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This article is about the Colombian capital; for the town in New Jersey, see Bogota, New Jersey.

Bogotá—officially named Bogotá, D.C. (D.C. for "Distrito Capital", which means "Capital District"), also called Santa Fe de Bogotá—is the capital of Colombia, as well as the largest and most populous city in the country with 7,185,889 inhabitants (2005 estimate). It is also the capital of the department of Cundinamarca. The officially defined metropolitan area, which includes the municipality of Soacha, has an estimated population of 7,747,000 (as of 2005).[http://esa.un.org/unup/index.asp?panel=2

History

See also History

Originally called Bacatá by the Muiscas, was the center of their civilization before the Spanish explorers, and sustained a large population. The European settlement was founded in August 6, 1538, by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and was named "Santa Fé de Bacatá" after his birthplace Santa Fé and the local name. "Bacatá" had become the modern "Bogotá" by the time it was made the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, which was then part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, and the city soon became one of the centers of Spanish colonial power and civilization in South America.

In 1810-11 its citizens revolted against Spanish rule and set up a government of their own, but had to contend with Spanish military loyalists, who controlled the city until 1819, when Simón Bolívar captured the city after his victory at Boyacá. Bogotá was then made the capital of Gran Colombia, a federation combining the territories of modern Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. When that republic was dissolved into its constituent parts, Bogotá remained the capital of New Granada, which later became the Republic of Colombia. See History of Colombia.

In 1956, the municipality was joined to other neighboring municipalities forming a "Special District" (Spanish: Distrito Especial). With the Constitution of 1991, Bogotá was confirmed as the Capital of Colombia acquiring the name "Santa Fe de Bogotá", and changing the category from Special District to "Capital District" (Spanish: Distrito Capital).

In August 2000 the capital's name was officially changed back from "Santa Fé de Bogotá" to the more usual "Bogotá". Bogotá Capital District * The local government consists of a Capital District, the current chief of government is Luis Eduardo Garzón.

Flag

The flag originates from the insurgency movement against the colonial authorities, which began on July 20, 1810. During this insurgency, the rebels wore armbands with yellow and red bands, as these colours were the ones in the Spanish flag which was the one used as the flag for the New Kingdom of Granada.

In October 9, 1952, exactly 142 years after these events, decree 555 of 1952 (available at *) officially and definitively adopted the patriotic armband as the flag of Bogotá.

The flag itself is divided horizontally in two, the top half being yellow and the bottom half being red. The yellow colour denotes the virtues of justice, clemency, benevolence, the so-called "mundane qualities" (defined as nobility, excellence, richness, generosity, splendour, health, steadfastness, joy and prosperity), long life, eternity, power and constancy. The red colour denotes the virtue of charity, as well as the qualities of bravery, nobility, values, audacity, victory, honour and furor.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of the city was granted by emperor Charles V (Charles I of Spain) to the New Kingdom of Granada, by royal decree given in Valladolid, Spain on December 3, 1548. It contains a black eagle in the center, which symbolises steadfastness. The eagle is also a symbol of the Habsburgs, which was the ruling family of the Spanish empire at the time. The eagle is crowned with gold and holds a red pomegranate inside a golden background. The border contains olive branches with nine golden pomegranates in a blue background. The two red pomegranates symbolize audacity, and the nine golden ones represent the nine states which constituted the New Kingdom of Granada at the time.

In 1932 the coat of arms was officially recognized and adopted as the symbol of Bogotá.

Anthem

Anthem The lyrics to the anthem of Bogotá were written by Pedro Medina Avendaño, the melody was composed by Roberto Pineda Duque. The song was officially declared the anthem by decree 1000 of July 31, 1974, by then Mayor of Bogotá, Aníbal Fernandez de Soto.

Population and Area

Location

Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, is located in the center of the country, on the eastern "Bogotá Sabana", 2640 meters (8661 feet) above sea level.

The Bogotá River crosses the Sabana forming Tequendama falls to the south. Tributary rivers form valleys with flourishing villages, whose economy is based on agriculture, livestock rising and artisan production.

The Bogotá Sabana is bordered to the east by the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes mountain range. Surrounding hills limiting city growth run south to north parallel to the Guadalupe and Monserrate mountains. The western city limit is the Bogotá river; Sumapaz paramo borders the south and to the north Bogotá extends over the Sabana up to the towns of Chía and Sopó.

Climate

The average temperature on the Sabana is 14°C, varying from 9 to 22ºC. Dry and rainy seasons alternate along the year. Driest months are December, January, February and March; the rainiest are April, May, September, October and November. June and July are usually rainy periods and August is sunny with high winds.

Climate conditions are irregular and quite variable due to El Niño and La Niña phenomena occurring at the Pacific basin and responsible for very strong climate changes.

Urban layout and nomenclature

The urban layout dates back to Colonial times, and is a square layout adopted from Spain. The current street layout has calles which run perpendicular to the hills heading east-west with numbering increasing towards the north, and towards the south from calle 1, and carreras which run parallel to the hills in the south-north direction with numbering increasing east and west from carrera 1. New urban sectors incorporate diagonal – equaling streets – and transversal – equaling carreras. Streets are numbered.

It has over one thousand neighborhoods or divisions forming the developed urban network. Neighborhoods of higher economic status are primarily located to the north and north-east. Poorer neighborhoods are located to the south and south-east, many of them squatter areas. The middle classes usually inhabit the central, western and north-western sections of the city.

Government

Bogotá is the capital of the Republic of Colombia, and houses the national legislature, the Supreme Justice Court, and the center of the executive administration as well as the residence of the President of the Republic. The Principal Mayor and District Council – both elected by popular vote – are responsible for city administration.

It is divided in 20 localities: Usaquén, Chapinero, Santa Fe, San Cristóbal, Usme, Tunjuelito, Bosa, Kennedy, Fontibón, Engativá, Suba, Barrios Unidos, Teusaquillo, Los Mártires, Antonio Nariño, Puente Aranda, La Candelaria, Rafael Uribe Uribe, Ciudad Bolívar, Sumapáz.

Each of the 20 localities is governed by an administrative board elected by popular vote, formed by no less than seven members, as determined by the District Council. The Principal Mayor designates local mayors from a trio proposed by the respective administrative board.

Economy

Bogotá is Colombia's largest economic center, followed by Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla. Most companies in Colombia have their headquarters in Bogotá, as it is home to most foreign companies doing businesses in Colombia as well as Colombia's main stock market. Bogotá is a major center for import and export of goods for Colombia.

Manufacturing, Commerce and Trade

Bogotá is the hub of Colombian business. It has a busy banking and insurance sector and a Stock exchange. Engineering firms provide services for many regions of Colombia and Central America. Bogotá houses the central governmental institutions and military headquarters. It is the center of the telecommunications network and has the biggest industrial facilities in the country.

Some services are public and others are private. The public services include energy, sewer and phones. Energy and sewer bills are stratified based on the location of owner's residence. Thus, the wealthier sections of society help subsidize the energy bills of the poorer sections of society. Telephone service is provided by both "Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogotá" (ETB), a city-owned company, and "Capitel", owned by Colombia Telecomunicaciones and "EMP Bogotá", owned in turn by the Medellín public services company (Empresas Públicas de Medellín - EMP) . Coin or card-operated payphones are also available, along with cell phone providers. There are (as of May 2005) three main operators of wireless phones: Movistar (owned by Spanish firm Telefónica), Comcel (owned by Telmex) and Ola (co-owned by ETB and EPM).

Bogotá also receives money from exports like flowers and emeralds. In downtown Bogotá, millions of dollars in domestically produced rough and cut emeralds are bought and sold daily. Other important industries include financial services, especially banking. Bogotá is headquarters to major banks such as the Banco de la República. Bogotá is also a printing and publishing center. The city is a major convention destination with many major convention centers: Centro Ferial de Convenciones Corferias, Centro de Convenciones y Eventos Cafam, Centro de Convenciones Gonzalo Jiménez De Quezada, among others. Because of its status as site of the country's capital, it is home to a number of government agencies, which represent another major component of the city's economy.

The city's industrial base include staples of the Colombian economy such as GM Colmotores, Compañía Colombiana Automotriz, and Ecopetrol.Service industries such as language teaching are also strongly represented, one of the principal companies being Study Agency International, founded by Irishman Cormac Ross in 2000. It contributes substantially to the national industrial output.

Transportation and Comunications

Bogotá is a modern city with a modern transportation system. It includes an international airport, bus lines, taxis, the TransMilenio bus rapid transit system, and even a train that serves as transportation for the outskirts of the city.

Buses are the main means of mass transportation. There are two bus systems: traditional system and trasmilenio. The traditional system runs a variety of bus types, operated by several enterprises , and operating on normal streets and avenues:

  • bus; large buses.
  • buseta; medium size buses.
  • microbus or colectivo; vans or minivans.
The buses are divided in two categories: "ejecutivo", which is supposed to be a deluxe service and is not supposed to carry passengers outside their seats, and "corriente" or normal service. Bus fares range as of March 2006, from COP 900 to 1250 (US$ .40 aprox.)

In addition, Bogotá has different types of taxis. Yellow taxis (cabs) are much more common. People often use them in order to go faster despite their higher fees. Bogotá also has white taxis, used mostly as shuttles between hotels and the El Dorado airport.

Airports

Bogotá's principal airport is El Dorado International Airport. Several national airlines (Avianca, AeroRepública, West Caribbean Airways, Intercotinental de Aviacion]] and Saetnea), and international airlines (such as Iberia Airlines|Iberia, American Airlines, Variig, Copa Airlines|Copa]], Continental Airlines|Continental, Delta Air Lines|Delta, Air Canada, Grupo TACA|TACA) operate from El Dorado. Bogotá's airport is one of the largest and most expensive in Latin America. Because of its central location within Colombia and America, it's preferred by national land transportation providers, as well as national and international air transportation providers.

Currently, a major expansion of El Dorado airport is in the planning stage.

Bus Terminals

... is Bogotá's terminal for national and international bus routes. This terminal serves routes to the majority of cities and towns of Colombia (1) and its the largest in the country. International services are provided to Ecuador and Venezuela by certain bus companies.

TransMilenio

TransMilenio is a bus rapid transit system, a network combining modern articulated buses that operate on exclusive roads (busways) and smaller buses (feeders) that operate in residential areas, bringing passengers to the main grid. TransMilenio's main routes are: Caracas Avenue, 80th Street, Avenue of the Americas, Northern Highway (Autopista Norte), Jiménez Avenue, and 30th Avenue (also referred to as Norte Quito Sur or N.Q.S. for short). The routes of Suba Avenue and the southern leg of 30th Avenue route were opened in April of 2006. The third phase of the system will cover 7th Avenue, 10th Avenue, and 26th Street (or Avenida El Dorado). The system is expected to cover the entire city by 2030.

On April 2006 a strike led by the owners of the old transportation system forced anyone not owning a car to use the Transmilenio system. However, due to the massive demand the system collapsed. This forced the City Government to initiate a discussion which concluded that by 2016 Transmilenio will not be able to handle the transportation needs of the city, and an alternate solution such as a rail system must be devised.

According to this paper, 90% of the profits goes to private contractors, 5% to the company that runs the tickets system and only 5% goes to the city. Transmilenio is also the most expensive way to travel by bus in the city. While other buses charge per person 1000 or 1100 colombian pesos, Transmilenio charges 1200. Given that most massive transportation systems in the world are the least expensive alternative, this is considered excessive by most of the users of the TransMilenio system.

= Security on Transmilenio
=

As in any other highly crowded areas, users of TransMilenio must be aware that when riding the system they are exposed to pickpockets. Isolated instances of people getting mugged have been reported as well. Security on buses and in stations is handled by police officers assigned by the city. However, most of the time the officers assigned are recently graduated highschool students serving their mandatory year with the armed forces ('Policía Bachiller'). Higher ranking officers are assigned as supervisors and respond when Policía Bachiller requests assistance.

Bike Paths Network

Bogotá's network of bike paths, also called ciclorutas, is one of the most extensive dedicated bike path networks of any city in the world with a total extension of 303 km. It extends from the north of the city, 170th Street, to the south, 27th Street, and from Monserrate on the east, to the Bogotá River on the west. The ciclorruta was started by the Antanas Mockus administration (1995-1998) and then extensively complemented during the administration of mayor Enrique Peñalosa.

On Sundays, many people ride a popular tourist train with their family. On weekends, the train runs from Bogotá to Zipaquirá and Nemocón, towns at the outskirts of Bogotá.

Lack of security on bike paths has caused many would-be riders to search for more traditional means of transportation.

Colleges and Universities

Bogotá's colleges and universities have a major impact on the city and region's economy. Not only are they major employers, but they also attract national and international industries to the city and surrounding region, including highly needed technology industries. The city is Colombia's educational "Mecca"; it boasts more schools, colleges, and universities than any other city in Colombia and contributes with high academic levels.

Parks and Recreation

  • There are many parks and most of them have facilities for concerts, plays, movies, storytellers and other activities. "El Tunal" park, for instance, is a big park which is regularly used to stage free concerts (such as the annual Rock al Paque, a free festival in which new and popular latin rock bands play for free). The park is also frequented in the month of August and used for kite flying, a national tradition.

  • Another public park is The National Park, one of the biggest in Bogotá. The park has many trees and green spaces, as well as ponds, games for children, many foot and bicycle paths, and venues for entertainment such as public screenings of movies and concerts and events organized by the Council of Bogotá. It is located between two main streets, the Circunvalar Avenue and the 7th Avenue.

  • The Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico) is a private park. It has greenhouses where plants from all Colombian climates are exhibited. The park has a waterfall and labs for studying plants and flowers. It also has public services such as a library and a tourist information desk.

  • There are many other parks around the city of Bogotá. Each neighborhood has its own park. Some of these parks are private and others are public. Some private parks demand that people from the neighborhood have a card to be able to get into the park. Public parks are for everybody. Some of them have watchmen. These parks also have sporting venues, which provide sports programs for children and adults, such as volleyball, basketball, taekwondo, football (soccer)|football, and other sports.

  • The most active park (in both leisure activity, promotion of high-end products and nightlife) is the "Parque de la 93" located between 93rd and 93Ath street, and 12th and 13th avenue. Several of the top restaurants and bars in the city are located in this park or in the "Zona T" (T-zone) in the 82nd street. Recently, restaurant activity has begun in the "Zona G" (69th and 70th Streets, in the Los Rosales zone) and La Macarena.

  • Bogotá has not only natural parks but also amusement parks like Mundo Aventura and Salitre Mágico. There is a special rate to get into these parks and people have to buy tickets to be able to play mechanical games. Mundo Aventura park has mechanical games such as sky-coaster, roller coaster, hammer, and other adult amusements. For children there are some mechanical games like little roller coaster, carousel, turtles, and so on. In this park, people can find both amusements and nature, with animals such as goats for children to feed. Besides, there is a "Cerdodromo", which is a place where pigs race.

  • The other amusement park is "Saltitre Mágico", which is one of the entertainment centers for children and adults. The are many mechanical games like pirate ship, apocalypse, 3 roller coasters and other games. The park is next to the Simón Bolívar park, which is a well known place in Bogotá (used also for concerts through the year).

  • For relaxing and finding peace from the stress of city life, the Parque del Chicó, with trees, gardens, artificial creeks and ponds, and a colonial style house converted into a museum, is worth a visit.

  • Not so far from the city, up north, the Parque Jaime Duque offers a cultural encounter for visiting families. It has rides, a giant map of Colombia, popular exhibits, and a zoo. A big hand holding the world symbolizes God, and a reproduction of the Taj Mahal provides a picture collection with reproductions of famous paintings.

Zoos and Gardens

Trivia

  • Bogotá houses the Iberoamerican Teater Festival, the biggest theater festival in the world, every two years.
  • Bogotá is also known as The South American Athens or The Latin American Athens, given the locals' penchant for education and manners.
  • In 2007, Bogotá will be the Book Capital of the World.
  • The city also celebrates the Book International Fair, one of the three main book fairs of the Spanish-speaking Americas.
  • Bogotans are particularly proud of their Spanish, known for the clarity of its diction.
  • The highest building in the city is the Colpatria Tower.
  • The former motto of the city was "2600 metres closer to the stars" (in reference its altitude above sea level).
  • A crater on the moon is named after famous bogotan astronomer Julio Garavito.
  • The city has institutionalized a day without cars on the streets, called "El Día sin Carro" (The day without cars). It takes place every first Thursday of February.
  • Bogotá has the best potable and the most expensive water in Latin America.
  • Bogotá, D.C. is the first economy of Colombia and the eighth one of Latin America.
  • The Gold Museum has the biggest gold handycraft collection in the world.
  • Bogotá has one of the most extensive dedicated Bike Paths Network of any city in the world with a total of 300km.

References

Gallery

Image:Bogotaview.jpg|Downtown view from Colpatria Building Image:Bogota-christmas-2005.jpg|Colpatria Bank Building Image:SNMN_Bog.JPG|Negret Sculpture at National Museum Image:Iglesia SFB.JPG|Saint Francis of Assisi Church Image:Bogota1.jpg|Panoramic view of Bogotá downtown from nearby Monserrate

See also

External links

1538 establishments | Bogotá | Capitals in South America | Cities in Colombia | World Book Capital

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Bogotá, D.C.".

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