Brasília
federal capital of Brazil / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ) is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its Federal District are in the Central-West region of the country. It is on a plateau known as Planalto Central. Brasília has a population of about 2,557,000 (3,599,000 in the metropolitan area) as of the 2008 IBGE estimate. It is the fourth largest city in Brazil. But the Brasília metropolitan area is the sixth largest in the nation. It is listed as a World Heritage Site. Brasília hosts 124 foreign embassies.[1]
Brasília | |
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Federal capital | |
Nickname(s): Capital Federal, BSB, Capital da Esperança | |
Motto(s): | |
Coordinates: 15°48′00″S 47°54′00″W | |
Country | Brazil |
Region | Central-West |
State | Federal District |
Founded | April 21, 1960 |
Area | |
• Federal capital | 5,801.937 km2 (2,204.14 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1,172 m (3,845 ft) |
Population (2010) | |
• Federal capital | 2,562,963 (4th) |
• Density | 441.74/km2 (1,162.795/sq mi) |
• Metro | 2,562,963 |
Time zone | UTC-3 (BRT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-2 (BRST) |
Postal Code | 70000-000 |
Area code | +55 61 |
Website | www.brasilia.df.gov.br |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | i, iv |
Designated | 1987 (11th session) |
Reference no. | 445 |
State Party | Brazil |
Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
Viewed from above, the main portion of the city resembles an airplane or a butterfly.[2][3] The Monumental Axis goes east-west and holds government buildings and monuments. The other axis is curved in a north south direction. The city is commonly referred to as Capital Federal, or simply BSB.[4] As the national capital, Brasília is the seat of all three branches of the Brazilian government. The city also hosts the headquarters of many Brazilian companies. Planning policies place residential buildings around expansive urban areas. The plan includes large avenues. It divides the city into sectors with different purposes, including accommodation and tourism. The city is built around an artificial lake, Lake Paranoá.
Residents of Brasília are known as brasilienses or candangos. (The candangos are people who moved to Brasília when the city was established). In local usage, the word "Brasília" usually refers only to the First Administrative Region within the Distrito Federal (Federal District), where the most important government buildings are. Brasília has a unique status in Brazil, as it is an administrative division rather than a legal municipality like nearly all cities in Brazil. In the rest of Brazil, Brasília is almost always means the Brazilian Federal District. There are several "satellite cities," which are also part of the Federal District.