Brasilia, Brazil

From New World Encyclopedia
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{{epname|Brasilia, Brazil}}
 
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{{Infobox World Heritage Site
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| WHS        = Brasília
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| infoboxwidth= 250px
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| Image      = [[Image:Brazil.Brasilia.01.jpg|230px|Brasília's Cathedral by Oscar Niemeyer]]
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| State Party = {{BRA}}
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| Type        = Cultural
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| Criteria    = i, iv
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| ID          = 445
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| Region      = [[South America]]
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| Year        = 1987
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| Session    = 11th
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}}
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'''Brasília''' is the capital of [[Brazil]], located in the central part of the country. It had a population of 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 [[Supreme Federal Tribunal|Brazilian supreme court]], and the [[National Congress of Brazil|Brazilian parliament]].
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As the world's first capital citiy conceived by modern standards of urban planning, Brasília is listed as a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]]. Building the city begun 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 was designed to resemble a a bird in flight or a [[butterfly]]. It is famous for its many modern, palatial government buildings and other notable architectural features.
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Brasília is located in the [[Brazilian Federal District|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.
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==Background==
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{{Infobox City
 
{{Infobox City
 
| official_name = Brasília
 
| official_name = Brasília
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'''Brasília''' is the capital of [[Brazil]], located in the central part of the country. It had a population of 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 [[Supreme Federal Tribunal|Brazilian supreme court]], and the [[National Congress of Brazil|Brazilian parliament]].
 
 
Building the city begun 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]]. As the world's first capital citiy conceived by modern standards of urban planning, Brasília is listed as a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]].
 
 
Brasília is located in the [[Brazilian Federal District|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.
 
 
==Background==
 
 
The city was built to bring the capital, previously [[Rio de Janeiro]], to [[Brazil]]'s midwest and closer to the other regions. This was done using a large workforce coming from throughout the country. Brasília is known internationally for having applied the principles established in the [[Athens Charter]] (1933). The charter laid out a 95-point program for planning and construction of rational cities, addressing topics such as high-rise residential blocks, strict zoning, the separation of residential areas and [[transportation]] arteries, and the preservation of historic districts and buildings. The key underlying concept was the creation of independent zones for the four 'functions': living, working, recreation, and circulation.
 
The city was built to bring the capital, previously [[Rio de Janeiro]], to [[Brazil]]'s midwest and closer to the other regions. This was done using a large workforce coming from throughout the country. Brasília is known internationally for having applied the principles established in the [[Athens Charter]] (1933). The charter laid out a 95-point program for planning and construction of rational cities, addressing topics such as high-rise residential blocks, strict zoning, the separation of residential areas and [[transportation]] arteries, and the preservation of historic districts and buildings. The key underlying concept was the creation of independent zones for the four 'functions': living, working, recreation, and circulation.
  
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According to a legend, Italian saint [[Giovanni Melchior Bosco|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.
 
According to a legend, Italian saint [[Giovanni Melchior Bosco|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.
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
 
| WHS        = Brasília
 
| infoboxwidth= 250px
 
| Image      = [[Image:Brazil.Brasilia.01.jpg|230px|Brasília's Cathedral by Oscar Niemeyer]]
 
| State Party = {{BRA}}
 
| Type        = Cultural
 
| Criteria    = i, iv
 
| ID          = 445
 
| Region      = [[South America]]
 
| Year        = 1987
 
| Session    = 11th
 
}}
 
 
 
==World Heritage site==
 
==World Heritage site==
 
The Brazilian capital is the only city in the [[world]] built in the twentieth century to be awarded by [[UNESCO]], a [[United Nations]] agency since 1987, the status of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
 
The Brazilian capital is the only city in the [[world]] built in the twentieth century to be awarded by [[UNESCO]], a [[United Nations]] agency since 1987, the status of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Revision as of 14:55, 19 August 2007

Brasília*
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Brasília's Cathedral by Oscar Niemeyer
State Party Flag of Brazil Brazil
Type Cultural
Criteria i, iv
Reference 445
Region** South America
Inscription history
Inscription 1987  (11th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Brasília is the capital of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. It had a population of 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.

As the world's first capital citiy conceived by modern standards of urban planning, Brasília is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Building the city begun 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 was designed to resemble a a bird in flight or a butterfly. It is famous for its many modern, palatial government buildings and other notable architectural features.

Brasília is located in the 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.

Background

Brasília
Flag of Brasília
Flag
Official seal of Brasília
Seal
Nickname: BSB
Location of Brasília
Coordinates: 15°46′S 47°55′W
Region Central-West
State Distrito Federal
Founded April 21, 1960
Government
 - Administrator Ricardo Hernane Pires
Population (2006)[1]
 - Total 2,383,784
Time zone UTC (UTC-3)
Area code(s) 61
HDI (2000) 0.844 – high
Website: http://www.brasilia.df.gov.br

The city was built to bring the capital, previously Rio de Janeiro, to Brazil's midwest and closer to the other regions. This was done using a large workforce coming from throughout the country. Brasília is known internationally for having applied the principles established in the Athens Charter (1933). The charter laid out a 95-point program for planning and construction of rational cities, addressing topics such as high-rise residential blocks, strict zoning, the separation of residential areas and transportation arteries, and the preservation of historic districts and buildings. The key underlying concept was the creation of independent zones for the four 'functions': living, working, recreation, and circulation.

History

File:Brasilia from the universe - ISS005-E-9532.jpg
Brasília's neatly planned layout, seen from space

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.

Then-President Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira 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. Costa was named the main urban planner after winning a constest to gain the privilege of designing the city. Niemeyer 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.

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.

World Heritage site

The Brazilian capital is the only city in the world built in the twentieth century to be awarded by UNESCO, a United Nations agency since 1987, the status of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Brasilia, a capital created ex nihilo in the center of the country in 1956, was a landmark in the history of town planning, from the layout of the residential and administrative districts (often compared to the shape of a bird in flight) to the symmetry of the buildings themselves, which should be in harmony with the city's overall design. The official buildings, in particular, are innovative and imaginative.

In order to be considered for World Heritage status, a site must fulfill one of 10 standards for qualification. Brasilia fulfilled two:

  • to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
  • to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history

City planning

Controversial layout

Brasilia is referred to worldwide as a case study in urban planning. The idea of spreading residential buildings around expansive urban areas and 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 twentieth century.

Recognized for its use of grand-scale, modernist architecture and for its attempt at a utopian city plan; it has receive criticism for the same reasons. After a trip to Brasilia, French writer Simone de Beauvoir disappointedly said that all of its superquadras exuded “the same air of elegant monotony.” Others have remarked that the city's large open lawns, plazas, and fields are nothing but wastelands. To overcome these impressions, the open spaces have received various adornments, while many have been improved by landscaping, thus humanizing the wide open spaces.

Pilot plan

The pilot plan for Brasilia was built to conform to Le Corbusier's Letter of Athens, which, according to the Modernists, embodied the ideal qualities of a city. The Letter had four basic tenets for the ideal city: Well-ventilated residences near green spaces; the separation of residences from workplaces, with industries excluded from the city proper; exclusive space for cultural activities, near residencies; and the separation of the circulation of vehicles and pedestrians.

The pilot plan was based on the shape of an [airplane]]. The basis of the city is a Monumental Axis, or fusilage of an airplane, intersecting in the center of the city with a residential axis, or the wings of an airplane. The Monumental Axis, also known as the Ministries Esplanade, is an open area in downtown Brasília.

Monumental Axis, National Congress, Place of the Ministries, Cathedral, and Cultural Complex of the Republic, Brasília, D.F. 2006

Costa designed the city in four scales of design: a monumental scale, a residential scale, a gregarious scale, and a bucolic scale. The monumental scale was intended to provide Brasília with the dignity of a capital city. This was achieved with wide avenues of six lanes in each direction, the Esplanade, where the ministries and public buildings are located, the bus station, where the two axis cross, the Cathedral, and the Plaza of Three Powers.

Superblocks

The residential scale contained orderly superblocks with a uniform height of six stories, no high rises, and vast motorways providing an excellent transportion system. The superblocks also had ample parking for vehicles, low population density, and plenty of wide open green space for people to enjoy. The gregarious (or social) scale consisted of the bus station, and special sectors of the city, like the entertainment, commerce, and retail sectors. The bucolic scale showed Costa's intent for Brasília to be a park city, where everything was seperated by vast green spaces and parks.

The Pilot Plan was built to house 600,000 people, primarily in superblocks. These superblocks were large groups of apartment buildings, grouped in a very orderly manner. Each group of four superblocks was supposed to serve as a single [neighborhood]] unit. Each group was supposed have a church, a secondary school, a movie house, a youth club, and adequate field space for children to play sports on. Also inbetween the superblocks were lower buildings for commercial businesses.

Each building was only six stories high, based on the idea that a mother would still be able to call to her child below from that height. The buildings rested on massive pillars, so there was an open area beneath the building for free movement of pedestrians and for children to play under during inclement weather.

Perhaps the most important aspect of these superblocks was that they were intended to be egalitarian, so that people of all income levels could live together and would interact on a personal and classless level.

Highway network

One of the greatest accomplishments of the Pilot Plan was the vast highway network which was built to provide access to Brasília from practically everywhere in Brazil. The longest highway in this network is the 1,414-mile, Belem-Brasília highway, linking Brasília to Northeast Brazil. The construction of these highways insured that Brazil's new capital would be accessible to the entire population of the country.

Accommodations

The city’s planned design included specific areas for almost everything, including lodging, with hotel sectors, located in the north and south of the city. Other areas have or will be opening new hotel facilities, such as in the Hotels and Tourism Sector North, located on the shores of Lake Paranoá. Brasilia offers both modern and comfortable hotels, including hotels managed by international networks; but it also offers cozy 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 bistros offering diverse fare.

Government palaces

National Congress

The National Congress of Brazil.

Brazil's bicameral National Congress consists of a Senate, (the upper house), and a Chamber of Deputies (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 legislative palace in the center 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 connected 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. It is located at SHTN Asa Norte in Brasília.

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 89,699 square feet 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

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, Brazil. 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 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 43,056 square yards. Four other adjacent buildings are also part of the complex.

Supreme Federal Tribunal

Chambers of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Tribunal

The Supreme Federal Tribunal is the highest court of law of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The court functions as a last resort tribunal and 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 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.


Social data

Economy

Headquarters of the Central Bank of Brazil

Brasília's economy is dominated by Services, which account for 91 percent of the local GDP. These include, (1.) government, with the public sector being by far the largest employer, accounting for around 40 percent 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, including (Brasil Telecom's headquarters, public and private television 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, with headquarters of Banco do Brasil, the Caixa Econômica Federal, the Brazilian Central Bank, the Banco Rural and the Banco de Brasília, among others; (4) Entertainment; and (5) Information technology, such as (Politec, Poliedro, CTIS; and, (6) legal services.

Industries in the city, include construction(Paulo Octavio, Via Construções, and Irmãos Gravia among others), food processing (Sadia), furniture making, recycling (Novo Rio, Latasa and others), pharmaceuticals (União Química), and printing and publishing.

The main agricultural products produced in the city are coffee, guava, orange, lemon, papaya, soy beans, and mango. Brazilia's farms have over 110,000 cows and it exports wood products worldwide.

Brasilia's GDP is about $27.628 billion, according to the IBGE. The participation in the Brazilian GDP is 1.8 percent.

Brasília holds the largest per capita income of Brazil (total, about $12,558.00, according to the IBGE). Note that it is imprecise to measure per capita income, due to varying income concentrations. Brasilia hosts a world-class range of services such as hospitals, schools, fitness clubs, clubs, colleges, restaurants, cafes, etc. These services are 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 developed, with only 22.4 miles operating. However, a fast-track train connecting Brasília to Goiânia is under construction, in order to facilitate transportation among those cities. The train will travel at an average 115 miles per hour. Furthermore, the city has a small subway (25.5 miles) covering one "wing" of the city plan of the Distrito Federal. Railways connect the city with Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Automobiles and buses are the main forms of urban transportation because of the priority afforded expressways in the city's design and the large distances between inner-city neighborhoods. The total extension of Brasilia's paved roads is 84 miles, with 44 percent of all its roads paved. As of 2006, there were approximately 1 million vehicles in the city, for a population of about 2.3 million.

Despite its lauded planning, Brasília is far from immune from the problems of "urban sprawl."

Highways link Brasília with the rest of the nation.

There is regular national and international air service out of Brasília International Airport (BSB) which serves the metropolitan area.

There is a television tower (735 feet high) located in the heart of the city.

Population growth

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 significant foreign population as well as large numbers of Brazilian migrants.

Brasília is considered to have one of the highest growth rates in Brazil, increasing its size by an average of 2.82 percent each year. The Human Development Index in the city is 0.844 (developed nation level), and the illiteracy rate is around 4.35 percent.

Local government

Until 1990, the Brazilian president appointed the governor of the Federal District, who was confirmed by the Senate. In that year, under the 1988 constitution, Joaquim Domingos Roriz was chosen in the first election for district governor. Reporting to the governor are numerous secretaries responsible for public works, welfare, education, law enforcement, and other concerns. The Senate acts as the legislative branch of local government. In 1986, the voters in the district elected their first congressional representatives to the national assembly, and since that time elections have been conducted the same as in any of Brazil's states.

Climate

Brasilia's weather is semi-arid, 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 69° F. in October, the hottest month of the year, with highest temperatures standing at 85° F., while July is the coldest one, with lowest temperatures standing at 55° F.

The best time to visit the city is from April to June, when the dry season has yet to begin and days with blue skies are quite common. August through September is the driest time of the year, with purple and yellow flowered Ipê trees spread alongside the city’s greyish vegetation at this time of year. Usually, the rains start pouring down in October.

Tourist attractions

Brazilia 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 a 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. The city is a growing business and tourism destination that is a rising segment of the local economy, including dozens of hotels spread around the national capital.

Cultural Complex of the Republic

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 Brasilia. It consists of 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 16,744 square yards, 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 17,341-square-yard 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
File:Brasilia Ponte JK.jpg
The Juscelino Kubitschek bridge.

The Juscelino Kubitschek bridge, also known as the 'President JK Bridge' or the 'JK Bridge', crosses Lake Paranoá in Brasília. It is named for 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. It is three-quarters of a mile long and was completed in 2002 at a cost of $56.8 million. The bridge has a pedestrian walkway and is accessible to bicyclists and skaters.

Praça dos Três Poderes

Praça dos Três Poderes (Portuguese for Square of the Three Powers) is a plaza in Brasília, Brazil. 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.

A tourist attraction in Brasília, it was designed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer as a place where the three powers would meet harmoniously.

Cathedral of Brasília

The Cathedral of Brasília is an aesthetic expression of the architect Oscar Niemeyer. On May 31, 1970, the glass-roofed cathedral was finished with only the 230-foot diameter of the circular area visible. This concrete-framed structure is a result of 16 identical assembled concrete columns, having hyperbolic sections and weighing 90 tons, representing two hands moving upwards to heaven.

Culture

File:Brasilia ProcuradoriaGeral.jpg
Procuradoria Geral da República.

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 the June festival. Throughout the year there are local, national, and international events spread through the city. Christmas is widely celebrated, and New Year's Eve usually hosts major events.

The Brasilia Cultural Foundation sponsors many national meetings in the arts and letters, and several foreign information centers are available. Housed in an irregularly shaped pyramidal structure, the National Theater features dramatic, symphonic, and operatic works. Historical institutions include the Museum of Brasília, with a historical record of Brasília's creation; the Federal Reserve Museum; and the Image and Sound Museum of the Institute of History and Geography.

Brasília is home to two major soccer teams: Brasiliense Futebol Clube and Sociedade Esportiva do Gama. The main football stadiums are the Estádio Mané Garrincha and the Serejão.

Higher education

There are several insitutions of higher learning in Brasilia, including: Universidade Católica de Brasília, Centro Universitário de Brasília, Centro Universitário do Distrito Federal, Centro Universitário, Instituto de Educação Superior de Brasília, União Pioneira da Integração Social, Universidade Paulista, and the Universidade de Brasília (University of Brasilia.)

The University of Brasília (UnB), which opened in 1962, is central to much of the city's cultural life. The architect Oscar Niemeyer designed its main building, the Central Institute of Science (ICC). UnB, located in the heart of Brasilia on the banks of Paranoá Lake, is one of the most respected institutions in Brazil. Its modernistic buildings house 23 institutes and schools; 50 departments; 16 scientific, technological, cultural, artistic, and general service centers; student, faculty and staff residences; a hospital; a sports center equipped with swimming pools, racetrack, and various sports fields and courts; a seismological observatory capable of registering earthquakes across the planet; an animal-research aboratory and an ecological station. UnB is also about to build its own technological park. UnB’s central library has the largest archive in midwestern Brazil and caters to the needs of the Federal District and of researchers from across the nation. UnB also maintains the Fazenda Água Limpa, a farm in the outskirts of Brasilia where ecological, agricultural, and forestry research is conducted.

Each semester, the University of Brasilia accepts nearly 2,000 incoming students from a pool of approximately 20,000 candidates for its 63 daytime or evening undergraduate programs. On the graduate level, the university offers 64 master's programs and 45 doctoral programs.

Famous Places Nearby

Nearby attractions include: surrounded by several waterfalls.

  • Chapada dos Veadeiros — A National Park with plenty of cerrado wildlife and spectacular waterfalls.
  • Itiquira Falls — This beautiful 551-foot-high waterfall is little more than 62 miles from Brasília and belongs to the municipality of Formosa, Goiás
  • Caldas Novas — The biggest natural hot springs resort of the world. Located about 225 miles southeast of the city in the state of Goiás.

Notes

  1. http://www.ibge.gov.br - IBGE demographics

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Holston, James. The Modernist City: An Anthropological Critique of Brazilia, University of Chicago Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0226349794
  • Andreol, Elisabeth, & Forty, Adrian. Brazil's Modern Architecture, Phaidon Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0714842929
  • Underwood, David Kendrick. Oscar Niemeyer and Brazilian Free-Form Modernism, George Braziller, 1994. ISBN 978-0807613368
  • Shoumatoff, Alex. The Capital of Hope: Brasilia and Its People, Vintage Books, 1991. ISBN 978-0679733263

External links

Credits

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