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The Alemao favela, or community, is viewed from the Teleferico gondola line on October 8, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world geographically, has seen its urban population increase to 87 percent, the highest among the BRIC countries. Rio de Janeiro is believed to hold at least 600 favelas, or urban informal settlements, housing a bit under one-quarter of the city’s population of 6 million. Many 'favela' residents refer to their neighborhoods as 'comunidades', or communities. Beyond the headlines of murders and drug kingpins, these communities, many of which were formed by former slaves, are strong cultural incubators containing a rich and vibrant sector of Brazilian life.