Rio de Janeiro is one of the 26 states of Brazil (plus the Federal District). It is situated on the southeastern coast; its capital city is the city of Rio de Janeiro, which was the colony's first capital as of 1763. The population is approximately 15,000,000 people. Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of the Federation, and major industries include oil extraction and refinery, chemicals, and naval construction. In addition, the state is home to some of the most successful Brazilian companies, such as Petrobras and Banco do Brazil. The per capita income is higher than the entire country's, and the size of the economy is comparable to that of Chile, Ireland, Portugal, and Denmark.

Rio de Janeiro is the name of the city in southeastern Brazil, commonly known as just Rio. Rio is famous for the dance called the Samba, its hotel-lined beaches, its black and cream decorative mosaic pavements, and, especially, for the well known giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer, at the peak of the Corcovado mountain. Otherwise, it's known for its yearly Carnivale celebration. Rio also has the biggest forest inside an urban region, called Floresta de Tijuca (Tijuca Forest). The population of Rio is approximately 7,000,000 people; it is Brazil's second largest city. Rio was Brazil's capital city until 1960, when Brasilia took its place. The city is divided between a historic center, a tourist center, an industrial center, and a newer region. Approximately 15 percent of Rio's population lives amidst poverty. The worst of the poorer areas are the slums and shanty towns known as favelas.