Like all living things, cities have lifespans.
Some, like Paris, are ancient — over 2,000 years old. Others are adolescent in comparison.
Here are the maps, paintings, and old-time photographs that show the journeys of our greatest cities.
Drake Baer contributed to an earlier version of this story.
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Rio de Janeiro was founded by Portuguese colonists in 1565.
Guanabara Bay, the second largest bay in Brazil, was one of the main draws.
By 1711, the city had grown.
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