City (pop., 2000: 2,043,169), capital of Brazil.
It lies on the Paraná River . Though the idea of having the country's capital located in the interior was proposed as early as 1789, Brasília's construction began only in 1956. It was designed by the Brazilian architects Lúcio Costa and Rio de Janeiro . The city is a governmental rather than an industrial centre, although many Brazilian companies have headquarters there. Brasília National Park is nearby.