rio de janeiro's official tree is the jequitibá-açu (Cariniana ianerensis), selected through a vote and one of the most important and endangered trees of the atlantic rainforest (mata atlântica) and typically carioca.

september is also the month of rock in rio - consistently featuring a lineup worthy of its remarkable history.

the 7 day festival, started nearly 40 years ago at the end of the military dictatorship, and represented the beginning of a new era of openness in the cultural and public life of rio and the country as a whole.

spread out across two weekends at the stadium and olympic site, it featured international superstars such as beyoncé, justin timberlake, alicia keys, bon jovi and bruce springsteen as well as brazilian favorites maria rita, zeca baleiro, kimbra + olodum, and sepultura.