Facatativá
Encyclopedia
Facatativá is a town and municipality
in the Cundinamarca Department
, located about 28 miles (42 km) northwest of Bogotá
, Colombia
and 2,586 meters above sea level. The city is known for its Archaeological Park Piedras del Tunjo (Rocks of the Tunjo Indian)and best known in Colombia as Piedras de Tunja (Literally stones of Tunja) featuring large rock formations that were once the bottom of a lake.
Facatativá lies at the edge of the Bogota Savannah Plateau and as with many other native South American indigenous cultures there is not an accurate record of the time human activity first took place in that area. Excavations have shown nevertheless that the highlands of Colombia might have been inhabited since the holocene
era.
Because of its location Facatativá was inhabited by the Muisca people. The Muiscas lived on the Bogota Savannah and were the original population of many other neighboring towns including Colombia's capital Bogota. Just as Facatativá many of them still keep their original names or have become transliterations of Chibcha language
names.
Different records of historic human activity have been found in Facatativa. Muisca pottery and indigenous paintings and sculpture are samples of their religious beliefs and social structure. The Archaeological park Tunjo Stones for example features prehistoric paintings, many of them now vandalized.
Facatativá was discovered by the Spanish conquistador
s through Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada
while exploring routes to El Dorado
. Jimenez de Quesada had his first contact with what is today's Facatativá while trying to capture indigenous Muisca leader Cacique Tisquesusa who intended to escape the Spaniard invasion
with six hundred men. Tisquesusa was captured and killed by Spanish soldiers on July 15, 1537.
Facatativá was officially founded in 1600 by Spaniard administrator Diego Gomez de Mena. Traditionally in the Spanish style of city
development during the colonization of Spanish America the city's most important building was its church which was ordered to be built by Gomez de Mena in a contract dated 1601.
Facatativa's most important building is the Cathedral
located on the Simon Bolivar
Plaza in downtown Facatativá.
Although originally an ordinary Catholic church a series of earthquake
s through history have damaged the buildings, forcing every new construction into a better one. The first one was founded in 1601 and lasted until July 12, 1785 when it was damaged by an earthquake. Priest Juan de la Mata Salazar y Caicedo noticed the buildings failure and a new church was built on May 1787. This new church would become an Agustinian temple
.
On November 17, 1827 a new earthquake damaged the structure. However it was able to stand until 1870 when a new temple was inaugurated. The newly built church was finally opened on August 6, 1895. By the time head priest Agustino Pedro Salazar also created the Priest Home.
Seventy two years later a new earthquake damaged the church on February 9. The administration of Bishop Monsignor Raul Zambrano Camader quickly ordered the rebuilding of a new and lasting cathedral to the architectures of Vargas Triana & COPRE. This cathedral stands until today and is the people's favorite place of worship and an attractive touristic place.
On July 20, 1911 an obelisk
was inaugurated at the "Plaza of the Republic" known today as Santander Park as a way to honor the independence heroes killed there on August 31, 1816. By the time Facatativá had become a gate for to the New Kingdom of Granada
and it was also a place for the trading of produce from warmer and colder climates.
By mid 19th century the road from Los Manzanos to Bogotá
was built, this is of historical importance since Facatativá was a venue for a number of confrontations and historic wars of independence.
In January 1856 Governor Pedro Luis Gutierrez Lee introduced a bill for the acknowledgement of the Parish
of Facatativá by the legislation of the Independent State of Cundinamarca (now known as the Cundinamarca Department
).
By Decree of March 9, 1848 from President Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera, Facatativá was chosen as the capital of Canton of Funza due to its convenient geographic location.
On May 21, 1781 Facatativá Captain José Antonio Galán
and Lutenant Nicolas Jose de Vesga arrived with a company
of a hundred comuneros
. These personnel were given to Galan by Juan Francisco Berbeo at the municipality of Nemocon
so he could capture the Spanish Regent Gutierrez de Pineres.
In the year 1851 it the first notary office was established and on February 28, 1859 the first office of registry of the circuit of Facatativa.
On January 17, 1865 the State Assembly announced in Facatativá the fifth Constitution of Cundinamarca. By the same year the telegraphic service was inaugurated. On December 14, 1869 the national Colombian government
made a contract with William Lee Stiles for the telegraphic line between the cities Facatativa-Villeta
-Guaduas
-Honda which would snap to the ones in Ambalema and Manizales
, made by the same engineer according to the contract of August 30, 1866.
On August 2, 1870 Secretary of foment Don Salvador Camacho Roldan made a contract with Victoriano Paredes for the construction of a telegraph line between Facatativá and Honda.
The City Hall
was built in 1882 under the administration of Governor Daniel Aldana whom on February 28 of the same year would sign a deal for the construction of the Savanah railroad (Ferrocarril de la Sabana). On July 26, 1886 his successor General Jaime Cordoba made a contract so the railroad was finally built.
On March 8, 1907 the district prison was built.
On February 13, 1909 arrived the first locomotive
from Girardot
. It was necessary to build a new station since the width of the tracks of the already existent Savanna Line was different.In 1926 the tracks were conveniently matched.
In the year 1933 the first Produce Market Plaza was open being this one among the first ones in the country.
On May 6, 1940 a 100th anniversary of the death of General Francisco de Paula Santander
was commemorated with a bust
on the Santander Plaza.
On December 18, 1972 died Monsignor Raul Zambrano Camader first Bishop of the Archdioceses of Facatativá in an aircraft accident occurred at the El Tablazo hill.
On January 5, 1884 the first stone of a new hospital was set on the corner of a piece of land that was first intended of use as a cattle killing facility.
In conformity to the Constitution of the Province of Cundinamarca of 1815, Facatativá was included in the Canton of Bogotá. By the law 46 of April 29, 1905 Cudinamarca was divided in two Departments named Quesada and Cundinamarca. Facatativá was installed as the capital city of the Cundinamarca department by national decree431 of May 10 of 1905. The Governor of that time was Belisario Ayala. This would be consequently changed as there were modifications to neighboring departments.
The House of Culture was created on October 12, 1966, by intellectuals, writers and important personalities. In 1973 a building was built as a headquarter for offices and theater. A new and modern building was built on 1999 as a new place for operations for the cultural section of the municipal government. This building includes a gallery for visual artists. Courses and schooling is provided here.
In the year 1996 a series of riot
s broke out. These riots lasted at least a week and were triggered by protests against a bill that would classify families
based on the aspect of the facade of their homes and on their location disregarding the actual income of their dwellers, therefore affecting their tax
es. Many business were subject of looting
and resulted in injuries and fatalities. The bill was revised and conveniently modified.
. Because of its altitude above the sea level
Facatativá is a convenient place for the growing of flowers. Floral industry
is in fact the most important industry in Facatativá providing employment to a big part of the population. Seasonal jobs in the flowers farming increases during the days closer to Saint Valentine's Day
in the United States which is the industry's main customer.
Facatativá also is home of several facilities of well-known companies, among them: the dairy products company Alpina, Venezuelan multinational Polar
, Peruvian-owned cosmetics and jewelry company Yanbal, Colombian Oil company Ecopetrol
, Rice of the Savannah, United Soap, Inagro among others.
The population of Facatativá have the convenience of having several department store
s, such as Colombian owned Exito and French owned Carrefour
.
and Amerindian, having the mestizo race as the most common people, with at least a 15% of unmixed whites.
Telecommunications in Facatativá have been for a long time administered in a monopolistic
way by the Colombian Telecommunications company Telecom. With the raise of the demand of telecommunication services and the entering of new providers to the Colombian market, Facatativá has been benefited with the competitive prices offered for broadband internet and telephony. However, compared to industrialized countries
, broadband internet continues more as an expensive luxury than as a necessary tool for the middle lower class population. The taxes imposed to the imported appliances such as computers continue to make the access to technology very difficult since a person in Colombia would have to pay more for a computer. Telecom has partnered with Mexican company Telmex
to provide internet access. There is also competition with the Telephones Company of Bogota (ETB)
which was formerly restricted from offering telecommunication services outside Bogota.
Access to terrestrial telephone lines
is fairly simple for most people in Facatativá and the widespread of cellular telephony in Colombia has allowed people to easily remain connected to their loved ones.
For people without access to internet at their homes there are a number of internet cafe
s and internet booths. Most schools are in the process of either getting or improving their access to technology. However, most of them still lack the economic support to sponsor enough hardware so students can have continuing access to the World Wide Web.
Facatativá has two important centers of wireless, radio and microwave communications with equipment 99% digital. Colombia's biggest repeater antenna is located at the top of the Manjui Hill and is a heavily guarded facility because of its importance to the country's communications.
Municipalities of Colombia
The Municipalities of Colombia are decentralized subdivisions of the Republic of Colombia. Municipalities make up most of the departments of Colombia with 1,119 municipalities...
in the Cundinamarca Department
Cundinamarca Department
- Origin of the name :The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenous expression, probably derived from Quechua. Meaning "Condor's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands....
, located about 28 miles (42 km) northwest 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...
, 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 2,586 meters above sea level. The city is known for its Archaeological Park Piedras del Tunjo (Rocks of the Tunjo Indian)and best known in Colombia as Piedras de Tunja (Literally stones of Tunja) featuring large rock formations that were once the bottom of a lake.
Etymology
The word Facatativá has its roots on the indigenous Chibcha language spoken by the Muisca people. It has had different translations. The widely most accepted among historians is that it means fenced fort at the end of the plains (Cercado fuerte al final de la llanura)although it has also been translated as fenced fort outside the farming soil (Cercado fuerte a las afueras de la labranza) This refers to the town being at the edge of the Bogota Savanna Plateau.History
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
era.
Because of its location Facatativá was inhabited by the Muisca people. The Muiscas lived on the Bogota Savannah and were the original population of many other neighboring towns including Colombia's capital Bogota. Just as Facatativá many of them still keep their original names or have become transliterations of Chibcha language
Chibcha language
Chibcha, also known as Muisca or Mosca, is an extinct Chibchan language of Colombia, formerly spoken by the Muisca people, a complex indigenous civilization of South America and the present-day Colombian region. Scholars believe the Chibcha language arose in South America and then migrated with...
names.
Different records of historic human activity have been found in Facatativa. Muisca pottery and indigenous paintings and sculpture are samples of their religious beliefs and social structure. The Archaeological park Tunjo Stones for example features prehistoric paintings, many of them now vandalized.
Facatativá was discovered by the Spanish conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s through Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in Colombia. He explored the northern part of South America. While successful in many of his exploits, acquiring massive amounts of gold and emeralds, he ended his career disastrously; and has been suggested as a possible model...
while exploring routes to El Dorado
El Dorado
El Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
. Jimenez de Quesada had his first contact with what is today's Facatativá while trying to capture indigenous Muisca leader Cacique Tisquesusa who intended to escape the Spaniard invasion
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
with six hundred men. Tisquesusa was captured and killed by Spanish soldiers on July 15, 1537.
Facatativá was officially founded in 1600 by Spaniard administrator Diego Gomez de Mena. Traditionally in the Spanish style of city
Spanish architecture
Spanish architecture refers to architecture carried out in any area in what is now modern-day Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings within the current geographical limits of Spain before this name was given to those territories...
development during the colonization of Spanish America the city's most important building was its church which was ordered to be built by Gomez de Mena in a contract dated 1601.
Cathedral of Facatativá
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
located on the Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
Plaza in downtown Facatativá.
Although originally an ordinary Catholic church a series of earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s through history have damaged the buildings, forcing every new construction into a better one. The first one was founded in 1601 and lasted until July 12, 1785 when it was damaged by an earthquake. Priest Juan de la Mata Salazar y Caicedo noticed the buildings failure and a new church was built on May 1787. This new church would become an Agustinian temple
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
.
On November 17, 1827 a new earthquake damaged the structure. However it was able to stand until 1870 when a new temple was inaugurated. The newly built church was finally opened on August 6, 1895. By the time head priest Agustino Pedro Salazar also created the Priest Home.
Seventy two years later a new earthquake damaged the church on February 9. The administration of Bishop Monsignor Raul Zambrano Camader quickly ordered the rebuilding of a new and lasting cathedral to the architectures of Vargas Triana & COPRE. This cathedral stands until today and is the people's favorite place of worship and an attractive touristic place.
Historic Milestones
A big part of the history of Facatativá has been kept on parish books recorded and signed by priests whom in many cases also participated as city administrators. The oldest one of those books dates from 1692. This documents were chronologically signed by the priests in charge. Some of this documents are missing in the historical records of the city. This documents held important historic data.On July 20, 1911 an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
was inaugurated at the "Plaza of the Republic" known today as Santander Park as a way to honor the independence heroes killed there on August 31, 1816. By the time Facatativá had become a gate for to the New Kingdom of Granada
New Kingdom of Granada
The New Kingdom of Granada was the name given to a group of 16th century Spanish colonial provinces in northern South America governed by the president of the Audiencia of Bogotá, an area corresponding mainly to modern day Colombia and parts of Venezuela. Originally part of the Viceroyalty of...
and it was also a place for the trading of produce from warmer and colder climates.
By mid 19th century the road from Los Manzanos to 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...
was built, this is of historical importance since Facatativá was a venue for a number of confrontations and historic wars of independence.
In January 1856 Governor Pedro Luis Gutierrez Lee introduced a bill for the acknowledgement of the Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Facatativá by the legislation of the Independent State of Cundinamarca (now known as the Cundinamarca Department
Cundinamarca Department
- Origin of the name :The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenous expression, probably derived from Quechua. Meaning "Condor's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands....
).
By Decree of March 9, 1848 from President Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera, Facatativá was chosen as the capital of Canton of Funza due to its convenient geographic location.
On May 21, 1781 Facatativá Captain José Antonio Galán
José Antonio Galán
José Antonio Galán José Antonio Galán José Antonio Galán (ca. 1749, Charalá, Santander (Colombia) – February 2, 1782, Santafé de Bogotá (Id.) was a Colombian historical figure of the 18th century...
and Lutenant Nicolas Jose de Vesga arrived with a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of a hundred comuneros
Comuneros
Comunero is a Spanish term with several meanings; literally, it means "member of a community", but it has other connotations as well, depending on context...
. These personnel were given to Galan by Juan Francisco Berbeo at the municipality of Nemocon
Nemocón
Nemocón is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca.- History :Nemcón means "The cry of the warrior" in the Chibcha language. The city was founded by Spanish settlers in 1537.- Geography and description :...
so he could capture the Spanish Regent Gutierrez de Pineres.
In the year 1851 it the first notary office was established and on February 28, 1859 the first office of registry of the circuit of Facatativa.
On January 17, 1865 the State Assembly announced in Facatativá the fifth Constitution of Cundinamarca. By the same year the telegraphic service was inaugurated. On December 14, 1869 the national Colombian government
Government of Colombia
The government of Colombiais a republic with separation of powers into executive, judicial and legislative branches.Its legislature has a congress,its judiciary has a supreme court, andits executive branch has a president....
made a contract with William Lee Stiles for the telegraphic line between the cities Facatativa-Villeta
Villeta, Cundinamarca
Villeta is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
-Guaduas
Guaduas
Guaduas is a city in Colombia, in the province of Lower Magdalena department of Cundinamarca.-Geographical Context:At about 117 km from Bogotá. It is an agricultural and tourist center of some importance. It has about 33,000 inhabitants...
-Honda which would snap to the ones in Ambalema and Manizales
Manizales
Manizales is a city and municipality in central Colombia, capital of Department of Caldas and part of the region of Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis, near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano....
, made by the same engineer according to the contract of August 30, 1866.
On August 2, 1870 Secretary of foment Don Salvador Camacho Roldan made a contract with Victoriano Paredes for the construction of a telegraph line between Facatativá and Honda.
The City Hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
was built in 1882 under the administration of Governor Daniel Aldana whom on February 28 of the same year would sign a deal for the construction of the Savanah railroad (Ferrocarril de la Sabana). On July 26, 1886 his successor General Jaime Cordoba made a contract so the railroad was finally built.
On March 8, 1907 the district prison was built.
On February 13, 1909 arrived the first locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
from Girardot
Girardot, Cundinamarca
Girardot is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. It is home to a number of recreational and vacational spots, mainly visited by people from Bogotá, as it is located at less than three hours drive from the city but enjoys a tropical climate .Girardot is the second...
. It was necessary to build a new station since the width of the tracks of the already existent Savanna Line was different.In 1926 the tracks were conveniently matched.
In the year 1933 the first Produce Market Plaza was open being this one among the first ones in the country.
On May 6, 1940 a 100th anniversary of the death of General Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña , was a Colombian military and political leader during the 1810–1819 independence war of the United Provinces of New Granada...
was commemorated with a bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
on the Santander Plaza.
On December 18, 1972 died Monsignor Raul Zambrano Camader first Bishop of the Archdioceses of Facatativá in an aircraft accident occurred at the El Tablazo hill.
On January 5, 1884 the first stone of a new hospital was set on the corner of a piece of land that was first intended of use as a cattle killing facility.
In conformity to the Constitution of the Province of Cundinamarca of 1815, Facatativá was included in the Canton of Bogotá. By the law 46 of April 29, 1905 Cudinamarca was divided in two Departments named Quesada and Cundinamarca. Facatativá was installed as the capital city of the Cundinamarca department by national decree431 of May 10 of 1905. The Governor of that time was Belisario Ayala. This would be consequently changed as there were modifications to neighboring departments.
The House of Culture was created on October 12, 1966, by intellectuals, writers and important personalities. In 1973 a building was built as a headquarter for offices and theater. A new and modern building was built on 1999 as a new place for operations for the cultural section of the municipal government. This building includes a gallery for visual artists. Courses and schooling is provided here.
In the year 1996 a series of riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s broke out. These riots lasted at least a week and were triggered by protests against a bill that would classify families
Social stratification
In sociology the social stratification is a concept of class, involving the "classification of persons into groups based on shared socio-economic conditions ... a relational set of inequalities with economic, social, political and ideological dimensions."...
based on the aspect of the facade of their homes and on their location disregarding the actual income of their dwellers, therefore affecting their tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es. Many business were subject of looting
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
and resulted in injuries and fatalities. The bill was revised and conveniently modified.
Economy
Facatativa's main source of income is agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Because of its altitude above the sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
Facatativá is a convenient place for the growing of flowers. Floral industry
Floral industry
The floral industry is one of the major industries in many developing and underdeveloped countries. Floriculture as an industry began in the late 19th century in England, where flowers were grown on a large scale on the vast estates. The present day floral industry is a dynamic, global,...
is in fact the most important industry in Facatativá providing employment to a big part of the population. Seasonal jobs in the flowers farming increases during the days closer to Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
in the United States which is the industry's main customer.
Facatativá also is home of several facilities of well-known companies, among them: the dairy products company Alpina, Venezuelan multinational Polar
Empresas Polar
Empresas Polar is a Venezuelan corporation, that started as a brewery founded in 1941 by Lorenzo Alejandro Mendoza Fleury in Antímano, Caracas. It is the largest and best known brewery in Venezuela, but has since long diversified to an array of industries, mostly related to food processing and...
, Peruvian-owned cosmetics and jewelry company Yanbal, Colombian 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...
, Rice of the Savannah, United Soap, Inagro among others.
The population of Facatativá have the convenience of having several department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s, such as Colombian owned Exito and French owned Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
.
Demographics
The people are mainly a mixture of SpanishSpanish 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 Amerindian, having the mestizo race as the most common people, with at least a 15% of unmixed whites.
- Population: 106,070(2005)
Telecommunications
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
way by the Colombian Telecommunications company Telecom. With the raise of the demand of telecommunication services and the entering of new providers to the Colombian market, Facatativá has been benefited with the competitive prices offered for broadband internet and telephony. However, compared to industrialized countries
Developed country
A developed country is a country that has a high level of development according to some criteria. Which criteria, and which countries are classified as being developed, is a contentious issue...
, broadband internet continues more as an expensive luxury than as a necessary tool for the middle lower class population. The taxes imposed to the imported appliances such as computers continue to make the access to technology very difficult since a person in Colombia would have to pay more for a computer. Telecom has partnered with Mexican company Telmex
Telmex
Telmex is a telecommunications company headquartered in Mexico City that provides telecommunication products and services in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and other countries in Latin America. In addition to traditional fixed-line telephone service, Telmex also offers Internet access, data,...
to provide internet access. There is also competition with the Telephones Company of Bogota (ETB)
ETB (company)
ETB , formally known as Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogotá S.A. , is the second largest telecommunications company in Colombia. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C..-Company history:...
which was formerly restricted from offering telecommunication services outside Bogota.
Access to terrestrial telephone lines
Landline
A landline was originally an overland telegraph wire, as opposed to an undersea cable. Currently, landline refers to a telephone line which travels through a solid medium, either metal wire or optical fibre, as distinguished from a mobile cellular line, where transmission is via radio waves...
is fairly simple for most people in Facatativá and the widespread of cellular telephony in Colombia has allowed people to easily remain connected to their loved ones.
For people without access to internet at their homes there are a number of internet cafe
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
s and internet booths. Most schools are in the process of either getting or improving their access to technology. However, most of them still lack the economic support to sponsor enough hardware so students can have continuing access to the World Wide Web.
Facatativá has two important centers of wireless, radio and microwave communications with equipment 99% digital. Colombia's biggest repeater antenna is located at the top of the Manjui Hill and is a heavily guarded facility because of its importance to the country's communications.