Bogotá, << `boh` guh TAH, >> is the capital and largest city of Colombia. The municipality of Bogotá has a population of 7,980,001. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. Bogotá lies on a plateau about 8,660 feet (2,640 meters) above sea level, in the Andes Mountains in central Colombia.
The steep mountains that surround much of Bogotá give the city a dramatic physical setting. One peak is crowned with a figure of Christ, another with a cross, and a third with a shining white convent. Cable cars travel between the city and the top of Monserrate, a mountain that is a popular observation point. A mansion at the foot of the mountain once belonged to the South American general Simón Bolívar. It is now a museum that displays items relating to Bolívar and South America’s struggle for independence.
At the center of Bogotá is the main square, Plaza de Bolívar. It is surrounded by historic buildings, including the Cathedral; the Archbishop’s Palace; Liévano Palace, which houses the mayor’s office; and the Capitol. Nearby, mansions from the Spanish colonial era, which lasted from the 1500’s to the early 1800’s, line the narrow streets. The Gold Museum has a collection of about 35,000 gold works of art crafted by Indians before the Spaniards arrived.
The population of Bogotá doubled between 1973 and 1993. Many people have come to Bogotá to escape violent conflicts between the government and rebels in other regions of Colombia. Crime and poverty are among the city’s problems. Much of the city’s economic activity is service-oriented. Many banks and insurance companies operate in Bogotá. In addition, factories in the city process food and manufacture chemicals, medicines, and other products.
Bogotá was founded in 1538 by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, a Spanish military leader who conquered the area’s Chibcha Indians. In the early 1700’s, the city became the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. The viceroyalty consisted of what are now Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. In 1830, Bogotá became the capital of independent New Granada, later renamed Colombia.
