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From Rio's Bay of Guanabara to the Bay of Sepetiba, to the west, there are approximately 90km of sandy beaches , including one of the world's most famous - Copacabana. Uniquely, Rio's identity is closely linked to its beaches, which shape the social life of all the city's inhabitants, who use them as a source of recreation and inspiration. For many, the beach provides a source of livelihood, and a sizeable service industry has developed, providing for the needs of those who regard the beach as a social environment - as significant, say, as the pub is in England. Rio de Janeiro's sophisticated beach culture is entirely a product of the twentieth century. The 1930s saw Rio's international reputation emerge, as Hollywood started to incorporate images of the city in its productions, and film stars started to grace the Copacabana. Rio was one of the first destinations for the newly established jet set: "flying down to Rio" became an enduring cliche, celebrated in music, film and literature for the last fifty years. The most renowned of the beaches, Copacabana , was originally an isolated area, cut off from the city by mountains, until 1892 when the Tunel Velho link with Botafogo was inaugurated. The open sea and strong waves soon attracted beachgoers, though Copacabana remained a quiet, sparsely populated bairro until the splendid Neoclassically styled Copacabana Palace Hotel opened its doors, its famous guests publicizing the beach and alerting enterprising souls to the commercial potential of the area. Rapid growth followed and a landfill project was undertaken, along which the two-lane Avenida Atlantica now runs. Prior to Copacabana's rise, it was the beaches of Guanabara Bay - Flamengo, Botafogo, Urca and Vermelha - that were the most sought after. Today, the most fashionable beaches are those of Ipanema and Leblon , residential areas where the young, wealthy and beautiful have only to cross the road to flaunt their tans.
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