Bogotá facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bogotá
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Motto(s):
Bogotá, 2600 metros más cerca de las estrellas
Bogotá, 2600 meters closer to the stars |
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Country | Colombia | ||
Department | Distrito Capital | ||
Foundation | 6 August 1538 (traditional) | ||
Founded by | Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada | ||
Area | |||
• Capital District | 1,587 km2 (613 sq mi) | ||
• Urban | 307.36 km2 (118.67 sq mi) | ||
Area rank | 32nd | ||
Elevation | 2,625 m (8,612 ft) | ||
Population
(2013)
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• Capital District | 7,674,366 | ||
• Rank | 1st | ||
• Density | 4,835.8/km2 (12,525/sq mi) | ||
• Metro | 10,763,453 | ||
Demonym(s) | Bogotano(a) | ||
Time zone | UTC-5 | ||
Postal code |
110010000
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Area code(s) | +57 1 | ||
HDI (2011) | 0.904 very high | ||
Website | City Official Site: http://www.bogota.gov.co/ 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 meters above sea level, on top a plateau (a mountain with a flat top). This makes it the third highest capital in the world. With many universities and libraries, Bogotá has become known as "The Athens of South America".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.
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.
Images for kids
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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
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The Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, founder of the city
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Bolívar Square and the cathedral
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The Plateresque Colonial Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé, built between 1604 and 1622.
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Santa Clara Church Museum built between 1629 and 1647. It has a large collection of colonial Colombian paintings.
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Hailstorm in Bogotá
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Luis Carlos Sarmiento Building of Science and Technology at the National University of Colombia
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Victorian architecture in Teusaquillo
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Ajiaco is one of the city's most representative dishes
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"Chocolate santafereño" (Santafe hot chocolate), almojábana, cheese and pandebono
See also
In Spanish: Bogotá para niños