the area is divided between highly populated neighborhoods, forests and parks. it is made up of 41 official neighborhoods, which extend across the whole social spectrum of rio, with areas of great affluence, yet others with some of the lowest median income in the city. included in this vast mix is the modern barra da tijuca, the tropical joá, and the immense campo grande.

this huge area spans across part of the exotic parque national da tijuca (tijuca national park), as well as the expansive parque estadual da pedra branca(pedra branca state park) - rio's two grand parks, and it is bordered by picturesque beaches, which hem its coast.