Rio de Janeiro Environment
Situated along the Atlantic Ocean, Rio de Janeiro and its surrounding region are among the most environmentally diverse in the world. In terms of physical landscape, the environment of Rio de Janeiro consists of two geographic areas. The first is a narrow system of plains that hug the ocean for approximately 636 km, which locals refer to as the baixada. This is abutted by a plateau that runs parallel to the ocean plain and extends further inland. The city of Rio de Janeiro straddles the rolling hills and crags where these two topographical regions meet.
The area surrounding Rio de Janeiro is part of the ‘Mata Atlântica,’ or Atlantic Forest. This unique area is home to a number of endangered species of monkeys such as the Marmoset and the Lion Tamarin. These species were on the verge of extinction as large tracts of the Mata Atlântica had been cleared for sugarcane and coffee farming during the centuries Brazil was a Portuguese colony.
In recent years, however, the government of Brazil has made a concerted effort with the help of international conservation groups to preserve the precious environment of Rio de Janeiro. In the mid-1800s local inhabitants grew tired of the deforested landscape and began planting what is now known as Floresta da Tijuca, or Tijuca Forest. Covering approximately thirty-two square kilometers, this element of Rio de Janeiro’s environment is among the most unique in the world. In fact, it is the largest urban forest on the planet, and is one of the largest forests planted by man.
Numerous peaks can be found throughout Tijuca Forest. One such mountain top is the ‘Corcovado,’ which means ‘Hunchback’ in English. At the top of this 710 meter tall mountain, Rio de Janeiro’s famous statue of Christ the Redeemer can be found. With 54 plotted routes, this granite peak is quite popular amongst mountain climbers.
Another such peak to be found in the Rio de Janeiro city limits is the ‘Pedra da Gávea,’ which stands as Rio de Janeiro’s tallest mountain at 842 meters. Though ‘Pedra da Gávea’ means ‘Rock of the Topsail’ in Brazilian Portuguese, the granite peak’s front resembles a face more than a piece of nautical equipment. This, along with a supposed ancient inscription found carved into the cliff face, has given rise to a local legend that says the rock actually holds the likeness of a Phoenician king who is purported to have visited the area some three thousand years ago.
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