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Articles about Bogotá |
Information About ™Bogotá |
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Bogota ''(. The unofficial metropolitan area, which includes Soacha and all adjacent municipalities, has an estimated population of 8,350,000 (as of 2006) {Link without Title} . HISTORY Bogotá, originally called Bacatá by the Muiscas , was the center of their civilization before the Spanish Conquest , 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 vice-royalty of New Granada , 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 of Bogotá 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". The local government consists in a Capital District, the current chief of government is Luis Eduardo Garzón . Flag The flag of Bogotá 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 {Link without Title} ) officially and definitively adopted the patriotic armband as the flag of Bogotá. The flag itself is divided vertically 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 ceded 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 Habsburg s, 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 Bogota. Anthem ''Main article: Anthem Of Bogotá '' 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 of Bogotá by decree 1000 of July 31 , 1974 , by then Mayor Of Bogotá , Aníbal Fernandez De Soto . GEOGRAPHY Bogotá is located at an altitude of 2640 M (8660 Ft ) above Sea Level on the Cordillera Oriental of the Northern Andean Mountains . The city is situated at the base of two mountains, Guadalupe and Monserrate . On the summits of these mountains, which are over 3200 m (10,500 ft) high, stand two small churches which are widely visited by tourists and locals. The population of Bogotá is currently increasing at a rate close to 5% per year, mostly due to people coming from rural areas of Colombia. The city is constantly expanding in size to meet this influx of people. Currently the urban area covers 384.3 Km&2 and the more mountainous outlying regions extend 1222.5 km&2. Several rivers, one of which, the San Francisco , passes through the city, converge near the southwestern edge of the Cundinamarca-Boyacá Plateau and form the Funza River (''Río Funza''), also known as the Bogotá River (''Río Bogotá''). This river flows all the way to Tequendama Falls (''Salto del Tequendama''), a vertical waterfall 145 metres (475 feet) high. Currently, most of the river's water is used to power a Hydroelectric project. Bogotá's climate is mild and Temperate , the average annual temperature is about 14 ° C (57 ° F ), with about 1100 Mm (44 Inches ) of rainfall. The city is planned on a Grid , with numbered ''carreras'' ( Avenue s), from south to north, intersecting numbered ''calles'' ( Street s) going east-west. Among the city's squares is the Bolivar Square , where many important government buildings and churches are located. Bogotá is connected by road to the Atlantic coast to the north and to the Pacific coast to the west, as well as to all other major cities in Colombia. The Pan-American Highway and the Simón Bolívar Highway both pass through the city. Because of Colombia's mountain rugged terrains, the city is served by El Dorado International Airport . The TransMilenio Bus Rapid Transit system is the most modern form of public transit serving the city, recently opened to the public in November 2000 an became a solution to past transportation chaos. 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. Bogota is a major center for import and export of goods for Colombia. Goods and Services 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. Bogota houses central governmental institutions and military headquarters. It carries the weight of telecommunications and has the biggest industrial facilities in the country. Some services are public and others are private. The public services are, for example, 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 "EPM Bogotá", owned in turn by the (owned by Spanish firm Telefónica ), Comcel (owned by Telmex ) and Ola (co-owned by ETB and EPM). Bogota also receives funding 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. Bogota is headquarters to major banks such as the Banco de la República. Bogota 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. Bogota's colleges and universities Bogota'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. Some of the main universities are the Universidad Nacional De Colombia , the main public university in the country, with a large, U.S.-style university campus, and elite private institutions like the Universidad De Los Andes and the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana , with more traditionally laid out urban campuses. Industry The city's industrial base include staples of the Colombian economy such as GM Colmotores, Compañía Colombiana Automotriz, and Ecopetrol. It contributes substantially to the national industrial output. TRANSPORTATION Bogotá is a modern city with a modern transportation system. It includes airlines, 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 TransMilenio. The traditional system runs a variety of bus types, operated by several enterprises , and operating on normal streets and avenues:
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$ 1 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. El Dorado International Airport Bogota's principal airport is El Dorado International Airport , it operates different national airlines ( Avianca , Aerorepública, West Caribbean, Intercontinental and Satena), and international airlines (such as Iberia , American Airlines , Varig , Copa , Continental , Delta , Air Canada , Taca ). Bogota'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 is in the planning stage. The Bus Terminal (The Transportation Terminal of Bogota) Is Bogota's terrestrial port 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 by certain bus companies, to Ecuador and Venezuela . 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 are expected to be complete in 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. Bike Paths Network Bogota's network of bike paths, also called '''ciclorrutas''', 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 Bogota 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 Bogota to Zipaquirá and Nemocón , towns at the outskirts of Bogota. RECREATION
Colombia's number one sport is soccer (fútbol) and Bogotá has two teams in the first division: Millonarios and Deportivo Independiente Santafe . Every week the city turns itself to blue and/or red as one of the team plays in the Nemesio Camacho "El Campín" stadium.
TRIVIA
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