Bucaramanga
Encyclopedia
Bucaramanga is a Colombian city, and capital city of the department of Santander
, Colombia
. Bucaramanga has the fifth largest city economy and sixth largest population in Colombia, with 1,212,656 people in its metropolitan area. Bucaramanga has over 160 parks scattered throughout the city and has been given the nicknames "La Ciudad de Los Parques" ("City of Parks") and "La Ciudad Bonita de Colombia" ("Colombia's Beautiful City"). It is internationally recognized for its parks.
Bucaramanga has grown rapidly since the 1960s, mostly into neighboring locations within the metropolitan area. Floridablanca
, Girón and Piedecuesta are inextricably linked geographically and commercially with Bucaramanga, forming a large metropolitan city.
The city is the base of the Colombian Petroleum Institute (ICP), the research branch of the state oil company Ecopetrol
and the Colombian Natural Gas Company (Ecogas).
was the first and most significant town founded by Spanish colonizers in the region and Bucaramanga (founded in 1622) did not overtake Girón in population or economic significance until the early 19th century. In the 1860s and 1870s the city attracted a core of German merchants and adventurers (the most famous of whom was Georg von Lengerke) and tensions between the newcomers and local merchants flared in 1879. With the political reorganization of 1886 Bucaramanga replaced Socorro
as departmental capital. The region (although not the city itself) was devastated by the civil war of 1899-1902 - commonly known as the Thousand Days War
and Bucaramanga grew only modestly in the first half of the 20th century.
in Floridablanca (Cañaveral area), while the poorest areas are to the north (Kennedy area). The site of the old airport, the last big piece of undeveloped land on the plateau itself, was turned into middle-class apartment housing (Ciudadela Real de Minas) in the 1980s. The government center for the city and department, built around the old colonial plaza, is several blocks removed from the commercial center of the city. The departmental university, the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS)
, is in the northeastern part of the city; there are several private universities of varying quality.
On January 20, 2006, Colombian company Telecom
launched WiMAX
, thus becoming the first city in Colombia and the second in Latin America
to have it.
Neighborhoods : El Rosal, Colorados, Café Madrid, Las Hamacas, Altos del Kennedy, Kennedy, Balcones del Kennedy, Las Olas, Villa Rosa (sectores I, II y III), Omagá (sectores I y II), Minuto de Dios, Tejar Norte (sectores I y II), Miramar, Miradores del Kennedy, El Pablón (Villa Lina, La Torre, Villa Patricia, Sector Don Juan, Pablón Alto y Bajo).
Neighborhoods: Los Angeles, Villa Helena I y II, José María Córdoba, Esperanza I, II y III, Lizcano I y II, Regadero Norte, San Cristóbal, La Juventud, Transición I, II, III, IV y V, La Independencia, Villa Mercedes, Bosque Norte.
Neighborhoods: Norte Bajo, San Rafael, El Cinal, Chapinero, Comuneros, La Universidad, Mutualidad, Modelo, San Francisco, Alarcón.
Neighborhoods: Gaitán, Granadas, Nariño, Girardot, La Feria, Nápoles, Pío Xll, 23 de Junio, Santander, Don Bosco, 12 de Octubre, La Gloria.
Neighborhoods: Quinta Estrella, Alfonso López, La Joya, Chorreras de Don Juan, Campohermoso, La Estrella, Primero de Mayo.
Neighborhoods: La Concordia, San Miguel, Candiles, Aeropuerto Gómez Niño, Ricaurte, La Ceiba, La Salle, La Victoria.
Neighborhoods: Ciudadela Real de Minas.
Neighborhoods: San Gerardo, Antiguo Colombia, Los Canelos, Bucaramanga, Cordoncillo I y II, Pablo VI, 20 de Julio, Africa, Juan XXIII, Los Laureles.
Neighborhoods: Quebrada la Iglesia, Antonia Santos Sur, San Pedro Claver, San Martín, Nueva Granada, La Pedregosa, La Libertad, Diamante I, Villa Inés, Asturias II, Las Casitas.
Neighborhoods: Diamante II, San Luis, Provenza, El Cristal, Fontana, Granjas de Provenza.
Neighborhoods: Ciudad Venecia, Villa Alicia, El Rocío, Toledo Plata, Dangond, Manuela Beltrán I y II, Igzabelar, Santa María, Los Robles, Granjas de Julio Rincón, Jardines de Coaviconsa, El Candado, Malpaso, El Porvenir, Las Delicias.
Neighborhoods: Cabecera del Llano, Sotomayor, Antiguo Campestre, Bolarquí, Mercedes, Puerta del Sol, Conucos, El Jardín, Pan de Azúcar, Los Cedros, Terrazas, La Floresta.
Neighborhoods: Los Pinos, San Alonso, Galán, La Aurora, Las Américas, El Prado, Mejoras Públicas, Antonia Santos, Bolívar, Alvarez.
Neighborhoods: Vegas de Morrorico, El Diviso, Morrorico, Albania, Miraflores, Buenos Aires, Limoncito, Los Sauces.
Neighborhoods: Centro, García Rovira.
Neighborhoods: Lagos del Cacique, El Tejar, San Expedito.
Neighborhoods: Mutis, Balconcitos, Monterredondo, Héroes, Estoraques I y II, Prados del Mutis.
are from Bucaramanga such as Luis Carlos Galán
, presidential candidate murdered in 1989, Carlos Ardila Lülle
, one of the most important businessmen in Colombia, Claudia Florez and Ivan Garzón.
Colombian artist Oscar Rodríguez Naranjo
came back from France during the Second World War and settled in Bucaramanga. Rodríguez Naranjo taught at the art school while he made a number of paintings that would build up his reputation in Colombia. In 1941 he became the Director of the Academia de Bellas Artes in Bucaramanga.
The Universidad Industrial de Santander is an official institution which offers 95 degrees and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses within the health sciences, humanities, sciences and engineering colleges. Also it offers seven technological programs in different fields through the Distance Learning Institute. Nowadays, after 50 years of existence, there are nearly 14.000 students registered in undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as a total 22.000 alumni. It proudly stands as the leading higher education institution in the northeastern part of the country and ranks fourth among official universities nationwide. Also, the University has created affiliate branches in Barrancabermeja - home of the most important oil refinery in the country -, El Socorro and Málaga. Recently it has extended its services to Barranquilla and Bogotá through the offer of its Graduate Programs.
of the Colombian Andes, and many residents occupy unstable lands descending steeply from the meseta. Westbound of it, the Rio de Oro Canyon is located at an altitude of 600m AMSL. Eastbound, the Andean Range rises up in high peaks, reaching almost 3,700m AMSL in the place locally known as "Paramo de Berlin"
The city is located at 7°08′N 73°08′W. The official metropolitan area includes the municipalities of: Girón
, Piedecuesta and Floridablanca, but Lebrija
is home to Bucaramanga's airport and is commonly considered part of greater Bucaramanga. All four neighboring municipalities contain extensive rural areas despite recent urbanization.
Under the Koppen climate classification
, Bucaramanga features a tropical monsoon climate
, though it’s a noticeably cooler version of the climate. The city falls just short of a tropical rainforest climate
as its driest month, January, averages just under 60 mm of rainfall. Although its altitude is not considered very high, Bucaramanga's climate is not hot nor cold with 22 degrees Celsius being the average temperature. Compared to cities at the same average altitude (such as Cali), Bucaramanga has much cooler daytime temperatures due to the cold wind coming down the Eastern peaks; its night temperatures are not cold due to the warm air coming from the Canyon. This fact makes the daily thermal oscillation to be narrower than other Colombian cities.
, is a Colombian football club based in the city of Bucaramanga. The club was founded in 1949, and plays their home games at the Alfonso López Stadium
.
Sites to view are bella artes do los homesexuales. Famous Ave. to visit is Districto Reyes where you can visit Gay museums,arts,
and history for pro gay rights.
Santander Department
Santander is a department of Colombia. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia. It is located in the central northern part of the country, east of the Magdalena River, bordered to the south and southeast by Boyacá, to the northeast by Norte...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. Bucaramanga has the fifth largest city economy and sixth largest population in Colombia, with 1,212,656 people in its metropolitan area. Bucaramanga has over 160 parks scattered throughout the city and has been given the nicknames "La Ciudad de Los Parques" ("City of Parks") and "La Ciudad Bonita de Colombia" ("Colombia's Beautiful City"). It is internationally recognized for its parks.
Bucaramanga has grown rapidly since the 1960s, mostly into neighboring locations within the metropolitan area. Floridablanca
Floridablanca, Santander
Floridablanca is a municipality in the department of Santander. It is part of the metropolitean area of Bucaramanga. Floridablanca is known for its parks and the Piedra del Sol, a large rock with spirals and circles carved by the Guane over 1,000 years ago....
, Girón and Piedecuesta are inextricably linked geographically and commercially with Bucaramanga, forming a large metropolitan city.
The city is the base of the Colombian Petroleum Institute (ICP), the research branch of the state oil company Ecopetrol
Ecopetrol
Ecopetrol , formerly known as Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos S.A. is the largest and primary petroleum company in Colombia. Because of its size, Ecopetrol is a Fortune Global 500 company ranked 445, it belongs to the group of the 25 largest petroleum companies in the world, and it is one of the...
and the Colombian Natural Gas Company (Ecogas).
History
GirónGiron
Giron is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Population:...
was the first and most significant town founded by Spanish colonizers in the region and Bucaramanga (founded in 1622) did not overtake Girón in population or economic significance until the early 19th century. In the 1860s and 1870s the city attracted a core of German merchants and adventurers (the most famous of whom was Georg von Lengerke) and tensions between the newcomers and local merchants flared in 1879. With the political reorganization of 1886 Bucaramanga replaced Socorro
Socorro
Socorro is a Portuguese and Spanish word, a cognate of the English word , which means "aid" or "help." When used as a place name, it often originates as a reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Virgen del Perpetuo Socorro...
as departmental capital. The region (although not the city itself) was devastated by the civil war of 1899-1902 - commonly known as the Thousand Days War
Thousand Days War
The Thousand Days' War , was a civil armed conflict in the newly created Republic of Colombia, between the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party and its radical factions. In 1899 the ruling conservatives were accused of maintaining power through fraudulent elections...
and Bucaramanga grew only modestly in the first half of the 20th century.
Municipal Flag
The municipal flag of Bucaramanga was designed by the historian Gustavo Gomez Mejia. Made of two green stripes with a yellow one in the middle. In the center is a blue disk, surrounded with a red circle. In the middle of the blue disk is a white star. In the red circle is written the following legend: "Below the azure of its sky and defended by the generous blood of its sons, Bucaramanga is opened to the four horizons of the motherland". (Ivan Sache, 23 March 2001)Municipal Coat of Arms
The words "Montani Semper Liberi" are Latin for "Forever free in our mountains".The City
Bucaramanga is also known as the "Ciudad de los Parques" ("City of the Parks") and "Ciudad Bonita" ("Beautiful City"). The city is served by one transportation terminal and the Palonegro Airport, which is located west of the city. In general, the more prosperous areas are along and above Carrera 33 (Cabecera area) and to the south, over the ViaductViaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
in Floridablanca (Cañaveral area), while the poorest areas are to the north (Kennedy area). The site of the old airport, the last big piece of undeveloped land on the plateau itself, was turned into middle-class apartment housing (Ciudadela Real de Minas) in the 1980s. The government center for the city and department, built around the old colonial plaza, is several blocks removed from the commercial center of the city. The departmental university, the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS)
Industrial University of Santander
The Industrial University of Santander , also called UIS, is a public, coeducational, research university based primarily in Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia. It is the largest by student population and the most important higher education institution in the northeast of the country. The...
, is in the northeastern part of the city; there are several private universities of varying quality.
On January 20, 2006, Colombian company Telecom
Telecom Colombia
Telefónica Telecom is the largest telecommunications company in Colombia. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C.....
launched WiMAX
WiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
, thus becoming the first city in Colombia and the second in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
to have it.
City's Communes and Neighborhoods
Bucaramanga is divided in 17 Communes which group several neighborhoods- Commune 1: Norte
Neighborhoods : El Rosal, Colorados, Café Madrid, Las Hamacas, Altos del Kennedy, Kennedy, Balcones del Kennedy, Las Olas, Villa Rosa (sectores I, II y III), Omagá (sectores I y II), Minuto de Dios, Tejar Norte (sectores I y II), Miramar, Miradores del Kennedy, El Pablón (Villa Lina, La Torre, Villa Patricia, Sector Don Juan, Pablón Alto y Bajo).
- Commune 2: Nororiental
Neighborhoods: Los Angeles, Villa Helena I y II, José María Córdoba, Esperanza I, II y III, Lizcano I y II, Regadero Norte, San Cristóbal, La Juventud, Transición I, II, III, IV y V, La Independencia, Villa Mercedes, Bosque Norte.
- Commune 3: San Francisco
Neighborhoods: Norte Bajo, San Rafael, El Cinal, Chapinero, Comuneros, La Universidad, Mutualidad, Modelo, San Francisco, Alarcón.
- Commune 4: Occidental
Neighborhoods: Gaitán, Granadas, Nariño, Girardot, La Feria, Nápoles, Pío Xll, 23 de Junio, Santander, Don Bosco, 12 de Octubre, La Gloria.
- Commune 5: García Rovira
Neighborhoods: Quinta Estrella, Alfonso López, La Joya, Chorreras de Don Juan, Campohermoso, La Estrella, Primero de Mayo.
- Commune 6: La Concordia
Neighborhoods: La Concordia, San Miguel, Candiles, Aeropuerto Gómez Niño, Ricaurte, La Ceiba, La Salle, La Victoria.
- Commune 7: La Ciudadela
Neighborhoods: Ciudadela Real de Minas.
- Commune 8: Sur Occidente
Neighborhoods: San Gerardo, Antiguo Colombia, Los Canelos, Bucaramanga, Cordoncillo I y II, Pablo VI, 20 de Julio, Africa, Juan XXIII, Los Laureles.
- Commune 9: La Pedregosa
Neighborhoods: Quebrada la Iglesia, Antonia Santos Sur, San Pedro Claver, San Martín, Nueva Granada, La Pedregosa, La Libertad, Diamante I, Villa Inés, Asturias II, Las Casitas.
- Commune 10: Provenza
Neighborhoods: Diamante II, San Luis, Provenza, El Cristal, Fontana, Granjas de Provenza.
- Commune 11: Sur
Neighborhoods: Ciudad Venecia, Villa Alicia, El Rocío, Toledo Plata, Dangond, Manuela Beltrán I y II, Igzabelar, Santa María, Los Robles, Granjas de Julio Rincón, Jardines de Coaviconsa, El Candado, Malpaso, El Porvenir, Las Delicias.
- Commune 12: Cabecera del Llano
Neighborhoods: Cabecera del Llano, Sotomayor, Antiguo Campestre, Bolarquí, Mercedes, Puerta del Sol, Conucos, El Jardín, Pan de Azúcar, Los Cedros, Terrazas, La Floresta.
- Commune 13: Oriental
Neighborhoods: Los Pinos, San Alonso, Galán, La Aurora, Las Américas, El Prado, Mejoras Públicas, Antonia Santos, Bolívar, Alvarez.
- Commune 14: Morrorico
Neighborhoods: Vegas de Morrorico, El Diviso, Morrorico, Albania, Miraflores, Buenos Aires, Limoncito, Los Sauces.
- Commune 15: Centro
Neighborhoods: Centro, García Rovira.
- Commune 16: Lagos Del Cacique
Neighborhoods: Lagos del Cacique, El Tejar, San Expedito.
- Commune 17: Mutis
Neighborhoods: Mutis, Balconcitos, Monterredondo, Héroes, Estoraques I y II, Prados del Mutis.
People
Many important personalities from ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
are from Bucaramanga such as Luis Carlos Galán
Luis Carlos Galán
Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento was a Colombian journalist and liberal politician who ran for the presidency of Colombia on two occasions, the first time representing the Liberal Party in 1982 which he lost to Belisario Betancur...
, presidential candidate murdered in 1989, Carlos Ardila Lülle
Carlos Ardila Lülle
Carlos Arturo Ardila Lülle is a Colombian entrepreneur and the founder and head of the Organización Ardila Lülle, a major Colombian conglomerate which controls companies such as RCN TV, the Postobon soft drink, and the Atlético Nacional soccer team. His net worth is estimated at over one billion U.S...
, one of the most important businessmen in Colombia, Claudia Florez and Ivan Garzón.
Colombian artist Oscar Rodríguez Naranjo
Oscar Rodríguez Naranjo
Oscar Rodríguez Naranjo was a painter from Socorro, Santander Department, Colombia. His works include mainly oil paintings and sculptures.Rodríguez Naranjo studied at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Bogotá...
came back from France during the Second World War and settled in Bucaramanga. Rodríguez Naranjo taught at the art school while he made a number of paintings that would build up his reputation in Colombia. In 1941 he became the Director of the Academia de Bellas Artes in Bucaramanga.
Education
The city has a good reputation due to its numerous universities, amongst them:- Industrial University of SantanderIndustrial University of SantanderThe Industrial University of Santander , also called UIS, is a public, coeducational, research university based primarily in Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia. It is the largest by student population and the most important higher education institution in the northeast of the country. The...
(Universidad Industrial de Santander)
The Universidad Industrial de Santander is an official institution which offers 95 degrees and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses within the health sciences, humanities, sciences and engineering colleges. Also it offers seven technological programs in different fields through the Distance Learning Institute. Nowadays, after 50 years of existence, there are nearly 14.000 students registered in undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as a total 22.000 alumni. It proudly stands as the leading higher education institution in the northeastern part of the country and ranks fourth among official universities nationwide. Also, the University has created affiliate branches in Barrancabermeja - home of the most important oil refinery in the country -, El Socorro and Málaga. Recently it has extended its services to Barranquilla and Bogotá through the offer of its Graduate Programs.
- Universidad de Santander (UDES)
- Autonomous University of BucaramangaAutonomous University of BucaramangaThe Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga is a private post-secondary education institution in Bucaramanga, Colombia. It was founded in 1952 under the name of Instituto Caldas. In 1956 the institution was recognized as a law school, and became a university under the current name in 1987...
(Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga) - Saint Thomas Aquinas UniversitySaint Thomas Aquinas UniversitySaint Thomas University is a Roman Catholic university located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is the oldest Colombian university, founded in 1580 by the Dominican Order....
(Universidad Santo Tomás) - Pontifical Bolivarian UniversityPontifical Bolivarian UniversityThe Pontifical Bolivarian University , also referred to as UPB, is a private university in Colombia with its main campus in Medellín, where it was founded in 1936. Currently, the university has campuses in other Colombian cities, such as Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Montería and Palmira...
(Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana)
Geography and climate
Bucaramanga is located on a plateau in the Cordillera OrientalCordillera Oriental, Colombia
The Cordillera Oriental is one of three main mountain ranges that divides the Cordillera in the Andes Mountains of Colombia.It extends from southeast to northeast from the "Colombian Massif" in Huila to the Perijá Mountains in La Guajira....
of the Colombian Andes, and many residents occupy unstable lands descending steeply from the meseta. Westbound of it, the Rio de Oro Canyon is located at an altitude of 600m AMSL. Eastbound, the Andean Range rises up in high peaks, reaching almost 3,700m AMSL in the place locally known as "Paramo de Berlin"
The city is located at 7°08′N 73°08′W. The official metropolitan area includes the municipalities of: Girón
Giron
Giron is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Population:...
, Piedecuesta and Floridablanca, but Lebrija
Lebrija
Lebrija is a city in the province of Seville, Andalusia , near the left bank of the Guadalquivir river, and on the eastern edge of the marshes known as Las Marismas....
is home to Bucaramanga's airport and is commonly considered part of greater Bucaramanga. All four neighboring municipalities contain extensive rural areas despite recent urbanization.
Under the Koppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Bucaramanga features a tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate in climate classification, is a relatively rare type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category "Am."Tropical monsoon climates have monthly...
, though it’s a noticeably cooler version of the climate. The city falls just short of a tropical rainforest climate
Tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
as its driest month, January, averages just under 60 mm of rainfall. Although its altitude is not considered very high, Bucaramanga's climate is not hot nor cold with 22 degrees Celsius being the average temperature. Compared to cities at the same average altitude (such as Cali), Bucaramanga has much cooler daytime temperatures due to the cold wind coming down the Eastern peaks; its night temperatures are not cold due to the warm air coming from the Canyon. This fact makes the daily thermal oscillation to be narrower than other Colombian cities.
Sports
Club Atlético Bucaramanga Corporacion Deportiva, known simply as Atlético BucaramangaAtlético Bucaramanga
Club Atlético Bucaramanga Corporacion Deportiva, known simply as Atlético Bucaramanga, is a Colombian football club based in the city of Bucaramanga. The club was founded in 1949...
, is a Colombian football club based in the city of Bucaramanga. The club was founded in 1949, and plays their home games at the Alfonso López Stadium
Estadio Alfonso Lopez
Estadio Alfonso López is a multi-purpose stadium in Bucaramanga, Colombia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 25,000 people, and is the home of Atlético Bucaramanga and Real Santander. It had the first synthetic grass pitch in Colombia. -Picture:* -...
.
Transportation
- Local Bus: Metrolinea
- Intercity Bus: Terminal de Transportes de Bucaramanga
- Air: Palonegro International Airport
Tourism
- Panachi
- Tourism activities
Sites to view are bella artes do los homesexuales. Famous Ave. to visit is Districto Reyes where you can visit Gay museums,arts,
and history for pro gay rights.
External links
- Tourism information Bucaramanga MiMansion Bucaramanga Link Wikitravel Spanish page bucaramanga.com Website of the mayor's office City photo Guide Metropolitan area of Bucaramanga Local Chamber of Commerce
- Maps and virtual tours
- Bucaramanga Daily Photo Vanguardia Liberal; Cuando a Bucaramanga la hicieron capital Inmobiliaria Bucaramanga