States of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and the Distrito Federal.
This region, covered with extensive savannas and tropical grasslands, is still sparsely populated. Once one of the more isolated areas of the country, this region has experienced a rapid expansion of its rural production and established new industries. The nation's capital, Brasília, founded in 1960, is located in this region. The federal government has set aside vast areas as reservations in the west central region for the native Indian tribes which originally lived on them. Also in this region is the wildlife paradise, the Mato Grosso swamplands (Pantanal Mato-grossense).
