,892,625 inhabitants. Area - 706, 799 sq. km.
Manaus
Founded in 1669. In those distant times, Fort San Jose was called, and in 1832 it received a new name - Manaus, which translates as "mother of the gods." From 1848 it received the official status of a city. In Northern Brazil, it is the second largest. The population is 1.71 million people. Currently, it is a large metropolis with a well-developed infrastructure.
Curitiba
This beautiful city is located in the southBrazil. It is separated from the coast of the ocean by 90 kilometers. It is part of the Parana mesoregion.
Curitiba is considered by many to be the greenest city on the planet. From the language of the local Indians, Curitiba is translated as "a pine place", since Parana pine is common in its vicinity.
The population of the city is 1.85 million people, the agglomeration - more than 3.5 million. As in most of southern Brazil, the bulk of the townspeople are descendants of European settlers from Italy, Austria-Hungary, from the west of the Russian Empire, Germany.
Porto Alegre
On the site of the current city, the first settlement appeared in the middle of the 18th century. In the second half of the 17th century, a city was founded here. By the time Brazil gained independence, Porto Alegre was a very small town. It expanded significantly in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1963, an international student sports competition, the Universiade, was held here.
The city is the capital of the state of the same name with a population of 1,420,667 inhabitants. The city's name means "Happy Port". The climate here is humid and tropical. The air temperature during the year ranges from +15 to +25 degrees.
So we visited the largest cities in Brazil. Of course, this is not a complete list. For those who are interested in the history and culture of this sunny country, we advise you to spend your holidays here.
