at a glance

the four zones of rio de janeiro differ significantly in size and compositions. in terms of area, the smallest is the central zone, usually referred to simply as 'centro' - in fact centro is also the name of an actual neighborhood within the 'centro' zone, which comprises a total of 12 neighborhoods.

in spite of the geographical size its economical and cultural importance cannot be understated, as it contains most of the administrative buildings of rio de janeiro as well as the headquarters of many vital companies and cultural centers.