Brasília

Imagine a place where the sky feels as big as the whole world. The buildings here don't look like regular houses or tall skyscrapers. Some look like giant white bowls, one looks like a beautiful crown, and another opens up to the sky like a flower. Green grass stretches everywhere, and a big, sparkling lake wraps around me like a hug. I wasn't here a long, long time ago. I was built from a big idea, a plan to create something new and wonderful right in the heart of a huge country. I am a city built from a dream. I am Brasília, the capital of Brazil!

For a very long time, Brazil's capital city was near the ocean. But in the 1950s, the country's leader, President Juscelino Kubitschek, had a bold idea. He said, "Let's build a new capital, right in the very center of Brazil, to bring our country together!". It was a huge dream, but he found the perfect people to help. A man named Lúcio Costa drew the map for me. He designed my streets and neighborhoods to look like a giant airplane or a bird with its wings spread wide, ready to fly into the future. Then, an amazing artist named Oscar Niemeyer designed my special buildings, making them look like sculptures you can walk inside. In 1956, thousands of hardworking people came from all over Brazil to build me. They were called the 'candangos,' and they worked day and night to turn an empty place into a busy city. It was hard work, but they did it. And on my very special birthday, April 21st, 1960, I was officially opened. I was inaugurated as the brand-new capital of Brazil!

Today, I am a busy and happy home. Families live in my neighborhoods, and children laugh and play in my big green parks. In my special government buildings, important people make decisions that help all of Brazil. Visitors love to see my famous places, like the National Congress building with its two tall towers and two big bowls—one facing up to the sky and one facing down. They also visit my beautiful Cathedral, which looks like hands reaching up to heaven. Because my design was so new and special, the whole world noticed. In 1987, I was named a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is like getting a gold star for being an important place for all people, everywhere. I was built to show everyone that when people dream big and work together, they can create amazing things. I am a symbol of hope and a reminder to always look toward the future.