Botafogo
Encyclopedia
Botafogo is a beachfront neighborhood (bairro
Bairro
Bairro is a Portuguese word and refers to a community or region within a city or municipality. Bairros exist in the majority of large cities in the world. Related words in English include neighborhood, district, borough or subdivision...

) in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. It is a mostly middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of Mundo Novo, Dona Marta (which separates it from Laranjeiras
Laranjeiras
Laranjeiras is an upper-middle-class neighborhood located in the Zona Sul area of Rio de Janeiro. Primarily residential, It is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, having been founded in the 17th century, with the construction of country houses in the valley located around the Carioca River,...

) and São João (which separates it from Copacabana).

History

Botafogo was named after João Pereira de Sousa Botafogo, who was responsible for the galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...

 Botafogo's artillery, so he included the ship’s name in his family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...

. When he went to live in Brazil, the Portuguese Crown granted him the land known today as Botafogo. The name literally means "set it on fire" (a reference to the Botafogo galleon's artillery power).

Characteristics

Botafogo's beach is within Guanabara Bay
Guanabara Bay
Guanabara Bay is an oceanic bay located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. On its western shore lies the city of Rio de Janeiro, and on its eastern shore the cities of Niterói and São Gonçalo. Four other municipalities surround the bay's shores...

, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Urca
Urca
Urca is a traditional and wealthy residential neighborhood with nearly 7,000 inhabitants in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although most of the neighborhood dates from the 1920s, parts of it are much older...

 peninsula and Sugarloaf Mountain. Attractions include the Home of Ruy Barbosa
Ruy Barbosa
Ruy Barbosa de Oliveira was a Brazilian writer, jurist, and politician.Born in Salvador da Bahia, he was a federal representative, senator, Minister of Finance and diplomat. For his distinguished participation in the Hague Peace Conference of 1907, he earned the nickname "Eagle of the Hague"...

, the Museu do Índio
Museu do Índio
O Museu do Índio is a cultural and scientific agency of the Fundação Nacional do Índio or FUNAI. It was created by Darcy Ribeiro, in the city of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in 1953...

 — which explores the culture and history of the major indigenous peoples of Brazil — and the Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos was a Brazilian composer, described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the best-known and most significant Latin American composer to date. He wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works...

 Museum. With a high concentration of cafés and cinemas, including several movie theaters that feature arthouse films, Botafogo has a decidedly traditional tone, setting it apart from the nearby beach neighborhoods. It is home to two of the city's largest shopping centers, Botafogo Praia Shopping and RioSul.

Botafogo is the home of Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas , also known as Botafogo and familiarly as Estrela Solitária, is a Brazilian sports club based in Botafogo, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its football team. They play in the Campeonato Carioca, Rio de Janeiro's state league, and the Campeonato...

, a multi-sport club and one of Brazil's biggest soccer teams.

It is served by one metro station: Botafogo.
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