São João de Meriti
Brazil · Americas
About São João de Meriti
São João de Meriti is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Its historical name was São João do Rio Meriti. Its population was 440,962 inhabitants in 2022, with an estimated population of 466,503 in 2025. It is located in the region of Baixada Fluminense, having 34.996 km2 (13.451 square miles).
The city is known as "Americas' Anthill", because its population density is one of the highest in the continent (13,185/km2 or 34,815/sq mi).
The place we know today as São João de Meriti, cut by the rivers Sarapuí, Meriti and Pavuna, was known before as Freguesia de Meriti. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Meriti had many farms and chapels, being an important producer of corn, cassava, beans and sugar.
In 1833, the São João de Meriti village incorporated the Maxabomba village, now City of Nova Iguaçú. In 1947, São João de Meriti was elevated to the status of municipality.
It has some commercial centers such as its downtown, Vilar dos Teles (ex-capital of jeans), Coelho da Rocha, São Mateus and Shopping Grande Rio mall.
Many poor districts surround these commercial...
Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.