brazilians from different backgrounds have intermarried throughout the centuries so that today many cariocas have a complex ancestral story - over time many racial lines have been blurred in brazil.

this colorful mixture of ethnicities had an impact on many aspects of brazilian culture, from the food to the music - the rhythms of rio de janeiro are based upon samba, which was shaped by the large population of brasilians of african descent.

brazilian architecture also bears the hallmark of cultural diversity - the southern section of the country hosts several small towns and villages inhabited by descendants of european settlers - rio de janeiro's architectural landscape is varied and often very impressive as each of its neighborhoods maintain a particular style - one of the city's highlights is praça xv, known as the imperial square, where the royal family of portugal established the royal palace.