Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 40. Chapters: Brasília, United Nations Headquarters, University of Brasília, Óscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre, List of Oscar Niemeyer works, National Congress of Brazil, Palácio do Planalto, University of Haifa, Ibirapuera Auditorium, Gustavo Capanema Palace, Palácio da Alvorada, Latin America Memorial, Latin American Parliament, Ibirapuera Park, Ministry of External Relations, United Nations Secretariat Building, Cathedral of Brasília, Praça dos Três Poderes, Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Oscar Niemeyer Museum, Edifício Copan, Monumental Axis, Palácio do Jaburu, Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, University of Science and Technology, Houari Boumediene, Cultural Complex of the Republic, Anhembi Sambadrome, Natal City Park, Pampulha, JK Building, Penang State Mosque, University of Information Science, National Theatre, Praça da Apoteose. Excerpt: Brasília (Portuguese pronunciation: ) is the capital of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 (3,599,000 in the metropolitan area) as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the fourth largest city in Brazil. However, as a metropolitan area, it ranks lower at sixth. It is listed as a World Heritage Site UNESCO. Brasília hosts 123 foreign embassies. 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 such as the locating of residential buildings around expansive urban areas, as well as building the city around large avenues and dividing it into sectors, have sparked a debate and reflection on life in big cities in the 20th century. The city's planned design included specific areas for almost everything, including accommodation, Hotel Sectors North and South. New areas are now being developed for hotels, such as the Hotels and Tourism Sector North, on the shore of Lake Paranoá. The city was planned and developed in 1956 with Lúcio Costa as the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the principal architect. On April 22 of 1960, it formally became Brazil's national capital. Viewed from above, the main portion of the city resembles an airplane or a butterfly. The city is commonly referred to as Capital Federal, or simply BSB. Residents of Brasília are known as brasilienses or candangos (the latter referring to those not born in the city, but migrated there 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 located. Brasília has a unique status in Brazil, as it is an adminstrative division rathe