Favela Dona Marta, Rio de Janeiro, seen from Corcovado

A favela is the Brazilian equivalent of a shanty town, they are generally placed on the edge of the city. They have electricity, but often not formally, and are constructed of very diverse materials, some of the huts even with garbage, but others with bricks. Many favelas are very close and very cramped. They have sewage, crime and hygene problems. Although the most "famous" ones are located in Rio de Janeiro, there are favelas in almost every large Brazilian town