Brasilia


Brasilia is located atop the Brazilian highlands,with a population of about 2.6 million and an area of 5822 square kilometers, as well as 19 towns and satellite towns under its jurisdiction. Lying 1158 meters above sea level, the city has just two seasons all year round: the rainy season and a dry season. With an annual highest temperature of 29°C, and lowest temperature of 17°C, the city has very pleasant and spring-like weather, boasting the largest green space per capita in the world. In 1956, Juscelino Kubitschek, President of Brazil decided to move the capital to the inland, fulfilling the promise of the Constitution and his own political campaign promise. The program started in in 1957 and a modern metropolis was built in 3 years and 7 months. On April 21, 1960, the capital of Brazil was moved from  Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia.

Brasilia is well planned and carefully designed with new towns and urban layout, well-known for its unique design, remarkable buildings and quickly expanded population in the world.The chief architect of the city is  Lúcio Costa. The buildings seated in the Square of Three Powers like the National Congress,  the Palace of the Supreme Court, the Planalto Palace(housing the Presidential Office and Foreign Ministry) are all landmarks of the city. Without the traces of ancient architecture and the noise of the other big cities, Brasilia is selected a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its modernistic urban planning, uniquely novel buildings and artistic sculptures with rich implications, the only city in the list that is built in the 20th century.

Brasilia is a top place for investment in the mid-west of Brazil, as well as one of the regions with the fastest-growing economy in the country. The major minerals include limestone, gemstone and dolomite; the main produces are rice, potato, beans,  cassava milk and vegetables. The economy of Brasilia relies heavily on the services, accounting for 90% of the local GDP; whereas industries only produce 10%, mainly depending on the construction and cement manufacturing industry. The GDP of Brasilia ranks the fifth of the cities in Latin America, and the third in Brazil, but it has the highest GDP per capita among major Latin American cities.

Brasilia holds 464 primary schools, 84 high schools, 10 universities, 15 theaters, 20 cinemas, 13 museums and 19 art galleries.

The government of Brasilia Federal District consists of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, with the posts all elected by voting and the tenure couldn’t exceed that of the corresponding posts of the Federal Government. The elected officers also have to be appointed in investiture ceremonies. In 1990, for the first time in history, Brasilia got the right to directly elect its governor and a District Assembly. The current governor of the city is Rodrigo Rollemberg.

Brasilia established sister-city relationship with Xi’an on October 26, 1997. The other sister cities include Abuja, Nigeria; Amsterdam, Holland; Beijing, China; Berlin, Germany; Bogota, Columbia; Boston, America; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Duha, Qatar; Lima, Peru; Lisbon, Portugal; Montevideo, Uruguay; Rome, Italy and Washington DC, America.