Bogotá
Bogota is the capital (city) of Colombia. As of 2009, more than 7 million people live in Bogota, which makes it the largest city in Colombia. It is about 2,640 metres (8,660 feet) above sea level, on a plateau. This makes it the third highest capital in the world.[4] With many universities and libraries, Bogotá has become known as "The Athens of South America".[5]The weather is usually nice during the day and cool at night. It has a series of bike paths (trails that are made for bikes) that wind through the city. It has many recreational and amusement parks open to the public. The current mayor is Claudia López.
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| Coordinates: 4°35′53″N 74°4′33″W / 4.59806°N 74.07583°WCoordinates: 4°35′53″N 74°4′33″W / 4.59806°N 74.07583°W | |
| Country | Colombia |
| Department | Distrito Capital |
| Foundation | 6 August 1538 (traditional)[1] |
| Founded by | Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Claudia López |
| Area | |
| • Capital District | 1,587 km2 (613 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 307.36 km2 (118.67 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 32nd |
| Elevation | 2,625 m (8,612 ft) |
| Population (2013)[3] | |
| • Capital District | 7,674,366 |
| • Rank | 1st |
| • Density | 4,835.8/km2 (12,525/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 10,763,453 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 |
| Postal code | 110010000 |
| License plate | BOG |
| Website | City Official Site Bogotá Tourism |
History
Originally, Native Americans called Muisca lived in the area. Then, in 1538, Gonzalo Jimenes de Quezada, a Spanish conqueror, founded Bogota. Bogota became a center of trade, art, and education. Some of the oldest universities in the Americas are in Bogota. After Independence from Spain, Bogota became the capital of Gran Colombia in 1819.
Bogota has had extremely awful moments. In 1948, a presidential candidate, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, was murdered while doing a speech in front of hundreds of persons. This tragic moment brought with it terrible consequences: one of the most remembered one is the "Bogotazo". The "Bogotazo" started as a political party war, the blue party, self named the "conservatives", began to hunt and kill every single member of the red party, the "liberals". The remaining blue party members decided to create the "Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia" (FARC); however, this group was ironically created to protect the oppressed people from their oppressors. Nowadays, this group is known as terrorists and murderers;nevertheless, Colombia's capital city, Bogota, has not being attacked in the last few years.
Bogotá Media
The Bogotá savanna is the high plateau in the Andes where Bogotá is located. The flatlands are clearly visible in the topography and the result of a Pleistocene lake; Lake Humboldt, that existed until around 30,000 years BP
Muisca mummy in the Gold Museum, Bogotá
Bolívar Square and the cathedral
Santa Fé de Bogotá in 1615 by the Inca painter Guamán Poma in his work "Nueva corónica y buen gobierno". Royal Library, Denmark.
The Plateresque Colonial Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé, built between 1604 and 1622
Santa Clara Church Museum built between 1629 and 1647. It has a large collection of colonial Colombian paintings.
The Royal Street (in 1869), today known as Seventh Avenue (Carrera Séptima)
Tram on fire in front of the National Capitol where the IX Pan-American Conference was held in the Elliptical Hall of the National Capitol, during the revolt known as Bogotazo.
References
- ↑ Henderson, James D.; Delpar, Helen; Brungardt, Maurice Philip; Richard N. Weldon (2000). A reference guide to Latin American history. M.E. Sharpe. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-56324-744-6. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ↑ "Bogotá una ciudad Andina" (in Spanish). la Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "DANE". Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ↑ "Elevation of major cities". 2747.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
- ↑ ""Athens of South America"" (PDF). Revista. Retrieved 2010-07-15.[dead link]
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