Niterói
Situation and Characteristics
Niterói, formerly capital of Rio de Janeiro state, lies on the east side of Guanabara Bay, opposite the city of Rio de Janeiro, with which it is connected by the Presidente Costa e Silva Bridge (15.5km/9.5mi long, 60m/200ft high).
Bus station
Rua Fróes da Cruz
History
The town was founded in the 16th century under the name of São Lourenço on a piece of land granted by the Portuguese king to an Indian chief named Araribóia, an ally of Portugal against França Antárctica, a colony in Guanabara Bay founded by Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon. In 1819 the settlement was granted the status of vila, and in 1835 it was declared a town. Until 1875, when the states of Guanabara (previously a federal district) and Rio de Janeiro were combined in a single state, it was capital of Rio de Janeiro state.