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Home > Travel South America > South America Destinations > Niteroi
Niteroi
South America is the fourth largest continent of the Western Hemisphere. It is divided politically into 12 independent countries namely Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela and the overseas department of French Guiana. The continent extends to 7,640 kilometers from Punta Gallinas, Colombia, in the north to Cape Horn, Chile, in the south.
At its broadest point, near where it is crossed by the equator, the continent extends to 5,300 kilometers from east to west. South America is connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama. It is washed on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Topographically the continent is divided into three sections namely the South American cordillera, the interior lowlands, and the continental shield. Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion and Portuguese and Spanish are the primary languages of the continent.
Niteroi is a city in Brazil, in the state of Rio de Janeiro with a population of about 470,000 inhabitants. The municipality spreads over 130 square kilometers. The city was founded on November 22, 1573 by a Tupi Indian named Arariboia. It is the only Brazilian city to have been founded by an indigenous Brazilian.
During the period Rio de Janeiro State was divided in two Rio de Janeiro and State of Guanabara, where the national capital was. Niteroi was elevated to capital of Rio de Janeiro State by the Ato Adicional of 1834 and served this function during this period. The city was officially renamed from Vila Real da Praia Grande to Niteroi on March 6, 1835 after the Tupi Nictheroy when it was also elevated from village to city status. The old spelling persisted until the mid-20th century.
Quality of life in Niteroi is one of the best among 5,600 Brazilian cities according to United Nations standards. The Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum, the city's landmark, was designed by the famous Brazilian modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. In the early 1990s, the administrative division of Niteroi was altered.
Niteroi, justifiably so, enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers, and is one of the most visited place. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origin back to prehistoric times.
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