The largest favela in Brazil and its 5 secrets revealed

If I asked you what the largest favela in Brazil is and where it is, what would your guess be? Come and discover the main secrets of this place!

Everyone knows that the world itself is a place full of inequality, right?

Due to a series of factors – which would not fit into today’s text – not everyone has access to the same opportunities in life. And this means that the social gap that separates the richest from the poorest classes only increases.

Proof of this is the number of favelas that exist in our country and around the world. Most of the people who live in these places have not had many opportunities in life, which has led them to live in these communities.

But do you know which is the largest favela in Brazil and where it is? That's what we're going to find out in today's text!

In addition to understanding a little more about the formation of this community, we will explore some of the main secrets about the largest favela in Brazil!

What is the largest favela in Brazil?

If I asked you to guess which is the largest favela in Brazil, which one would you guess?

Because they are large metropolises and known for being some of the most populated urban centers in Brazil, I bet the first places you thought of were São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, right?

After all, since they are home to millions of people, it is inevitable that the number of favelas will be greater, right? And it is in these two cities that the most well-known favelas in the country are concentrated.

This is true, but the largest favela in Brazil is not in either of these two cities.

The largest favela in Brazil is the Sol Nascente favela, a community located in Brasília.

According to preliminary data from the 2022 Census, this community already has more than 32,000 registered residences there.

This number – indicated by the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) – caused Sol Nascente to dethrone the famous Rocinha, located in Rio de Janeiro.

According to surveys, since 2010, the favela in the capital of Brazil has grown by an impressive 31%. In the Rocinha favela, the increase in the last decade was smaller, reaching around 20%. Currently, Rocinha has almost 31 thousand residences, according to the Census.

In contrast to this growth, preliminary data – which takes into account the entire national territory – indicated that the country has approximately 11,400 favelas, which is a significant reduction if we analyze the data from 2010, which indicated that there were approximately 13,150 favelas throughout the country.

In a way, this is good news, as it may indicate that residents have gained new opportunities and, consequently, improved their lives.

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Discover 5 secrets about the largest favela in Brazil

Now that you know which is the largest favela in Brazil, how about we talk a little more about some of the main secrets of this community? 

Below, we list 5 secrets about the largest favela in Brazil for you to discover.

The position of the largest favela in Brazil, 1st place, was recently 'conquered'

Although it is not a merit that causes pride – since this mark represents an increase in social inequality – the Sol Nascente favela only 'achieved' this mark recently.

Until November of last year, the favela was considered the second largest in the country, with 24,441 homes, and the first place was held by Rocinha, which had 25,742 houses.

The relationship between land and increased occupation

According to Cimar Azeredo, the president of IBGE, the relief itself is also a determining factor for this growth.

According to him, the land where the Sol Nascente favela is located is flatter, which makes access much easier than the land where the Rocinha favela is located. 

Another impressive aspect is its size. This is because the area where the favela is located is around 940 hectares, an area equivalent to 940 football fields.

The other communities that round out the top 10 largest favelas in Brazil

In addition to these two, the other 8 favelas that complete the top 10 largest favelas in Brazil are: 

1. Rising Sun, Brasilia: 32,081

2. Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro: 30,955

3. Rio das Pedras, Rio de Janeiro: 27,573

4. Beiru, Tancredo Neves: Salvador: 20,210

5. Heliopolis, Sao Paulo: 20,016

6. Paraisopolis, Sao Paulo: 18,912

7. Pernambues, Salvador: 18,662

8. Coroadinhoa, Sao Luis: 18,331

9. City of God/Alfredo Nascimento, Manaus: 17,721

10. Community of Saint Luke, Manaus: 17,666

Favela or not?

The IBGE considers any area where occupation is precarious to be a favela.

And despite the survey carried out by IBGE considering Sol Nascente a favela – since it can easily fit into the category mentioned above – there are those who disagree with this nomenclature. 

According to Edson Batista, one of the community leaders in the region, the term favela does not reflect the reality of the community.

For him, changing the image of the place is something that is entirely possible. Edson recently stated that, with a series of improvements, this status can easily be changed. 

The favela began to take shape in the mid-1990s, when the land located there began to be divided up irregularly, giving rise to the gigantic community we know today.

The location of Sol Nascente, the largest favela in Brazil

Contrary to what many people may think, the Sol Nascente favela is not that far from the central region of Brasília.

This is because Sol Nascente is only 35 kilometers from the center of Brasília. And because of this proximity, until very recently, the region was part of Ceilândia, a region with around 500 thousand inhabitants.

It was only after its growth that, in 2019, the Sol Nascente favela became an administrative region.

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