at a glance

jacarezinho is a favela neighborhood located in the north zone (zona norte) of rio de janeiro. nearby bairros (neighborhoods) include jacaré, maria da graça, méier, and eng. novo.

the favela jacarezinho translates into little jacaré. it is named after the bordering neighborhood of jacaré, which in turn owes its name to the rio jacaré - jacaré river. jacaré is a portuguese word meaning alligator or, in this case the caiman. however, the area's name and that of the river, actually comes from the word yacaré, which describes the river crooked or winding characteristic.

contrary to what they name might suggest, jacarezinho among rio's largest favelas and it is comprable in size to rocinha and complexo do alemão. following the second world war, thousands were attracted to the bairro and the neighboring méier district in search of employment. the urbanization and development process of the area was aided by the arrival of the railroad, and the area continue to undergo rapid changes throughout its recent history.