Cundinamarca Department
Encyclopedia
- For the one from 1824 see Cundinamarca Department (1824)Cundinamarca Department (1824)Cundinamarca Department was one the departments of Gran Colombia. It was part of the Centro District.- Provinces :* Bogotá Province. Capital: Bogotá. Cantones: Bogotá, Funza, Guaduas, Mesa, Tocaima, Ubaté y Zipaquirá....
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Cundinamarca Department (Departamento de Cundinamarca - kundinaˈmarka) is one of the departments of Colombia
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...
. Its area covers 24.210 sq. km and has a population of 2,280,037. It was created on August, 5 of 1886 under the constitutional terms presented on the same year. Cundinamarca is located in the center of 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...
and its capital is Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
.
Origin of the name
The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenousIndigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
expression, probably derived from Quechua
Quechua languages
Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
. Meaning "Condor
Condor
Condor is the name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.They are:* The Andean Condor which inhabits the Andean mountains....
's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands
Altiplano Cundiboyacense
The Altiplano Cundiboyacense is a set of highlands located on the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes between the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. The altiplano corresponds to the ancient territory of the Muisca...
.
Geography
Most of Cundinamarca is on the Eastern CordilleraCordillera 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....
(Cordillera Oriental), just south of Boyacá
Boyacá Department
Boyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end...
, bordered by the Magdalena River
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River is the principal river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, in spite of the shifting sand bars at the mouth of its delta, as...
on the west, reaching down into the Orinoco River basin on the east, and bordering on Tolima to the south. The capital district of Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
is nearly completely surrounded by Cundinamarca territory, and indeed was formed by carving up Cundinamarca; between this and other divisions, the present department of Cundinamarca is much smaller than the original state.
The capital of Cundinamarca is Bogotá. This is a special case among Colombian departments, since Bogotá is not legally a part of Cundinamarca, yet it is the only department that has its capital designated by the Constitution (meaning that if the capital was to be ever moved, it would take a constitutional reform to do so, instead of a simple ordinance passed by the Cundinamarca Assembly). Also, in census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
es, the populations for Bogotá and Cundinamarca are tabulated separately; otherwise, Cundinamarca's population would total 9.5 million.
| Entity | Population | Area (km²) | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cundinamarca (excluding D.C.) | 2,349,578 | 22,623 | 104 |
| Bogotá D.C. | 7,117,984 | 1,587 | 4,485 |
| Cundinamarca plus Bogotá | 9,467,562 | 24,210 | 391 |
Municipalities with over 50.000 inhabitants
Position of Municipal Population- 1st Bogotá 6.776.009
- 2nd Soacha 398.295
- 3rd Fusagasugá 107.259
- 4th Facatativá 106.067
- 5th Zipaquirá 100.038
- 6th Chía 97.444
- 7th Girardot 95.496
- 8th Mosquera 63.584
- 9th Madrid 61.599
- 10th Funza 60.571
According to the latest census conducted in 2005, 2,280,037 people live in Cundinamarca, excluding 6,776,009 of the capital, Bogotá. The racial makeup is:
- Mestizos and Whites (96.28-33%) - Mestizos are mixed European-Amerindian blood, but whites are about 40% of the population.
The Bogotá Metropolitan area has a history of European (not limited to Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
) and other Latin American immigration. There are large ethnic communities of Basques, Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Italians, Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and Syrians
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
along with other Arabs (esp. Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Palestinians). The White Europeans tend to live in middle class and wealthy suburbs of Bogotá.
- Blacks or Afro-ColombianAfro-ColombianAfro Colombians refers to Colombians of African ancestry, and the great impact they have had on Colombian culture. Notable Afro-Colombians include Colombian scientists like Raul Cuero, writers like Manuel Zapata Olivella and politicians:...
s (3.33-37%) - Indigenous/Amerindians (0.31-34%) - Very low percentage.
- Roma (Gitanos or Gypsies) (0.01%).
- East Asians (0.01%)- often of ChineseChinese peopleThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
descent. About 25,000 Chinese-Colombians live in the department.
The city of Bogotá and the municipalities of Soacha, La Calera, Cota, Chia, Madrid, Funza, Mosquera, and Fusagasugá Facatativá Zipaquirá and form a single metropolitan area, in fact, being the most populous of the department with 8 million inhabitants and average density of 7,400 inhabitants per km ², one of the highest in the world.
Important Cities
Cundinamarca is made up of 126 municipalities, seven of which recorded a population of over 100,000 and could be considered as cities, which are: Bogotá, Soacha, Fusagasugá, Girardot, Facatativá, Zipaquirá and Chia, while Bogota District is in the category of Capital.Bogotá D. C. : It is the largest city, populated and cosmopolitan of Cundinamarca and Colombia. Its economy is polisectorial, is the cultural, commercial, institutional and administrative Colombia's largest and one of the largest in Latin America. The Capital District is divided into 20 localities and population for 2005 is 6,776,009 inhabitants according to the DANE. The City has a metropolitan area that among others includes the municipalities of Soacha, Facatativá Chia and reaching a population of 7,881,156 people.
Girardot: In the far south-west and bordering Department of Tolima
Tolima
Tolima may refer to:* Nevado del Tolima, a volcano in Colombia* Tolima Department of Colombia* Deportes Tolima, a football team in the First Division...
, is the capital of the Province of Alto Magdalena. Its main economic activity is centered in the trade as a result of a major tourist dynamics and its proximity to major agricultural areas of Tolima, it also has a college and important trade fairs and events.
Fusagasugá: Located in the Bogota-Girardot is an hour of each city. Capital of the Province of Sumapaz. It is an important focus of agricultural marketing and regional services, also standing as a city educator and a great university, with an increasing population trend. Its economy is mainly focused on trade and agricultural marketing, with a significant production of ornamental plants and flowers for export, so it is known as the garden city of Colombia.
Zipaquirá: Despite being part of the metropolitan area of Bogotá has managed to position itself as one of the most important centers of Colombia saline. Its economy is focused on mining and tourism.
Bogota Metropolitan Area: Comprises the towns of Soacha, Facatativá, Chia, Madrid, Funza, and Mosquera, among others. Its activities are centered in the industrial sector. Estate activity is important especially in the suburbs closer to Bogota : Chia, La Calera and Tocancipá.
Other major towns are Ubaté due to high livestock and dairy production. Guaduas, is an important cultural center. Chocontá and Fred are agricultural centers.
Provinces
Cundinamarca has 15 provinces and the Capital District of Bogotá (Bogotá D.C.), which simultaneously acts as capital of the Republic, capital of the Department and a District (or Department) in itself.- AlmeidasAlmeidas ProvinceAlmeidas Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Almeidas borders to the east with the Boyacá Department to the north with the Ubaté Province, to the west with the Central Savanna Province and to the south with the Guavio Province.Almeidas groups seven...
- Upper Magdalena (Alto Magdalena)Upper Magdalena ProvinceUpper Magdalena Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Upper Magdalena borders to the west with the magdalena River and the Tolima Department to the north with the Central Magdalena Province, to the east with the Tequendama Province and to the southeast with...
- Lower Magdalena (Bajo Magdalena)Lower Magdalena ProvinceLower Magdalena Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Lower Magdalena borders to the west with the Magdalena River, the Departments of Tolima and Caldas to the north with the Antioquia Department, to the east with the Rionegro Province and Gualiva Province,...
- GualiváGualivá ProvinceGualivá Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Gualivá borders to the west with the Lower Magdalena Province, to the north with the Rionegro Province, to the east and southeast with the Western Savanna Province, to the south slightly with the Tequendama...
- GuavioGuavio ProvinceThe Guavio Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Guavio borders to the west with the Capital District of Bogotá and the Central Savanna Province, to the north with the Almeidas Province, to the east with the Boyacá Department and Medina Province and to the...
- Central Magdalena (Magdalena Centro)Central Magdalena ProvinceCentral Magdalena Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Central Magdalena borders to the west with the Tolima Department and the Magdalena River, to the north with the Lower Magdalena Province, to the east with the Gualivá and Tequendama Provinces and to the...
- MedinaMedina Province of CundinamarcaMedina Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Medina borders to the west with the Guavio Province, to the north, northeast and east with the Boyacá Department and to the southeast and south with the Meta Department....
- Eastern (Oriente)Eastern Province of CundinamarcaEastern Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia....
- RionegroRionegro ProvinceRionegro Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia....
- Central Savanna (Sabana Centro)Central Savanna ProvinceCentral Savanna is one of the fifteen provinces of Cundinamarca, located in the central area of the department, it has 11 municipalities. The Province Capital is the city of Zipaquirá...
- Western Savanna (Sabana Occidente)Western Savanna ProvinceWestern Savanna Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia.-Municipalities:• Bojacá • Cota • El Rosal • Facatativá • Funza • Madrid • Mosquera • Subachoque • Tenjo • Zipacón...
- SoachaSoacha ProvinceSoacha Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia....
- SumapazSumapaz ProvinceSumapaz Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia.-External links:...
- TequendamaTequendama ProvinceTequendama Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia....
- UbatéUbaté ProvinceUbaté Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia....
See also
- Postage stamps of CundinamarcaPostage stamps of CundinamarcaCundinamarca is a department of Colombia, one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".As with the other states, Cundinamarca once had the right to issue its own postage stamps, and it issued stamps with the state's coat of arms, starting in 1870 and ending in 1904. Many of...