Ceilândia

Ceilândia is one of the most important Satellite towns near Brasília, Brazil. Currently, the city has a population of 350,000 inhabitants.

Located 24 kilometers from the Pilot Plan of Brasília, and linked by a four lane highway, Ceilândia occupies an area of 232 square kilometers and is in one of the most privileged hydrographic areas of the Federal District. It has several streams forming its boundaries and is in the basin of the Descoberto River, which supplies 60% of the population of the Federal District.

Ceilândia was created by the government in the 1970s to keep people from moving into Brasília and setting up shanty towns. The root of the name Ceilândia is 'CEI' which means in Portuguese: Centro de Erradicação de Invasões (Squatters Eradication Center).Fact|date=August 2008

In 1969, after only nine years of existence, Brasília already had 79,128 people living in shacks (favelas), out of a population of 500 thousand inhabitants in all the Federal District. In that year a seminar took place in Brasília concerning social problems of the Federal District. The shanty dwellers were the most serious problem. The Governor at that time, Hélio Prates da Silveira, decided to eradicate the shanty towns and a commission was formed.

Seventeen thousand six hundred and nineteen lots were laid out and in 1970 the first construction began. In nine months the transfer of the families was concluded with the streets opened In the beginning it was dramatic. The population had no water, no public lighting, no public transport and fought against the dust, the mud and the flashfloods.

Today Ceilândia is the largest electoral college of the Federal District and the most populous city, with more inhabitants than the Pilot Plan. It occupies a total of 91 residential squares laid out like Brasília, intercalated by areas for local commerce, churches and schools. There are also some special areas that are set aside to provide community services.

An active commercial center, it has 4,500 commercial establishments and 1,600 small industries. The economically active population is more than 160,000 people.

Two important locals of Ceilandia are The Water Tank, in Ceilândia Centro, and the Casa do Cantador do Brasil - local where singers of northeast of Brazil presents shows (Oscar Niemeyer's work).

Ceilândia and its fairs

Ceilândia is considered the second largest "Northeastern city" outside the Brazilian Northeast Region (the first one is São Paulo). About 70% of the population is of Northeastern origin. The presence of the Northeast culture can be seen in the number of open-air fairs (13 in all)

The fairs (feiras-livres) are also an alternative for the workers that did not find space in the economy of the Federal District. In most of them, fruits, foods, clothes and footwear are commercialized. The Fair of the Producer (Feira do Produtor e Atacadista de Ceilândia) sells wholesale and supplies almost 50% of the Federal District.

The Central Fair (Feira Permanente de Ceilândia), is the largest of all. It occupies an area of seven thousand square meters and sells household articles, tools, electric appliances, fruits, vegetables, and poultry. It is located next to the Caixa d'Água (Water Tower) - the symbol of Ceilândia.

But the most peculiar fair, without doubt, is the Feira do Rolo, where one can find almost everything, new or used, entire or broken, and things there can be sold or exchanged.

External links

* [http://www.ceilandia.df.gov.br/ Ceilândia, Official Site]
* [http://100porcentoceilandia.blogspot.com/ Ceilândia's blog]
* [http://www.superbrasilia.com/sat/ceilandia1.jpgAerial view of Ceilândia]