Bogota Travel Guide, Colombia

Bogotá is the capital of Columbia, as well as its largest city.  It is home to over 7 million inhabitants.  In terms of elevation, it is also the third highest metropolitan city in the world, after La Paz and Quito.  It is located in the Andes Mountains on a high plateau.  The city was originally called Bogotá, which means planted fields, by the Muiscas civilization.  The Muiscas considered this city as the center of their civilization and it had a large population.

  The Spanish explorers arrived at the beginning of the 1500’s.  Bogotá soon became one of the largest centers of civilization in South America.

In the early 1800’s, the citizen’s of Bogotá fought for their independence from Spanish rule, and set up their own government.  However, it was short lived.  In 1816, people loyal to the Spanish military occupied the city.  It reverted once again to the people in 1819, and became the capital of Gran Columbia.  Gran Columbia was a united federation that combined the territories of Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela.  After Gran Columbia was dissolved, Bogotá remained the capital of Republic of Colombia.  In 1991, Colombia ratified its Constitution of 1991 and changed the category of the city to a Capital District when it named the city as its capital. 

Bogotá’s economy is based on livestock, agriculture, and artesian products.  It also has a thriving tourist industry, which goes year round.  It is a national cornerstone for economic, insurance, and financial services.  It is the printing capital of Colombia and is home to numerous convention centers and lodging facilities.  It houses the largest industrial parks in Colombia and the city of Bogotá also serves as a home base for the Colombian armies.

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