The name is due to a misunderstanding: Martim Afonso de Souza discovered the cove to January 1, 1532 and mistook it for a great river
when the portuguese "colonos" first saw the guanabara bay, they thought it was the end of a river (Rio), and since that was in January (janeiro) they named the city they founded there Rio de janeiro (January's river). The harbor was discovered in January. The name means river of January. It was named in Portuguese after the date the Portuguese discovered it.
Rio de Janeiro is Portuguese for River of January.
It literally translates as River of January, or "January River".
River of January.
São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro means "River of January" in Portuguese. The name originates from the explorers who arrived in the area in January 1502 and mistakenly thought the Guanabara Bay was the mouth of a river.
Rio de Janeiro, which translates to "River of January" in Portuguese, received its name from the Portuguese explorers who arrived in January 1502. They mistakenly thought the Guanabara Bay was the mouth of a river, leading them to name the area "Rio de Janeiro." The name reflects the timing of their discovery rather than any actual river, as the bay is an estuary.
"Rio de Janeiro" is portuguese for "River of January"
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro literally means in Portuguese, January River. The place where the future city would grow was first discovered in January, 1502.
River of JanuaryRio de Janeiro is Portuguese language. That means "River of January" in English.
that river does not exists. its unknown what motivated they put this name in that city