Brasília

　　Introduction         Historically, Brazil had its capital successively in the coastal cities of Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. To develop the inland areas, President Juscelino Kubitschek decided in 1956 to move the capital inland. In 1957, the construction of the new capital began. After three years and seven months, a modern city — Brasília — was completed in the Brazilian interior. On April 21 of the same year, the capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília.

　　Brasília is the seat of the Federal District government. The Federal District (Distrito Federal) covers an area of 5,822 square kilometers, including 10 urban districts and satellite cities, with a total population of about 2 million. The current governor of the Federal District is Joaquim Roriz. In 1998, the gross domestic product was $21 billion, accounting for 2.73% of the national total. The economy is dominated by the service sector, which makes up about 90% of the District's output; industry accounts for 10%, mainly construction and cement manufacturing.

　　    Brasília is located on the Brazilian Highlands at an altitude of 1,158 meters. It enjoys a pleasant climate, divided into rainy and dry seasons throughout the year, with an average annual maximum temperature of 29.3°C and minimum of 17.1°C. Annual rainfall is 1,603 millimeters. Brasília is world-renowned for its unique architecture. The overall urban plan was designed by the master architect Lúcio Costa. When viewed from the air on a bright night, Brasília resembles a giant airplane heading east.

　　    The entire city is laid out along two perpendicular axes: the Monumental Axis running east-west along the body of the plane, and the Wings Axis stretching north-south like the wings. The nose of the plane is Three Powers Square, the body houses government institutions, and the wings consist of modern multi-level roads. To the left of Three Powers Square is the Presidential Palace, and to the right is the Supreme Federal Court. Opposite the square are the National Congress buildings for the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. The chambers’ buildings resemble two large bowls — the Chamber of Deputies bowl is open upward, symbolizing “democracy” and “open dialogue,” while the Senate bowl is inverted, symbolizing “consolidating public opinion.”

　　 Brazil Brasília