Brasilia is the capital of the South
American country of Brazil. The city lies
on the Parana River. It is famous for the
design of its buildings and for the birdor
airplane-shaped layout of its streets.
Many large companies have offices in
Brasilia. The government of Brazil
employs many people in the city. Many
others work in banking, law, or other
service industries.
Brasilia was built in just a few years,
starting in the late 1950s. Rio de Janeiro
was the capital of Brazil until 1960. In
that year the government offices began
moving to Brasilia. The new city grew
rapidly.
..More to explore
Architecture • Brazil • Rio de Janeiro
Brass
Mixing the metals copper and zinc
together makes brass. Such a mixture of
metals is called an alloy. Brass is often
used to make tools and machine parts.
Sculptors and other artists use brass
because it is easy to shape. Brass
doorknobs, faucets, and towel racks are
found in many homes. Brass is also
used to make such musical instruments
as trombones, trumpets, and French
horns.
Working with Brass
It is possible to work with brass when it
is hot or cold. Hot, melted brass can be
poured into molds of many different
shapes. As the brass cools, it hardens.
Cold brass can be pounded, pressed, or
engraved (scratched with a design).
History
People in western Asia made brass more
than 2,000 years ago. People in ancient
Greece and Rome used brass for
jewelry, armor, and cups and bowls.
From the 1200s to the 1600s people in
Europe made large brass plates to
decorate graves. They also used brass for
church decorations, bowls, candlesticks,
Brasilia is known for its unusual architecture.
These government buildings were
designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer.
Brazil’s leaders
moved the
capital to
Brasilia
because they
wanted people
to move inland
and develop
the country’s
resources.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Brass 123
and locks. People later made clocks,
sundials, and scientific instruments out
of brass. Until steel became widespread
in the middle of the 1800s, cannons
often were made of brass.
..More to explore
Alloy • Metal • Steel
Bratislava
Population
(2006 estimate)
417,653
Bratislava is the capital of the Central
European country of Slovakia. The city
lies on the Danube River. It is Slovakia’s
largest city and center of culture and
education.
Many people in Bratislava work for the
government. Others work in business
offices, banks, and other places that
provide services. Factories in the city
make cloth, chemicals, and electrical
goods. Bratislava is home to a number
of schools, including Comenius
University. The city also has many
museums and theaters.
In ancient times the Celts and Romans
built forts and villages in the Bratislava
region. A group of Slavs known as the
Slovaks arrived in the 500s or 600s. In
the 900s the area became part of the
kingdom of Hungary. Bratislava was the
capital of Hungary for about 250 years
in the 1500s to 1700s. Hungarian lawmakers
met in Bratislava until the mid-
1800s.
In 1918 Slovakia became a part of the
new country of Czechoslovakia.
Bratislava was capital of the province.
In 1993 Slovakia became an independent
country with Bratislava as its
capital.
..More to explore
Slovakia
A store in Egypt displays many trays and
other objects made of brass.
A castle stands on a hill above Bratislava.
The castle burned down in 1811 but was
later rebuilt.
124 Bratislava BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Brazil
The largest country in South America,
Brazil takes up about half of the continent.
Brazil’s Amazon River basin,
including the Amazon rain forest, is one
of Earth’s richest areas of plant and animal
life. The capital is Brasilia.
Geography
Brazil shares borders with every South
American nation except Ecuador and
Chile. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the
east. Brazil’s two main geographical
regions are the Amazon River basin in
the north and the Brazilian Highlands
in the center, east, and south. The
northeastern coast is flat and dry. The
southeastern coast includes narrow
plains and mountains. In the westcentral
part of Brazil is a vast wetland
called the Pantanal.
Brazil is the world’s largest tropical
country. It is hot year-round in much of
the country, but temperatures are cooler
along the coast and in the south.
Plants and Animals
The Amazon rain forest has the most
varied plant life on Earth. Animals living
in the trees include tree frogs, salamanders,
monkeys, and swarms of
insects, including many butterflies. Parrots,
macaws, and hummingbirds are
common birds. Larger animals in the
rain forest include jaguars, tapirs,
pumas, and sloths. Along the riverbanks
are found capybaras (the world’s largest
rodents), as well as alligators, boa constrictors,
and turtles. The Amazon River
itself contains electric eels, catfish, piranhas,
manatees, and freshwater dolphins.
Grasslands cover most of the Brazilian
Highlands. In the Pantanal wetland are
great numbers of birds, reptiles, insects,
and such larger animals as anteaters and
armadillos. In the drier northeast the
plant cover is low and spread out.
Thicker woodlands of thorny trees grow
in moister areas.
People
Brazil’s population is a mix of several
