Browse / Brazil / Rio de Janeiro / Nova Iguaçu
Nova Iguaçu
Rio de Janeirocity
Nova Iguaçu
Total population
785,867
Founded
1833
Demographic figures from IBGE. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Nova Iguaçu is a municipality in Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
Before the Portuguese arrived in Rio de Janeiro (in 1503), the Jacutinga Indians already inhabited the western bank of the Iguaçu River. This Indigenous tribe helped the French when they arrived in the region. Around 1565, after the expulsion of the French from Guanabara Bay, the village of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro was founded. There was at that time intense piracy promoted by French, British and Dutch privateers on the coast of the new Portuguese colony. In 1575, the then governor of the captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, Antônio Salema, joined a Portuguese army supported by a troop of Amerindians indoctrinated with the purpose of exterminating the French and Tamoio area that had lasted for twenty years on the eastern coast of the captaincy. Fearful of losing their lands, the Tamoios still allied with the French, but were virtually wiped out because of the uprising, called the War of Cabo Frio. The victorious troops wiped out about 500 natives, enslaving other 1500. There were sentenced to be hanged two French, one English and one tupinambá shaman. Nevertheless, the troops entered the interior, burning villages and killing thousands of Tamoios. The War of Cabo Frio resulted, apart from the massacre, in the complete expulsion of the French in the region. However, other European pirates, mainly British and Dutch, continued to steal Brazil wood, showing the War mostly useless, since the absence of colonization on the coast of Rio de Janeiro continued to provide profit to European privateers. There was no interest in colonizing the region of Cabo Frio after this massacre, but the settlers decided to populate the Recôncavo Fluminense (area around Guanabara Bay). They began to settle on the banks of major rivers in the region, especially the rivers Iguaçu, Meriti,…
Geography
The city is named after the Iguaçu River that runs through it and empties into Guanabara Bay (not to be confused with the Iguaçu River in Paraná state, which forms the Iguaçu Falls). It is part of the Greater Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. It was the state's second largest city in population until Mesquita was split off, and now it is the fourth largest behind São Gonçalo, Duque de Caxias and the state capital, Rio de Janeiro. It lies northwest of Rio de Janeiro, in the centre of the northern part of its metropolitan area, Baixada Fluminense. The current mayor is Rogério Lisboa (PR). The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nova Iguaçu. Nova Iguaçu has an estimated population of around 800,000 people. Although not best defined as a commuter town, it is a suburb of Rio de Janeiro under the influence of the capital – to which tens of thousands of workers and students commute daily, or visit regularly for options in culture, entertainment, goods, health care, etc. It is a city of average, lower middle income. There are a few historical and ecotouristical attractions in the municipality. The municipality contains part of the Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic of conservation units, created in 2006. It contains part of the Tinguá Biological Reserve, a strictly protected Atlantic Forest conservation unit created in 1989. It also contains the Jaceruba Environmental Protection Area, created in 2002. The municipality contains part of the Mendanha State Park, created in 2013.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Air quality
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Earthquake history
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
Geography & sun
Nearby airports
Public attention
Books about this place
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).
Events
Gallery
Official Identifiers
IBGE — Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
- IBGE code
- 3303500
- UF
- RJ
- Mesorregião
- Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro
- Microrregião
- Rio de Janeiro
servicodados.ibge.gov.br
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • Wikidata
- • iNaturalist
- • Wikidata SPARQL (CC0) — population, area, elevation, inception, head of government, Commons image
- • IBGE — Brazilian national statistics, via servicodados.ibge.gov.br (official municipal code, UF, mesorregião, microrregião, region)
- • IBGE — Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics — servicodados.ibge.gov.br