D. C.

Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution authorizes Congress "to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever over such district as may become the seat of the government of the United States."  This was considered important as James Madison wrote in the Federalist No. 43, "the national capital needed to be distinct from the States."  

At the time of the ratification of the United States Constitution in June of 1788, the national capital was in the City of New York and the State of New York.  This would just be temporary.

A compromise was reached among the leadership of the new republic (James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton) that the federal capital be located along the Potomac River between the states of Maryland and Virginia.  

"On December 23, 1788 (230 years ago today), the Maryland General Assembly passed an act, allowing it to cede land to the federal district.  The Virginia General Assembly followed suit on December 3, 1789."  President George Washington signed the federal Residence Act on July 16, 1790 authorizing the establishment of a permanent seat of government.

On September 9, 1791, the three commissioners (Thomas Johnson, Daniel Carroll and David Stuart) who were supervising the construction of the new capital city agreed to name it after the first president.  The District was named Columbia which was a poetic name for the United States in common use at the time.

The second president of the United States, John Adams, was the first occupant of the White House on November 1, 1800.  The first legislative session at the new Capital Building occurred 16 days later.  Sadly, George Washington, whose mandate ended March 4, 1797, was not there for these memorable days.  He died December 14, 1799 at the age of sixty-seven.

When Brazil became independent in 1822, its capital was the City of Rio de Janeiro in the State of Rio de Janeiro.  Similar to the United States, it decided to build a new city, named Brasilia, which became its capital in 1960 and is located in the center-western region of the country, in a district separate from any state.