Rocinha — The second largest slum in Latin America

More than 100,000 people live in a square kilometer ….

Rocinha is the largest favela in Brazil, located in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro and the most developed. Indeed, in recent years, the slum, which was the center of crime, is somewhat safe and upgraded to a “neighborhood.”

Rocinha is the largest hill favela in Rio de Janeiro

Most of the favela is on a very steep hill, with the pictures showing the ultimate building chaos. Initially, the houses were made of containers, but in recent years most were replaced by buildings made of concrete and bricks.

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Photo source Leszek Wasilewski

Some buildings are three-storey or four-storey, and almost all homes have basic hygiene, plumbing and electricity.

Compared to the simple cities of Brazil or the other slums, Rocinha has a better-developed infrastructure and hundreds of businesses, such as banks, pharmacies, cable TV, including a local TV channel.

For many years, the slum was controlled by drug dealers, and gang conflicts are frequent with the Police.

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Photo source chensiyuan

The population of Rocinha is estimated to be between 150,000 and 300,000, although the official 2010 census reported only 69,161 people.

The dense construction and spectacle of the hillside with the shacks has inspired cinematic productions, including The Incredible Hulk, while writers wrote books about it and renowned composer Philippe Glas, inspired a orchestral piece.

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