The National Congress of Brazil building stands in Brasília, Brazil’s federal capital.
The complex is part of Brasília’s monumental civic axis, where many of the country’s most important government buildings were planned as symbols of the new capital. Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, the Congress complex is recognizable for its two tall office towers and the contrasting domes of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies.
Brazil’s National Congress is bicameral: the Federal Senate represents the states and Federal District, while the Chamber of Deputies represents the population. Although the institution dates to 1826, its present meeting place moved to Brasília after the capital was inaugurated in 1960.
The main confusion comes from Brazil’s former capital, Rio de Janeiro, and its largest city, São Paulo. Neither houses the federal legislature. Brasília, located in the Federal District in Brazil’s interior, is the seat of the national government and the city where Congress meets.