a densely populated informal settlement or slum, especially in Brazil, typically found on hillsides and characterized by makeshift housing.
Portuguese origin, possibly from 'favela' trees that grew on Rio de Janeiro hills where settlers built homes, or from Favela Hill where former soldiers settled in the late 1800s.
Favelas are often portrayed negatively in media, but they're actually vibrant communities that gave birth to samba music and capoeira—some of Brazil's greatest cultural exports came from these neighborhoods.
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