The national capital of Brazil lies far from the great coastal city Rio de Janeiro, which had been the capital until the 1960s. Brasília is world-famous for its architecture. It is also well-known because the city was mostly planned and built within just a few years. This is unusual, because many other cities have been growing and changing for hundreds of years.

Places of interest

The streets and buildings at the center of Brasília follow a special pattern, which was designed by the Brazilian architect Lúcio Costa. From the air, the design looks like a drawing of a bird or an airplane, pointing at Lake Paranoá. At the head of this “airplane,” near the lake, are Brazil's main government buildings. These were designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Facing each other across the wide Square of Three Powers are the Congressional Palace, the Palace of the Supreme Court, and the glass-sided Planalto Palace, where the president works. Nearby, on a triangle of land at the edge of the lake, is the president's house, called the Palace of the Dawn. The Cathedral of Brasília has 16 white, curving supports and walls of colored glass. It is one of Oscar Niemeyer's most famous creations. The National Theater, in a building shaped like a pyramid, features plays, symphonies, and operas. The Museum of Brasília teaches people about the history of the city.

Economy

Government workers, bankers, lawyers, and other service-workers are at the heart of the city's economy. Many large companies also have offices there. Foods, drinks, and furniture are made in Brasília, but few other products are manufactured in the city.

History

Brasília's location was chosen and work was begun on the city in 1956. In 1960 the federal government slowly began to move from Rio de Janeiro. For many Brazilians, the city stood as a symbol of the way the country would grow in the future. However, many people were critical of the city's great cost and its unusual architecture. Many also worried about environmental damage resulting from the new roads leading to the Amazon rain forest to the north. After a military government took control of Brazil in 1964, some of the plans for the city were changed, but Brasília continued to grow quickly.

By the 1990s, Brasília began to have problems that were common in other places, including crime and crowded conditions in poor areas. Lake Paranoá had become more and more polluted, but after a treatment program it is popular again for fishing and water sports. Population (2000 estimate), 2,043,170.