Brazil

2. When we think of Brazil, we think of Rio de Janeiro.
But the capital of Brazil is not Rio de Janeiro. It is Brasilia.
Brasilia is a new city in the center of Brazil. It is 600 mile
from the Atlantic Ocean and far away from any other town.

3. For a long time, Brazilians wanted to have a capital in
the center of the country. They wanted people to live in the
center and not just by the ocean. In 1957, President Kubitschek
decided to build the city. Workers came from all over the
country. There were no roads or railroads to the center of the
country. Everything came by plane. It took three years to build
this city. In 1960, Brasilia became the capital.
The city is in the shape of an airplane. The government
buildings are in the center. People live in apartments in
high-rise on both sides. There are wide boulevards and modern
buildings. The main buildings and the cathedral are the work
of Oscar Niemeyer. He is a famous architect. The cathedral is
extraordinary.

6. Brasilia has problems as a city. The city was made
for half a million people. Now about two million people
live in Brasilia. The poor people live in slums outside the
city, like in other Brazilian cities. It is hot in the center of
Brazil, and there are few trees in the new city. There
aren’t too many people outside in the streets. Some of the
streets are very wide. There are really for cars. It is not
easy for people to cross the streets.
Brasilia is a very modern capital. It is a beautiful
city. It has everything a city needs. But many people miss
the exciting life in Rio de Janeiro and often go back there.