Baixada Fluminense

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The Baixada Fluminense (Fluminense Lowlands or Fluminense Flats) is a region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between the city of Rio de Janeiro to the south and the Serra dos Órgãos hills to the north, and bordering on Guanabara Bay. Its government is separate from that of the city of Rio de Janeiro, but depending on the writer it is often considered to be part of the city’s greater metropolitan area. The region’s population is about three million, making it the second most populous region in the state, following only the city of Rio de Janeiro itself.

The Baixada Fluminense includes the towns of Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu, São João de Meriti, Nilópolis, Belford Roxo, Queimados and Mesquita, all north of the city of Rio De Janeiro. The towns of Magé and Guapimirim (to the east), and Japeri, Paracambi, Seropédica and Itaguaí (to the west and the northwest) are also sometimes included in this region.

[edit] History

Until the 19th century, the region was known as the Baixada da Guanabara. It experienced some development during the 18th century, when it was an important corridor for transporting gold mined in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais, and in the following century was one of the first regions to develop coffee plantations. However, during the reign of Emperor Pedro II the region suffered serious economic decline due to the creation of railroads, which led to a sharp decline in the traffic on the region’s rivers and roads.

In the beginning of the 20th century the area experienced a great influx of persons arriving from other areas of the country in search of a better quality of life near the then-capital Rio de Janeiro, and implemented large drainage projects in order to improve conditions. In the second half of the 20th century, the region began to suffer from a reputation for poverty, crime, and inadequate social services, which continues to this day.