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Rio de Janeiro ("River of January", pronounced [ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu] in Brasilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English), is the second largest city of Brasil, behind São Paulo. The city is capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It was the capital of Brasil for almost two centuries, from 1763 to 1822 while it was a Portuguese colony and from 1822 to 1960 as an independent nation. It was the capital of the Portuguese Empire from 1808 to 1821. Commonly known as just Rio, the city is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa, or "The Marvelous City". |