The Selarón Steps in Rio are covered in what?

Colorful tiles from around the world

Graffiti portraits of football stars

The Tijuca Forest in Rio is famous for being what?

A dry desert park full of cacti

A mangrove forest floating on the bay

Rio de Janeiro Quiz: Sugarloaf, Samba and Beaches of Brazil

This Rio de Janeiro quiz explores Brazil's most famous city, with questions on what its name means, Corcovado, the Sugarloaf Mountain cable car, Copacabana and Ipanema, the song The Girl from Ipanema, the Maracanã stadium, the Selarón Steps, the 2016 Olympics, Rio's years as a capital and the Tijuca Forest. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Names
What does Rio de Janeiro mean in Portuguese?
Mountains
Christ the Redeemer, completed in 1931, looks over Rio from the top of which mountain?
Cable cars
The cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain first opened in which year?
Songs
Which bossa nova song, written in 1962, made one of Rio's beaches world-famous?
Stadiums
The Maracanã hosted the deciding match of which World Cup, watched by about 200,000 fans?
Art
The Selarón Steps in Rio are covered in what?
Olympics
In 2016, Rio became the first South American city to host what?
Capitals
Rio de Janeiro was Brazil's capital until 1960, when the capital moved where?
Royalty
In 1808, Rio became the capital of which European empire when its royal family fled Napoleon?
Forests
The Tijuca Forest in Rio is famous for being what?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What does Rio de Janeiro mean in Portuguese?
Answer: River of January
Portuguese explorers arrived in January 1502 and mistook Guanabara Bay for the mouth of a river. Residents are called cariocas.
Q2: Christ the Redeemer, completed in 1931, looks over Rio from the top of which mountain?
Answer: Corcovado
Corcovado is about 700 meters high. The statue was completed in 1931 and named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
Q3: The cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain first opened in which year?
Answer: 1912
It was one of the first cable cars in the world. The ride has two stages, stopping first at Morro da Urca.
Q4: Which bossa nova song, written in 1962, made one of Rio's beaches world-famous?
Answer: The Girl from Ipanema
Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes wrote it about a girl who walked past their favorite bar. The bar is now called Garota de Ipanema.
Q5: The Maracanã hosted the deciding match of which World Cup, watched by about 200,000 fans?
Answer: 1950
Uruguay beat Brazil 2–1 in a shock result known in Brazil as the Maracanazo. The stadium also hosted the 2014 World Cup final.
Q6: The Selarón Steps in Rio are covered in what?
Answer: Colorful tiles from around the world
Chilean artist Jorge Selarón decorated the 215 steps with more than 2,000 tiles from over 60 countries. He worked on them for about 20 years.
Q7: In 2016, Rio became the first South American city to host what?
Answer: The Summer Olympics
The opening ceremony took place at the Maracanã. Brazil won its first Olympic gold medal in men's football at those Games.
Q8: Rio de Janeiro was Brazil's capital until 1960, when the capital moved where?
Answer: Brasília
Brasília was built from scratch in about four years. Salvador had been the capital before Rio, until 1763.
Q9: In 1808, Rio became the capital of which European empire when its royal family fled Napoleon?
Answer: The Portuguese Empire
It was the only time a European capital moved to the Americas. King João VI returned to Lisbon in 1821.
Q10: The Tijuca Forest in Rio is famous for being what?
Answer: One of the world's largest urban forests
Much of it was replanted by hand in the 1860s after coffee farms cleared the land. Monkeys, toucans and waterfalls can be found there.

Rio de Janeiro Quiz – The Marvelous City

Rio de Janeiro, called the Cidade Maravilhosa, or Marvelous City, is Brazil's most famous city and one of the most beautiful urban landscapes in the world. Set between green mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, around Guanabara Bay, it is known for beaches, samba, football and the Christ the Redeemer statue. Its landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Portuguese explorers arrived in January 1502 and named the bay the River of January. The city grew into a major port, and in 1763 it became the capital of colonial Brazil. In 1808, the Portuguese royal family fled Napoleon and moved its court to Rio, making it the capital of a European empire. Rio remained Brazil's capital until Brasília took over in 1960.

Rio's landmarks are world-famous. Christ the Redeemer stands on Corcovado, and a cable car rises to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are lined with wave-patterned promenades, and the Maracanã stadium is a temple of football. The Selarón Steps link Lapa and Santa Teresa.

Culture fills the city. Samba schools prepare all year for Carnival, parading through the Sambadrome designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Bossa nova was born in Rio's apartments and bars in the late 1950s. The Tijuca Forest, one of the world's largest urban forests, offers hiking among waterfalls.

Cariocas love the beach, football, music and snacks such as pão de queijo and açaí bowls. Rio hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Rio is also a city of contrasts. Favelas climb the hillsides next to wealthy neighborhoods, and community projects bring art, music and tourism to areas such as Vidigal and Santa Marta. The Museum of Tomorrow, opened in 2015, has helped renew the old port district.

This quiz covers the history, landmarks, music and sports of Rio de Janeiro.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for travelers, football fans and music lovers.

What Rio de Janeiro's name means
Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain
Ipanema, bossa nova and the Selarón Steps
The Maracanã and the 2016 Olympics
Rio's history as a capital
The Tijuca Forest

Quick Facts About Rio de Janeiro

Copacabana's wave-patterned promenade was designed by Roberto Burle Marx.
Rio's New Year's Eve party on Copacabana draws millions.
The Lapa Arches are an 18th-century aqueduct.
A historic tram climbs to the Santa Teresa neighborhood.
Rio is Brazil's second-largest city after São Paulo.
The city's carnival parade is broadcast around the world.