"The capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro is Rio de Janeiro,[a] or just Rio. It is the sixth most populous city in the Americas and the second most populous city in Brazil, behind São Paulo.In 2008, Rio de Janeiro's municipal GDP ranked 30th globally and second in the nation.The estimated value of this is R$343 billion. The city is home to the main offices of several Brazilian mining, oil, and telecommunications firms, notably Grupo Globo, the largest telemedia conglomerate in Latin America, and two of the nation's largest enterprises, Petrobras and Vale. With numerous colleges and institutes based there, it ranks as Brazil's second-largest research and development hub, contributing 17% of the country's total scientific output in 2005. The city really has a lower crime rate than the majority of Brazilian state capitals, despite the high perception of crime. One of the most popular destinations in the Southern Hemisphere, Rio de Janeiro is renowned for its natural surroundings, carnival, samba, bossa nova, and beaches including Ipanema, Leblon, Copacabana, and Barra da Tijuca.The statue of Christ the Redeemer on top of Corcovado mountain, which was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Sugarloaf Mountain with its cable car, the Sambódromo, a permanent parade avenue lined with grandstands that is used during Carnival, and Maracanã Stadium, one of the biggest football stadiums in the world, are some of the landmarks in addition to the beaches. Rio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, marking the third time the Olympics were held in a city in the Southern Hemisphere and the first time the games were ever held in a South American or Portuguese-speaking city.[13] The XV Pan American Games, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the FIFA World Cup finals in 1950 and 2014 were all hosted in Maracanã Stadium. The city will host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027 after hosting the G20 conference in 2024. One of Brazil's major cultural centers is Rio de Janeiro. Its architecture incorporates world-famous 20th-century designs with churches and structures from the 16th through the 19th centuries. Portuguese, English, and French architecture all had an impact on Rio, which for many years served as the city and home of the Portuguese Imperial family. ""Cidade Maravilhosa"" (meaning ""marvelous city"") is Rio de Janeiro's official anthem. The song is always the most popular song during Rio's Carnival in February and is regarded as the city's civic anthem. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are regarded as the epicenters of Brazil's urban music movement.

South Africa's legislative capital is Cape Town. It is the oldest city in the nation and the location of the South African Parliament. Cape Town is the largest city in the Western Cape and the second most populous city in the nation, after Johannesburg.The city is a part of the metropolitan municipality known as the City of Cape Town.Table Mountain, Cape Point, the city's harbor, and its natural environment in the Cape Floristic Region are some of its most well-known features. Numerous publications have ranked Cape Town as the world's greatest city and the finest place to go, including Time Out in 2025, The New York Times in 2014, and The Telegraph for the last eight years (2017–2025). With the greatest concentration of Cape Dutch-style buildings worldwide, Cape Town is renowned for its architectural legacy. Constantia, the historic government buildings in the Central Business District, and Long Street are the best examples of the Cape Dutch architectural style, which blends the architectural traditions of the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Indonesia. Mostert's Mill in Mowbray is the only fully operational windmill in South Africa. Constructed in 1796, it underwent restorations in 1935 and 1995. In 2014, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design declared Cape Town the World Design Capital. Additionally, Cape Town is designated a "Design City" by the Creative Cities Network of UNESCO. Cape Town's biggest performing arts facility is the Artscape Theatre Centre. The 17th-century savory, sweet, spiced beef dish known as bobotie is one of the foods that originated in Cape Town or is associated with it. A sandwich stuffed with slap chips and other toppings, the Gatsby was initially offered in the Athlone area in 1976 and has since come to represent the city.A classic Cape Malay dessert, the koe'sister is characterized as a cake-like dumpling flavored with cinnamon and topped with a dusting of desiccated coconut. Table Mountain's mass and the chilly Benguela Current of the South Atlantic Ocean both locally alter Cape Town's Mediterranean climate. While the average high temperature is 70°F (21°C) in January and February and the average low temperature is 55°F (13°C) in July, the coast and mountain slopes experience colder weather. Freezing rarely happens. Rainfall occurs on 69 days of the year on average; the southern winter months of June through August account for roughly half of the 26 inches (660 millimeters) of yearly rainfall. Every year, almost five million tons of goods pass through the port of Cape Town. Although ships with a draft of more than 40 feet are not permitted to enter the port during low tide, interoceanic commerce benefits greatly from its dry dock and maintenance facilities. Container traffic is accommodated at the Ben Schoeman Dock.