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Brasília
Flag of Brasília
Flag
Official seal of Brasília
Seal
Nickname: 
BSB
Location of Brasília
Location of Brasília
RegionCentral-West
StateDistrito Federal
Founded21 April 1960
Government
 • GovernorJose Roberto Arruda
Area
 • Total5,802 km2 (2,240 sq mi)
Elevation
1,172 m (3,845 ft)
Population
 (2006)[1]
 • Total2,383,784
 • Density407/km2 (1,050/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-3 (UTC)
Area code61
Websitehttp://www.brasilia.df.gov.br
HDI (2000) 0.844 – high
This article is about the capital of Brazil. For the airplane, see Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia.

Brasília (IPA: [bɾaˈziliɐ]) is the capital of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. It has a population of about 2,383,784 as of the 2006 census estimate, and is the seat of the main federal government: the president (residing in the Palácio do Planalto), the Brazilian supreme court, and the Brazilian parliament. Brasília is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Building of the city began in 1956 with Lúcio Costa as the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the principal architect. In 1960, it formally became Brazil's capital. When seen from above, the city's shape resembles an airplane or a butterfly[2][3].

Brasília is located in the middle of Brazil Federal District, which has the same borders as the city. The federal district is surrounded by the Brazilian state of Goiás. The city is not a traditional municipality by Brazilian law.[4]

Background

Brasilia was built to be Brazil's new capital city. The idea was to transfer the federal capital of Brazil from the coast to midwestern / interior of the country. Brazil had had two capital cities before that: Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia. By transfering the capital city to the interior, the government intended to help to populate that area of the county. People from all over the country were hired to build the city, but especially those from the Northeast region of Brazil. Brasilia is known, internationally, for having applied the principles established in the Athens Charter of 1933.

History

The national flag

President Juscelino Kubitschek ordered the construction of Brasília, fulfilling an article of the country's constitution stating that the capital should be moved from Rio de Janeiro to a place close to the center of the country. Lúcio Costa won a contest and was the main urban planner. Oscar Niemeyer, a close friend of Lúcio, was the chief architect of most public buildings and Roberto Burle Marx was the landscape designer. Brasília was built in 41 months, from 1956 to April 21, 1960 when it was officially inaugurated.

From 1763 to 1960, Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil. At this time, resources tended to be centred in Brazil's southeast region near Rio de Janeiro. Brasília’s geographical central location made for a more regionally neutral federal capital.

The idea of placing Brazil’s capital in the interior dates back to the first republican constitution of 1891, which roughly defined where the federal district should be placed, but the site itself was not defined until 1922. Brasília’s location, it was argued, would promote the development of Brazil's central region and better integrate the entire territory of Brazil.

According to a legend, Italian saint Don Bosco in 1883 had a prophetic dream in which he described a futuristic city that roughly fitted Brasília's location. Today, in Brasília, there are many references to this educator who founded the Salesian order. One of the main cathedrals in the city bears his name.

Brasília is the result of a modern urban project designed by Lúcio Costa. When seen from above, the city’s pilot plan resembles the shape of an airplane – many prefer to refer to it as a bird with open wings –, although the architect’s original urban concept pointed to the shape of a cross, to symbolize possession.

The city’s project is, up to this day, a world reference when the issue is urban planning. The idea of spreading residential buildings around expansive urban areas, of tracing the city plan around large avenues and dividing it into sectors, has produced an intense debate and reflections on life in big cities in the 20th century.

The city also hosts a varied assortment of art works from great artists like Bruno Giorgi, Alfredo Ceschiatti, Athos Bulcão, Marienne Peretti, Volpi, Di Cavalcanti, Victor Brecheret and Burle Marx, whose works have been integrated into the city’s architecture, making it an unique landscape.

A scene for political events, music performances and movie festivals, Brasília is a cosmopolitan city, with around 90 embassies, a wide range of restaurants and complete infrastructure ready to host any kind of event. Not surprisingly, the city stands out as an important business tourism destination, which is a rising segment of the local economy, crowding dozens of hotels spread around the national capital.

World Heritage Site

Brasília
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Brasília's Cathedral by Oscar Niemeyer Brasília's Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady Aparecida by Oscar Niemeyer
CriteriaCultural: i, iv
Reference445
Inscription1987 (11th Session)

The Brazilian capital is the only city in the world built in the 20th century to be awarded (in 1987) the status of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, an United Nations agency. And there are plenty of reasons for such renown: this young city, inaugurated in 1960, surprises even the most experienced travellers.

Climate

The national capital’s climate is tropical savanna (Aw) according to Köppen's classification, with seasons being defined according to the degree of humidity of the air: one season is dry and colder, while the other one is humid and hot. The average temperature is 20.5°C (69°F). October is the hottest month of the year, with highest temperatures standing at 29°C (85°F), while July is the coldest one, with lowest temperatures standing at 13°C (55°F).

Economy

Brasília's economy is dominated by

(a) services (91% of local GDP, according to the IBGE):

  1. government (the public sector is by far the largest employer, accounting for around 40% of the city jobs. Government jobs include all levels, from the federal police to diplomacy, from the transportation bureau to the armed forces);
  2. communications (Brasil Telecom's HQ, public and private T.V. stations including regional offices of Globo, SBT, Rede Bandeirantes, Rede Record, RedeTV! and the main offices of TV câmara, TV Senado and TV Justiça),
  3. banking and finance (headquarters of the Banco do Brasil, the Caixa Econômica Federal, the brazilian Central Bank, the Banco Rural and the Banco de Brasília, among others),
  4. entertainment,
  5. information technology (Politec, Poliedro, CTIS, among others), and
  6. legal services.

(b) industries in the city include:

  1. construction (Paulo Octavio, Via Construções, and Irmãos Gravia among others),
  2. food processing (Sadia),
  3. furniture making,
  4. recycling (Novo Rio, Latasa and others),
  5. pharmaceuticals (União Química), and
  6. printing and publishing.

The main agricultural products produced in the city are coffee, guavas, strawberries, oranges, lemons, papayas, soy beans and mangoes. It has over 110,000 cows and it exports woodproducts worldwide.

Federal Distric, where Brasilia is located, GDP is about R$55 billion, according to the IBGE. The participation in the Brazilian GDP is 1.8%[5]

Federal District has the largest per capita income of Brazil (about R$22,500 per person, according to the IBGE). Brasília per capita income is believed to be much higher.

Brasília hosts a wide range of services such as hospitals, schools, fitness clubs, clubs, colleges, restaurants, cafes, etc. These services are, however, unevenly distributed.

Infrastructure

The consumption of commercial energy at Brazil's capital was 924 (gwh), the industrial reached 337(gwh), and the residential reached 1,241(gwh). The total energy consumption was 3,319 (gwh).

The railways system is not well developed, with only 36 km. A fast-track train connecting Brasília to Goiânia was considered a few years ago but so far nothing has been decided on that matter. Furthermore, Brasília metropolitan area - Federal District - has a small subway system (41 km long) that runs from some satellite cities to the center of Brasília. At the Federal Disctrict as of 2006, there were approximately 1 million vehicles running, for a population of about 2.3 million (according the the IBGE).

There is a TV tower (224 meters high) located in the heart of the city.

Accommodation

The city’s planned design included specific areas for almost everything, including lodging – Hotels Sectors North and South. However, other areas are receiving new hotel facilities, such as the hotels and tourism Sector North, located on the shores of Lake Paranoá. Brasilia offers modern and comfortable hotels, including hotels managed by international networks; but it also offers cosy and modest inns, pensions and hostels.

Being a city that receives visitors from the whole of Brazil and the world, it offers a good network of restaurants with great diversity of food; from simple small restaurants, serving the authentic food of Central-Western areas of Brazil, to selected bistros.

Government palaces

Monumental Axis

At one extremity of the Monumental Axis lies the Ministries Esplanade, an open area in downtown Brasília. The rectangular lawn area is surrounded by two eight-lane wide avenues where many important government buildings, monuments and memorials are located.


National Congress

File:Congresso1.jpg
The National Congress

Brazil's bicameral National Congress consists of the Senate of Brazil (the upper house) and the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil (the lower house). The Federal Senate (Senado Federal) contains 81 seats: three senators from each state and three from the Federal District, elected on a majority basis to serve eight-year terms. Elections are staggered so that two-thirds of the upper house is up for election at one time and the remaining one-third four years later. The Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) comprises 513 deputies (members of congress), who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms. Elections are based on a complex system of proportional representation by states. The seats are allotted proportionally according to each state's population, but each state is eligible for a minimum of eight seats and a maximum of 70 seats. Both houses of Congress meet in a purpose-built legislative palace in the centre of Brasília. Fifteen political parties are currently represented in Congress. Since it is common for politicians to switch parties, the proportion of congressional seats held by particular parties changes frequently.

Since the 1960s, the National Congress has its seat in Brasilia. As most of the official buildings in the city, it was designed by Oscar Niemeyer following the style of modern Brazilian architecture. The semisphere to the left is the seat of the Senate, and the semisphere to the right is the seat of the Chamber of the Deputies. Between them there are two towers of offices. The Congess also occupies other surrounding buildings, some of them interconnected by a tunnel.

The building is located in the middle of the Monumental axis, the main street of the city. In front of it there is a large lawn, where demonstrations take place. At the rear of the building, is the Praça dos Três Poderes, where the Palácio do Planalto and the Palace of Justice lie.

Palácio da Alvorada

The Palácio da Alvorada is the official residence of the President of Brazil. The palace was designed, along with the rest of the city of Brasília, by Oscar Niemeyer and inaugurated in 1958.

One of the first structures built in the republic's new capital city, the "Alvorada" lies on a peninsula at the margins of Lake Paranoá. The principles of simplicity and modernity, that in the past characterized the great works of architecture, oriented Niemeyer's project. The viewer has an impression of looking at a glass box, softly landed on the ground with the support of thin external columns.

The building has an area of 7,000 m2 and three floors: basement, landing and second floor. On the basement level are located the auditorium, kitchen, laundry, medical center, and the administration. On the landing are located the rooms used by the presidency for official receptions. The second floor is the residential part of the palace, with four suites, two apartments and other private rooms.

The building has also a library, a heated Olympic-sized swimming pool, a music room, two dinning rooms and various meeting rooms. Located in adjacent buildings are the chapel and the heliport.

Palácio do Planalto

The Palácio do Planalto

The Palácio do Planalto is the official workplace of the President of Brazil. It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília. As the seat of government, the term "o Planalto" is often used as a metonym for the executive branch of the government.

The main working office of the President of the Republic is in the Palácio do Planalto. The President and his family, however, do not live in it; the official residence of the President is the Palácio da Alvorada. Besides the President, a few high advisors also have offices in the "Planalto", including the Vice-President of Brazil and the Chief of Staff; the other Ministries are laid along the Esplanada dos Ministérios.

The architect of the Palácio do Planalto was Oscar Niemeyer, the "creator" of most of the important buildings in the new capital of Brasília. The idea was to project an image of simplicity and modernity using fine lines and waves to compose the columns and exterior structures.

The Palace is four stories high, and has an area of 36,000 m². Four other adjacent buildings are also part of the complex.

Supreme Federal Tribunal

The Supreme Federal Tribunal is the highest court of law of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The court functions as a Constitutional Court; its rulings therefore cannot be appealed. It can also overturn laws passed by the Congress. This happens when the court judges a direct action of unconstitutionality, Ação direta de Inconstitucionalidade or Adin.

The members of the court, who are called ministers (ministro), are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. They serve until compulsory retirement, at 70 years old.

The number of members has changed through history. The Constitution of 1891 decided that the court would have 15 members. When former Brazilian president Getúlio Vargas came into power, the number of members was reduced to 11. It changed to 16 in 1965, but returned to 11 in 1969. It has not changed ever since.

Of all presidents, only one, Café Filho, has not nominated a minister.

Main attractions

Cultural Complex of the Republic

File:DSC05306.jpg
National Museum, Brasília, D.F. 2007

The Cultural Complex of the Republic ("Complexo Cultural da República" in Portuguese) is a cultural center located along the Monumental Axis, in the city of Brasília. It is formed by the National Library of Brasília and the National Museum of the Republic'.

The National Library of Brasília (Biblioteca Nacional de Brasília in Portuguese) occupies an area of 14,000 m², consisting of reading and study rooms, auditorium and a collection of over 300,000 items.

The National Museum of the Republic (Museu Nacional da República in Portuguese) consists of a 14,500 m² exhibit area, two 780-seat auditoriums, and a laboratory. The space is mainly used to display temporary art exhibits.

Paranoá Lake

Paranoá Lake is a giant artificial lake built in order to increase the amount of water available to the region. It holds the second largest marina in Brazil, and is home to the capital's wakeboard and windsurf practitioners.

Juscelino Kubitschek bridge

Bridge Juscelino Kubitschek (Ponte JK), over Lake Paranoa, Brasília, D.F. 2006

The Juscelino Kubitschek bridge, also known as the 'President JK Bridge' or the 'JK Bridge', crosses Lake Paranoá in Brasília. It is named after Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, former president of Brazil. It was designed by architect Alexandre Chan and structural engineer Mário Vila Verde. Chan won the Gustav Lindenthal Medal for this project at the 2003 International Bridge Conference in Pittsburgh.

It consists of three 200 foot tall asymmetrical steel arches that crisscross diagonally. With a length of 0.75 miles, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of US$56.8 million. The bridge has a pedestrian walkway and is accessible to bicyclists and skaters.

The bridge design is very similar to a pedestrian walkway in the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium.

Praça dos Três Poderes

Praça dos Três Poderes (Portuguese for Square of the Three Powers) is a plaza in Brasília. The name is derived from the encounter of the three powers around the plaza; the Executive, represented by the Palácio do Planalto (presidential office; the Legislative represented by the Congresso Nacional (National Congress); and the Judiciary, represented by the Palácio da Justiça.

It is a tourist attraction in Brasília. It was designed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer as a place where the three powers would meet and harmonically.

Cathedral of Brasília

Cathedral of Brasília, Brasília, D.F. 2007

The Cathedral of Brasília in the capital of the Federative Republic of Brazil, is an expression of the architect Oscar Niemeyer. This concrete-framed hyperboloid structure, seems with its glass roof to be reaching up, open, to heaven. On 31 May 1970, the Cathedral’s structure was finished, and only the 70 m diameter of the circular area were visible. Niemeyer's project of Cathedral of Brasília is based in the hyperboloid of revolution which sections are asymmetric. The hyperboloid structure itself is a result of 16 identical assembled concrete columns. These columns, having hyperbolic section and weighing 90 t, represent two hands moving upwards to heaven. The Cathedral was dedicated on 31 May 1970.

Culture

Procuradoria Geral da República.

The 1960 census counted almost 140,000 residents in the new Federal District; by 1970 this figure had grown to more than 537,000. In 2000 the population of the Brazilian Federal District stood at more than two million. Brasília's inhabitants include a some foreign population basically embassies workers as well as large numbers of Brazilian migrants.

Traditional parties also take place throughout the year. In June, there are large festivals celebrating Catholic saints, such as Saint Anthony and Saint Peter, that are called "festas juninas", or June festival. Throughout the year there are local, national and international events spread through the city. Christmas is widely celebrated, and New Years Eve usually hosts major events.

Music bands from Brasília

Sports

Football

Brasília is home to two major football teams:

Social data

The Federal District, were Brasília is located, is considered to have one of the highest growth rates in Brazil. Its population increases an average of 2.82% each year. The vegetation surrounding the city is called "cerrado", the South American savanna. The main rivers surrounding the city are called Preto, Santo Antônio do Descoberto and São Bartolomeu.

The Human Development Index in the city is at 0.844 (developed nation level), and the illiteracy rate is around 4.35%.

Education

Universities

Transportation

Airport

Famous places nearby

Nearby attractions include:

  • Chapada dos Veadeiros - A National Park with plenty of cerrado wildlife and surrounded by several spectacular waterfalls.
  • Itiquira Falls - this beautiful 168 m-high waterfall is little more than 100 km from Brasília and belongs to the municipality of Formosa, Goiás
  • Caldas Novas - The biggest Natural Hot springs resort of the world. Located about 360 km (225mi) southeast of the city in the state of Goiás.

Notable people in Brasília

See List of notable people in Brasília

Sister cities

List of sister cities, designated by Sister Cities International:

See also

Template:Geolinks-cityscale

References

  1. ^ http://www.ibge.gov.br - IBGE demographics
  2. ^ http://www.infobrasilia.com.br/lucio.htm
  3. ^ http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&om=1&z=12&ll=-15.79787,-47.896271&spn=0.143704,0.233459&t=k
  4. ^ http://www.aboutbrasilia.com/ About Brasilia
  5. ^ .Government's webpage
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