rio de janeiro is the cultural capital of brazil and a major financial, commercial, and transportation center. estimated at about 150 billion reals, rio de janeiro is the city with the second mayor gdp in brazil. the metropolitan region of rio de janeiro, constitutes the second largest hub of wealth in brazil, and 70% of rio de janeiro state's strength.

benefiting from being the federal capital of brazil for nearly two hundred years (1763-1960), rio evolved into a dynamic administrative, financial, commercial and cultural center. rio is home to a solid infrastructure with one international airport, a domestic airport, two subway lines, several inter-municipal rail-way lines, and a public transportation network of hundreds of bus lines and thousands of buses.