são paulo and rio de janeiro are far larger than any other brazilian city. são paulo's influence in most economic aspects can be noted in a national (and even international) scale; other brazilian metropolises are second tier, even though rio de janeiro (partially due to its former status as the national capital) still host various large corporations' headquarters, besides being brazil's cultural center with respect to soap operas and film production. brasília, the capital of brazil, is the 3rd biggest city.