Brasília

**Brasília** () 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.

Viewed from above, the main portion of the city resembles an airplane or a butterfly. 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_. 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.

## History

The city was planned and developed as a new town in 1956. Lúcio Costa was the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer was the principal architect. Roberto Burle Marx was the landscape designer. They created the _Plano Piloto de Brasília_. Brasília was built in 41 months, from 1956 to April 21, 1960.

On 8 January 2023, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed and invaded the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, taking over the offices of the Supreme Federal Court, National Congress of Brazil and the Palácio do Planalto. The event was seen as an attempted coup d'état to overturn the election results of the 2022 general election.

## Transportation

The Brasília subway system (_Metrô de Brasília_) has 24 stations on two lines  long. The subway currently covers the south half of the metropolitan area. In 2010, a light rail line was added.  By 2014, the light rail line will go from the end of the north wing of the city to the airport in the south.

Brasília International Airport is the main airport in Brasília, connecting the capital to all major Brazilian cities and many airports in other countries. It is the third most important airport of Brazil, in terms of passengers and aircraft movements.

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Brasília
- **settlement type**: Federal capital
- **established title**: Founded
- **established date**: April 21, 1960
- **nickname**: _Capital Federal_, _BSB_, Capital da Esperança
- **motto**: "Venturis ventis"<small>(Latin language, Latin)
"To the coming winds"</small>
- **image skyline**: Montagem Brasília.jpg
- **image caption**: From upper left: National Congress of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek bridge, Monumental Axis, Palácio da Alvorada and Cathedral of Brasília.
- **image map**: Distrito Federal RA Brasília.svg
- **map caption**: Location of Brasília within the Brazilian Federal District, Federal District and in Brazil
- **pushpin map**: Brazil
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision type1**: Regions of Brazil, Region
- **subdivision type2**: States of Brazil, State
- **subdivision name1**: Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West
- **subdivision name2**:  Brazilian Federal District, Federal District
- **area total sq mi**: 2204.14
- **area total km2**: 5801.937
- **population as of**: 2010
- **population total**: 2,562,963  (List of largest cities in Brazil, 4th)
- **population density km2**: 441.74
- **population density sq mi**: 1162.795
- **population metro**: 2,562,963
- **timezone**: Time in Brazil, BRT
- **utc offset**: -2
- **timezone dst**: Time in Brazil, BRST
- **utc offset dst**: -2
- **elevation m**: 1172
- **postal code type**: Postal Code
- **postal code**: 70000-000
- **area code**: +55 61
- **website**: [http://www.brasilia.df.gov.br www.brasilia.df.gov.br]