A favela (Portuguese pronunciation: [faˈvɛlɐ]) is the term for a shanty town in Brazil. They are mostly found on the outskirts of urban areas. The favelas themselves are also considered illegal, because the people do not pay tax.
What is a favela in Brazil?
favela, also spelled favella, in Brazil, a slum or shantytown located within or on the outskirts of the country's large cities, especially Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Why is it called favela?
Etymologically, the term favela is based on the name of the robust favela plant prevalent in the Canudos hills in the Northeast of Brazil where soldiers served battle in 1897 before victory and the final move to Rio de Janeiro to claim the land promised–yet not delivered–by the Ministry of War.
What is the difference between favelas and slums?
As nouns the difference between slum and favela is that slum is a dilapidated neighborhood where many people live in a state of poverty while favela is a slum or shantytown, especially in brazil.
What are the main problems in favelas?
Overcrowding is a major problem in Rio's favelas. On average, the population density is about 37,000 people per square kilometre. Because of the lack of toilets and poor sanitation , sewage often runs in open drains. This causes diseases which spread rapidly.
Why do favelas exist in Rio?
Favelas grew because of migration into the city. After Brazil abolished slavery in the late 1800s, former African slaves gathered in settlements in Rio, the then-capital, creating these cities within the city.4 Aug 2016
Is favela the same as slum?
favela, also spelled favella, in Brazil, a slum or shantytown located within or on the outskirts of the country's large cities, especially Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. A favela typically comes into being when squatters occupy vacant land at the edge of a city and construct shanties of salvaged or stolen materials.
Are the favelas safe?
The security situation is many favelas is unpredictable, particularly in Rio de Janeiro. Any visit to a favela can be dangerous. You're advised to avoid these areas in all cities, including 'favela tours' marketed to tourists and any accommodation, restaurants or bars advertised as being within a favela.
Is favela a bad word?
Since their inception, favelas have had negative associations crime, violence, poverty and drugs the kind of negative associations that lead to entrenched prejudice. The term favelado, used for someone who lives in a favela, is highly offensive.23 Nov 2012
Is favela politically correct?
Although the term 'favela' carries this history and still often carries a negative connotation, it is increasingly recognized for its historical importance, entrepreneurship and creativity: the favelas demonstrate daily that they are not simply 'precarious communities,' and much less 'slums.3 Jul 2014
Why favelas are considered informal?
Therefore, the assumption is that these spaces are informal because they are also illegal–regardless of the social function of the land–since they were constructed from land “invasions” and not by acquiring land or housing through the formal real estate market.29 Aug 2018
Is a favela a ghetto?
The term Ghetto originates in early 17th century Venice, used to describe the part of the city to which Jews were restricted. The word now refers to an urban area occupied or dominated by a single minority or isolated and often marginalized group. The only single minority group is favela residents as a whole.
Why are they called favelas?
History. The term favela dates back to the late 1800s. When they served in Bahia, those soldiers had been familiar with Canudos' Morro da Favela ("Favela Hill") a name referring to favela, a skin-irritating tree in the spurge family (Cnidoscolus quercifolius) indigenous to Bahia.