Photo Courtesy of Google
"If you're not traveling to Brazil for the Summer Olympics, you can still explore the geography and culture of Rio de Janeiro, courtesy of Google.
Rio: Beyond the Map, released to the public July 29, deftly blends archival materials with stunning video, interactive media and profiles of artistic Cariocas, as natives of Rio de Janeiro are called.
The project's title alludes to Rio's favelas, the poorly mapped neighborhoods where 1.4 million people, or 20 percent of the city's population, live without addresses, according to Google's blog post about the project. Mapping these regions is part of another Google initiative, the "On the Map" project. [14 Strangest Sights on Google Earth]
The experience begins with a 360-degree video of a motorcycle taxi ride up a hillside through the narrow, twisting streets of the São Carlos favela. The interactive landscape then allows users to learn more about landmarks, or watch short segments about artists from the favelas."
Read more at LiveScience
