Brasília is the capital of Brazil and the seat of the federal government. It is located in the Northwest region of the Brazilian highlands. With a population of over 2.5 million, it is the fourth largest city in the country. The first capital of Brazil was Salvador. In 1763, Rio de Janeiro became the capital. The plan to move the administration of the country to the newly built center began to be implemented under President Joscelin Kubitschek. The competition for the construction of the new capital was won by the proposal of Lucio Costa. The prominent architect Oscar Niemeyer designed several government buildings. Construction began in 1956 and lasted 41 months. Brasilia became the official new capital on April 21, 1960. Thanks to its modernist architecture and unique artistic urbanism, the city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. In 2008, it received the status of American capital of culture.