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▲ PURPOSE-BUILT
Until 1960, the capital of Brazil was Rio
de Janeiro on the east coast. However, the
government wanted to encourage growth
and development in the centre of the country,
and so a brand new capital was purpose-built in
the interior – the modern capital of Brasília.◀ DESERT CITY
At night, the lights of Las Vegas shine
out across the Nevada Desert, USA.
Las vegas means “the meadows”
because the vast city was once just
a place where travellers stopped
for water as they crossed America.WORLD HERITAGE ▶
The United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) has
listed sites of outstanding
cultural or natural importance in
order to preserve them. Called
World Heritage Sites, these
include cities such as Djenné
in Mali, with its large
mud brick mosque.◀ POPULATION GROWTH
Until recently, the majority of the world’s
population lived in rural areas. Today,
most people live in cities, where they have
migrated in search of work and opportunity.
In many cities, such as Mumbai in India, this
has led to overcrowding as temporary
shelters spring up on the outskirts.CITY WITHIN A CITY
Few city-states remain today, ▶
but one exception is the Vatican
City in Rome, Italy, home of the
Pope and the centre of the
Roman Catholic Church. The
Vatican remains a city-state
with its own flag, coins,
national anthem, and
postage stamps.222_223_Cities.indd 223 03/01/19 12:11 PM