The Federal District (Portuguese: Distrito Federal) was an administrative division of Brazil created by the Brazilian Constitution of 1891.

[1] During the Empire of Brazil the administrative unit that corresponded to this territory was designated the Neutral Municipality (Município Neutro).

[1] It was a legal entity under public law until 1960, in the territory corresponding to the current municipality of Rio de Janeiro.

[2] With the transfer of the capital to the recently created city of Brasília, the new Federal District was created in the Brazilian Highlands in 1960.

[3][4] From 1960 to 1975 the same territory existed as the State of Guanabara,[5] which in turn was incorporated into the municipality of Rio de Janeiro.