Brasília summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Brasília.

Brasília, Brazil: Goddess of JusticeGoddess of Justice (right) in front of the Supreme Federal Tribunal building, Brasília, Brazil.

Brasília, City (pop., 2010: 2,476,249), capital of Brazil. It lies between the headwaters of the Tocantins, Paraná, and São Francisco rivers. Though the idea of having the country’s capital located in the interior was proposed as early as 1789, Brasília’s construction began only in 1956. It was designed by the Brazilian architects Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer. In 1960 the government began its move from Rio de Janeiro. The city is a governmental rather than an industrial centre, although many Brazilian companies have headquarters there. Brasília National Park is nearby.

World Heritage site Summary

World Heritage site, any of various areas or objects inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. The sites are designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural

Map showing the countries of South America with national capitals and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic and Pacific.

South America Summary

South America, fourth largest of the world’s continents. It is the southern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the Western Hemisphere, or simply the Americas. The continent is compact and roughly triangular in shape, being broad in the north and tapering to a point—Cape

Brazil Summary

Brazil, country of South America that occupies half the continent’s landmass. It is the fifth largest country in the world, exceeded in size only by Russia, Canada, China, and the United States, though its area is greater than that of the 48 conterminous U.S. states. Brazil faces the Atlantic Ocean