Bogotá
Bogotá | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
| Motto(s): Bogotá, 2600 metros más cerca de las estrellas Bogotá, 2600 meters closer to the stars | |
  Bogotá Colombia | |
| Coordinates: 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 | 4,800/km2 (13,000/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 10,763,453 |
| Demonym | Bogotano(a) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 |
| Postal code | 110010000 |
| Area code | +57 1 |
| License plate | BOG |
| Website | City Official Site Bogotá Tourism |
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 fairly warm 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 Carlos Fernando Galán.
History
Originally, the Indigenous Muisca people lived in the area. Then, in 1538, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, a Spanish conquistador, founded Bogota. It then 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.
In 1948, a presidential candidate, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, was murdered while doing a speech in front of hundreds of people. One of the most remembered events after his killing is the Bogotazo. The Bogotazo started as a political party war; the Colombian Conservative Party began to hunt and kill every single member of the Colombian Liberal Party. The remaining Conservative party members decided to create the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC); however, this group was created to protect the oppressed people from their oppressors. Nowadays, this group is known for being terrorists and murderers; nevertheless, Colombia's capital city, Bogota, has not been attacked in the last few years.
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.
- ↑ "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.