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Brasília (Portuguese pronunciation: [bɾaˈziliɐ]) 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, ahead of Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza — see also List of urban agglomerations by population (United Nations). However, as a metropolitan area, it ranks lower at sixth. It is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Brasília hosts 91 foreign embassies. Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Brasilia

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 such as the Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal, Correios and Brasil Telecom. The city is a world reference for urban planning. The locating of residential buildings around expansive urban areas, of building the city around large avenues and dividing it into sectors, has 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. However, new areas are now being developed as locations for hotels, such as the Hotels and Tourism Sector North, located on the shores 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. In 1960, it formally became Brazil's national capital. When seen from above, the main planned part of the city's shape resembles an airplane or a butterfly. The city is commonly referred to as Capital Federal, or simply BSB. People from the city of Brasília are known as brasilienses or candangos. Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Brasilia

Brasília has a sui generis status in Brazil, given that it is not a municipality like nearly all cities in Brazil. Although there is no legal definition for Brasília, the term is almost always used synonymously with the Brazilian Federal District, and thus constitutes an indivisible Federative Unit, analogous to a state. In the region, however, the word Brasília often refers only to the First Administrative Region within the Distrito Federal (Federal District), also known as "Plano Piloto," where the most important government buildings are located. This is in contrast with the surrounding "satellite cities," which nevertheless are also part of the Federal District, and as such, Brasília, in a broader sense.

Brasília International Airport is a major airline hub for the rest of the country, connecting the capital to all major Brazilian cities and many international destinations. It is the third most important airport of Brazil, in terms of passengers and aircraft movements. Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Brasilia

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Belo Horizonte (lit. "Beautiful Horizon", Portuguese pronunciation: [bɛloɾiˈzõtʃi]) is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Belo Horizonte (or "Beagá", as it is also familiarly known from the sound of its initials "BH" in Portuguese) has a population of over 2.4 million, or almost 5.4 million in the official Metropolitan Area. Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Belo Horizonte

The region was first settled in the early 18th century, but the city as it is known today was planned and constructed in the 1890s, in order to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas Gerais. The city features a mixture of contemporary and classical buildings, and hosts several modern Brazilian architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Complex. In planning the city, Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban planning of Washington D.C. The city has employed notable programs in urban revitalization and food security, for which is has been awarded international accolades.

The city is built on several hills and is completely surrounded by mountains. There are several large parks in the immediate surroundings of Belo Horizonte. The "Parque das Mangabeiras", located six kilometres south-east from the city centre in the hills of the Serra do Curral, affords a view over the city. It has an area of 2.35 km2 (580 acres), of which 0.9 km2 (220 acres) is native forest. The "Mata do Jambeiro" nature reserve extends over 912 hectares (2,250 acres), with vegetation typical of the Atlantic forest. More than one hundred species of bird inhabit the reserve, as well as ten different species of mammal. Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Belo Horizonte

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São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere, and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in commerce and finance as well as arts and entertainment. São Paulo is considered an Alpha World City. Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Sao Paulo

The city has many landmarks, such as the Paulista Museum, the neo-gothic Metropolitan Sé Cathedral, the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), the Monumento às Bandeiras (Portuguese for Monument to the Flag) and Niemeyer's Ibirapuera Bienal Complex; and more recently the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge (Estaiada Bridge) in the South Side. Paulista Avenue, in Midtown, is the city´s most important financial center .

The city is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange, or BOVESPA, the Future Markets, and the Cereal Market Stock Exchanges, the second largest stock exchange in the Americas. São Paulo has been home to several of the tallest buildings in Brazil, including the Mirante do Vale Building and Itália Building.Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Sao Paulo

With an estimated population of 11,037,593 residents within an area of 1,523 square kilometers (588.0 sq mi), São Paulo is the most populous city proper in the Americas.

The city also lies at the center of the heavily urbanized São Paulo metropolitan area, with an estimated 19,889,559 people in 2009 over 7,944 square kilometers (3,067.2 sq mi), is the largest metropolitan area in the nation. São Paulo metropolitan area is ranked as the second most populous in the Americas.Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Sao Paulo

People from the city of São Paulo are known as paulistanos, while paulistas designates anyone from the whole of São Paulo state, including the paulistanos. The city's Latin motto, which it has shared with the battleship and the aircraft carrier named after it, is Non dvcor, dvco, which translates as "I am not led, I lead."

A famous nickname for the city is "Sampa." São Paulo is also known for its unreliable weather, the size of its helicopter fleet, architecture, gastronomy, and multitude of skyscrapers. Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Sao Paulo

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