Central-West Region, Brazil
The Central-West or Center-West Region of Brazil (Portuguese: Região Centro-Oeste do Brasil; [ʁeʒiˈɐ̃w ˌsẽtɾoˈɛstʃi du bɾaˈziw]) is composed of the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul; along with Distrito Federal (Federal District), where Brazil's national capital, Brasília, is situated. The region comprises 18.86% of the national territory.
Central-West Region
Região Centro-Oeste | |
|---|---|
Region | |
| Country | Brazil |
| States | Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul |
| Area | |
| • Region | 1,612,077.2 km2 (622,426.5 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| Population | |
| • Region | 16,504,303 |
| • Rank | 5th |
| • Density | 10/km2 (27/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 4th |
| • Urban | 86.3% |
| GDP | |
| • Total | R$ 932.166 billion (US$ 172.917 billion) |
| HDI | |
| • Year | 2007 |
| • Category | 0.789 – high (3rd) |
| • Life expectancy | 73.2 years (3rd) |
| • Infant mortality | 19.5 per 1,000 (3rd) |
| • Literacy | 91.7% (3rd) |
| Time zones | UTC-03 (BRT) |
| UTC-04 (AMT) | |
With the move of the country's federal capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília in the 1960s, the construction of roads and railways to the interior of the country made access to the region easier, speeding up population growth and contributing significantly to the region's development.
Mato Grosso do Sul was created in 1979, materializing the decision of the government to divide the then called state of Mato Grosso in two states to facilitate to the administration and the development of the region.
Brasília International Airport, Marechal Rondon International Airport, Campo Grande International Airport and Santa Genoveva Airport connects the Center-West region with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights.
The Center-West is home to the University of Brasília, University Center of Brasília, Federal University of Goiás, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Federal University of Mato Grosso and Federal University of Rondonópolis.
The Center-West region is the least populated in Brazil.