Highlights of Rio de Janeiro State

With 43,653km², Rio de Janeiro is one of the smallest state in Brazil. It has, however, the second longest coastline in the country, extending com 850 km. Its capital is the city of Rio de Janeiro, which was the capital of the Portuguese colony as of 1763 (the first capital being Salvador), capital of the United Kingdom of Brazil, Portugal and Algarves as of 1806 and the capital of independent Brazil from 1822 to 1960. The state is part of the Atlantic Rain Forest biome, and its topography comprises both mountains and plains. The coast is carved by the bays of Guanabara, Sepetiba, and Ilha Grande.

Facts and Numbers:

• Area: 43,653km²
• Capital: City of Rio de Janeiro
• Most populous cities: Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iguaçu, Niterói, Duque de Caxias, São Gonçalo, São João de Meriti, Campos dos Goytacazes, Petrópolis, and Volta Redonda.
• Landform: Two distinct morphological areas: a Plain, known as baixada, and a Plateau, which are disposed parallelly from the shoreline to the country side.
• Population: 15,383,407)
• Demonym: Carioca and Fluminense
• Timezone: GMT-3
• Municipalities: 92
• Economy: petroleum, tourism, steel, construction