COPACABANA

sector of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, occupying a narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea. It is famous for its magnificent 2 1/2-mi (4-km) curved beach. Skyscraper hotels, apartment houses, cafs, nightclubs, restaurants, theatres, and bars line the waterfront. Copacabana is almost a self-contained city; its traffic congestion has been progressively eased by the construction of tunnels that connect it with other parts of Rio de Janeiro.