Category Capital Cities

          The federal capital of the Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory. Canberra is a planned city. Due to the influence of the Garden City Movement that necessitated the involvement of natural vegetation in the city design, Canberra is sometimes referred to as the ‘Bush Capital’.

         Tourism and light industry are the two major sources of the city’s income. The Mount Stromlo Observatory, the National Library of Australia, the High Court of Australia, the Australian National Gallery, the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Australian National War Memorial and Parliament House are some of the most notable features of Canberra. Batemans Bay, a popular holiday spot on the New South Wales coast, is only around two hours from the city.

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          Buenos Aires, the capital and the largest city in Argentina, was established by the Spanish in 1536.

          From its earliest days, Buenos Aires depended primarily on trade, and it developed into an important port, both under the Spanish, and later, the British. It became the seat of the Argentine government in 1880, and also an economic power hub as well.

          Today, Buenos Aires is the most visited city in South America. It is a top tourist destination that is known for its European style architecture, and vibrant atmosphere.

          Over the last 150 years, millions of immigrants from all over the world have made Buenos Aires their home.

          An interesting fact is that Buenos Aires has the widest avenue, in the world- Avenida 9 de Julio, which is an impressive 16 lanes wide!

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            Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, was founded in 1960. Till then the capital was Rio de Janeiro, but it was felt that a more central location was needed, and Brasilia was planned and developed to fulfill this need. The city is distinguished by its modern, White architecture and its shape which resembles an aero plane or a bird in flight. Beauty, simplicity and functionality are the keywords that describe the city. It is a harmonious blend of magnificent administrative centres, Public places and innovative ideas of urban living that include six storey housing blocks supported on pylons that allow the landscape to flow beneath and around them. It is this visionary planning and futuristic architecture that has made Brasilia a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

            One of the principal cities of South America, Caracas is the capital of Venezuela. Officially, the city is known as Santiago de Leon de Caracas. It is situated along the Guaire River, a short river in Venezuela.

             While there are many prosperous cities in Venezuela, governments have had difficulty in dealing with poverty and lawlessness in Caracas.

            The city lacked in running water, electricity and social services. There was a steady increase in the crime rate in Caracas and this has resulted in it being termed as the most dangerous city in Latin America. Some of the most important historic buildings and monuments of the city include the Caracas Cathedral, the National Capitol, the Municipal Council building, the Miraflores Palace, the National Pantheon and the twin towers of the Simon Bolivar Centre.

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            Montevideo is the national capital of Uruguay. It is also the largest city and chief port of Uruguay. Among the cities of Uruguay, Montevideo is the only city with a population over 10 lakhs. With beautiful beaches and one of the most important harbours in the Americas, the city has a very high quality of life.

            Montevideo is the commercial, political, and intellectual centre of Uruguay. The architecture in the city shows a strong influence of European styles. The city is an important centre for learning and the arts. The Government House, the Museum of Natural History, the Salvo Palace, the Soils Theatre and the Victoria Plaza Hotel are some of the most important monuments of Montevideo.

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          Have you heard of Suriname, a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America? Paramaribo is the capital of the country. The city was the location for the first Dutch settlement. Much of its distinctive Dutch colonial architecture, as well as a canal system, can be found even today.

          The primary support of the city’s economy comes from exports. The city exports bauxite, sugarcane, rice, cacao, coffee, rum and tropical woods. Paramaribo also manufactures cement, paint, margarine and beer. The city’s centre was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002 for its fusion of European and local elements. The 17th-century Fort Zeelandia, built to protect the Dutch West India Company from European rivals, the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral and De Waag, where colonial agricultural products were once weighed and sorted before being shipped, are some of the most notable monuments of the city.

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