BRASLIA

city, federal capital of Brazil. It is located in the 2,248-square-mile (5,822-square-kilometre) Federal District (Distrito Federal) carved out of Gois state on the central plateau of Brazil. At an elevation of some 3,500 feet (1,100 metres), it lies at the headwaters of the Tocantins, Paran, and So Francisco rivers. Because of its unique city plan and architecture, as well as its unprecedented role in the development of the Brazilian interior, the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.