Rio Carnival, Brazil's midsummer festival in South America, has begun with a parade by top samba teams. The Rio Carnival opened on February 9th, and a contest began on the night of the 11th at a special venue in Rio de Janeiro.
Each team is made up of about 3,000 members, and they march along a roughly 700-meter course set up at the venue with giant floats. This year's parade featured themes such as black culture and the history of indigenous peoples.