Rio De Janeiro Carnival's Samba Finale Provides Spectacular Close To 2014 Fiesta (PHOTOS)

Rio de Janeiro's whirlwind Carnival season comes to a close Tuesday, with the five-day fiesta culminating in spectacular samba parades and partying throughout the streets of Brazil's second-largest city.
With the World Cup in Brazil just 100 days away, one samba school dressed dancers as soccer balls at Monday night's parade, while another float celebrated Brazil's Grand Prix.
Although lavish parades stole most of the 900,000 tourists' attention, since Friday nearly 500 street parties have pulsed through Rio.
With anti-government demonstrations simmering in the lead-up to the World Cup, a few Brazilians even used mock parades to protest government corruption, AFP reported.
But Carnival, a tradition which dates back to the early 18th century, is mainly a moment of ecstatic national pride. "Yes, it's a party. But it's also us honoring our history and ensuring that samba will never die," one samba dancer told the AP.
Here are a number of spectacular images from the raucous finale in Rio.

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  Cris Vianna, Queen of Percussion of Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school, performs during its parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  A member of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  A member of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014.(TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Vila Isabel samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, on March 4, 2014. (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Portela samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Portela samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Juliana Alves, Queen of Percussion of Unidos da Tijuca samba school, performs during its parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Members of Unidos da Tijuca Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Members of Imperatriz Leopoldinense Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Members of Imperatriz Leopoldinense Samba School perform during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Former Brazilian football player Rivelino performs with the Imperatriz samba school during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Portela samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Members of Imperatriz Leopoldinense Samba School during their parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Former Flamengo team players that won the 1981 world championship perform during Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 03, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Imperatriz samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Imperatriz samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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  Revelers of the Imperatriz samba school perform during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 4, 2014. (TASSO MARCELO LEAL/AFP/Getty Images)