THE PORT REGION OF RIO DE JANEIRO IN THE 19TH CENTURY: DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS

Abstract This brief article aims at analyzing the port region of Rio de Janeiro in the 19th century, through its urban evolution, in a manner consistent with the demographic dynamics imposed on the city in the global, national and regional spheres. Based on its economic and social characteristics, marked by the operation of the port with the busiest traffic of people and goods in the Southern hemisphere, we will try to demonstrate how the port parishes supported a great population density, being the most populous of the largest and capital city of the Brazilian Empire. We will also try to trace an ethnic-social profile of the population that occupied the region, demonstrating their common character: the poverty.