Rio de Janeiro is truly still beautiful. The City, ever more Marvelous. With its natural beauty, one of the most beautiful seashores in the world, comprised of 14 beaches, the contagious, heartwarming joy of six million inhabitants spread over 159 districts, a unique and highly animated cultural diversity and life, this postcard of Brazil receives the world with open arms.

Rio is Carioca; it is Brazilian; it is international. It is feeling at home even though you live on the other side of the world and do not speak a word of Portuguese.

Rio is festive. The city’s cultural fervor is so great that it is common to have events where the turnout exceeds one million people. Some examples of this are the New Year’s celebration, Carnaval, sports events such as the 2004 Athens Olympic Torch Relay and rock concerts on the beach, such as Live Earth and the Rolling Stones.

The Marvelous City is enjoyed by illustrious residents, including athletes, artists and intellectuals and it offers diverse leisure options for those who live here or those just passing through, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The famous cable car that takes you to the breathtaking view from atop the Sugar Loaf; the adventures of hang gliding; the classic matches at the world symbol for this nation of soccer shoes, Maracanã Stadium; the traditional nightlife of Lapa; the exuberant Marina da Glória; Colombo bakery, the brand of Rio gastronomic value. There are countless leisure options. From the pedal boat rides on the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon to the habitual walks along the Copacabana Boardwalk, the Rio resident participates in every activity the city offers. All this under the watchful blessing of Christ the Redeemer, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

A visit to Tijuca Forest, the largest urban forest in the world, is an outing for people of all ages and they can also climb Morro da Urca or hang glide from Pedra da Gávea. The practice of sports is greatly highlighted in the city’s everyday life and it is facilitated by the pleasant year round climate with sunshine most every day.

Holding the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the city will permit the competitors to participate in competitions in a mild climate, just right for obtaining excellent results. The temperature will only heat up with the highly disputed competitions in the pools and on the fields and courts.

Public transportation will receive three large projects that will efficiently connect the Barra with all the other regions, providing commodity, speed and safety for transporting all accredited personnel and spectators. The fleet runs on alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, alcohol and natural gas. This not only demonstrates Rio’s but Brazil’s concern as well with preservation of the environment. In order to make the city even more beautiful, the Barra’s lagoons will be depolluted and programs will be put in place for environmental awareness, sanitation sustainable development, garbage handling and gas reductions.

Besides its natural beauty and captivating people, Rio de Janeiro is on the country's main economic centers. Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and it is ranked 11th in the world (Austing Ratings, 2006) with a Gross Domestic Product of US$ 795 billion. With monetary stability and the growth in purchasing power of its large internal market, with an estimated population of 189 inhabitants, the country attracts increasingly more investments. Rio is one of the main ports of entry for these capitals with its varied industry (where the oil, naval and chemical sectors stand out) and strong hotel sector. Thanks in part to the city’s vocation for tourism, the service sector is responsible for 65% of the employed population according to Ministry of Labor data.

The recent holding of the Rio 2007 Pan-American and Parapan-American Games also contributed with significant economic gains for the city due to the growth in the number of jobs in sectors such as civil construction and tourism. IBGE surveys showed that the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region saw a sharp decrease in unemployment during the Pan-American Games.

Together, the creation of jobs and the volunteer program for Rio 2007 resulted in the training of skilled labor in different areas, generating immediate and future benefits. The 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will certainly benefit from this and they will repeat it in even greater numbers, significantly contributing to the creation of opportunities for Brazilian youths.