Bogotá River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bogotá River |
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Map of Bogotá River and its drainage basin
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| Country | Colombia |
| Department | Cundinamarca |
| Provinces |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Guacheneque Páramo Villapinzón 3,300 m (10,800 ft) 5°13′19.3″N 73°32′03.5″W / 5.222028°N 73.534306°W |
| River mouth | Magdalena River Girardot 4°17′19.2″N 74°47′47″W / 4.288667°N 74.79639°W |
| Length | 375 km (233 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Magdalena Basin Caribbean Sea |
| Basin size | 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi) |
| Tributaries | |
The Bogotá River is a major river of the Cundinamarca department of Colombia. A right tributary of the Magdalena River, the Bogotá River crosses the region from the northeast to the southwest and passing along the western limits of Bogotá. The large population and major industrial base in its watershed have resulted in extremely severe pollution problems for the river.
Contents
Etymology
The Bogotá River is named after Muyquytá, which is derived from Chibcha and means "(Enclosure) outside of the farm fields". In historical texts, and today the upstream part of, the Bogotá River is also called Funza River.
Course
Main tributaries of the Bogotá River are the Teusacá, Torca, Juan Amarillo, Fucha, Tunjuelo, Soacha (left) and Neusa, Río Frío, Bojacá and Subachoque Rivers (right).
The headwaters of the Bogotá River are in the municipality of Villapinzón, in the northeastern part of Cundinamarca near the limits with Boyacá. It has a course of about 150 kilometres (93 mi) as it crosses the Bogotá savanna, passing through Zipaquirá and eleven small municipalities, before reaching the city of Bogotá. As it runs along the western border of the city, the river forms the outlet for the heavily polluted Salitre, Fucha and Tunjuelito Rivers. After passing through the municipality of Soacha, the Bogotá River plunges off the savanna at the Tequendama Falls. It then follows a steep course, falling about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in 50 kilometres (31 mi), to join the Magdalena River at Girardot.
Temperature
The temperature average ranges from 24 to 27 °C (75 to 81 °F).
Gallery
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Bogotá River close to Zipaquirá
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Bogotá River in Briceño
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Bogotá River in Engativá
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Bogotá River close to Tequendama
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Tequendama Falls in the Bogotá River
See also
In Spanish: Río Bogotá para niños
- List of rivers of Colombia
- Bogotá savanna, Tequendama – archaeological site, earliest inhabitation along the Bogotá River
- Tequendama Falls
