Filandia, Quindío
Encyclopedia
Filandia is a town and municipality in the northern part of the department of Quindío
, Colombia
. It is located on the west side of Cordillera Central of the Andes
mountain range running through central Colombia, 26 km north of the departmental capital Armenia
. It is the northernmost of twelve municipalities that form Quindío, the second smallest department of Colombia. It houses a small community economically supported by agriculture and tourism. Although coffee
is the major agricultural product, the municipality's diverse ecosystem makes it perfect for the production of numerous fruits and vegetables. The population is evenly split between the urban and rural areas, with an urban population in the town of Filandia itself of nearly 7000 inhabitants and a population of around 6500 in the rest of the municipality. Most of the population is classified as mestizo
and the most common religion is Roman Catholic. The town's architecture, landscapes and the sociability of the locals makes Filandia one of the most beautiful and attractive towns in the department of Quindio and the nation. The town's best-known tourist attractions are its "mirador" (viewing tower) with its extensive views over the Cauca River
valley to the west and the Parque Nacional Natural los Nevados to the east (it is also possible to see both Armenia and Pereira
from the top of the tower), and the cafe in the main square where scenes from the popular Colombian telenovela
Cafe, con aroma de mujer
were filmed.
sub-basin. The main urban area is located at an altitude of 1923 metres above sea level and the altitude range of the municipality is between 1300 and 2200 metres above sea level.
The total territory of the municipality extends from the foot of the Andes to the plains of the northern Valle del Cauca
department. The town is bordered by the department of Risaralda
to the north, the department of Valle del Cauca
to the west, the town of Salento
to the east, the town of Circasia
to the south, and the town of Quimbaya
to the southwest.
precipitation in the form of hail sometimes occurs, most recently in 1996 when approximately 15 cm of hail fell over most of northern Quindío.
times the territory where modern Filandia is located was occupied by indigenous peoples of the Quimbaya
tribe, who not only practiced agriculture but were also noted for their metalwork, particularly in gold
and tumbaga
, an alloy
of gold and copper
. The Quimbayans began to diminish in number after the arrival of the Spanish
in the 16th century. It is estimated that Filandia along with most of the Quindío territories were uninhabited for about 200 years until the "Colonizacion Antioqueña" in the 19th century.
It is thought that by 1870 settlers from the department of Antioquia
in the northwest of Colombia were already settled in modern day Filandia. On August 20th 1878, Filandia was founded as a settlement of Colombians escaping the misfortune faced by the rest of the nation at the time. The Antioqueños came to Quindío attracted by the rumors of massive gold and emerald
deposits in the area.
In the early years of the 20th century, Filandia was a prosperous community - trade and industry had grown to the point that by 1900 there were estimated to be 250,000 coffee bushes in Filandia. As a response to the increased coffee production, many processing plants were created and the coffee culture now synonymous with the town was born.
By 1930, however, Filandia was in decline. The road the first settlers used to populate the town lost its importance due to the construction of a highway to the east connecting the capital of Risaralda and the capital of Quindío, isolating the town and providing a more direct alternate route to goods and services that previously were obliged to pass through Filandia.
where several hundred Filandeños have settled.
Quindío Department
Quindío is a department of Colombia. It is in the western central region of the country, crossed by the Andes mountains. Its capital is Armenia. It is famous for the quality of the coffee plantations, colorful architecture, benign weather, variety of hotel accommodations and touristic landmarks...
, 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...
. It is located on the west side of Cordillera Central of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
mountain range running through central Colombia, 26 km north of the departmental capital Armenia
Armenia, Colombia
Armenia is the capital of Quindío, a department in Colombia. The city is located at coordinates 4.5170° north, 75.6830° west, 290 kilometers west of Bogotá. Armenia is a mid-size city located between Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, the 3 largest Colombian cities. The city's area code for phone calls is...
. It is the northernmost of twelve municipalities that form Quindío, the second smallest department of Colombia. It houses a small community economically supported by agriculture and tourism. Although coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
is the major agricultural product, the municipality's diverse ecosystem makes it perfect for the production of numerous fruits and vegetables. The population is evenly split between the urban and rural areas, with an urban population in the town of Filandia itself of nearly 7000 inhabitants and a population of around 6500 in the rest of the municipality. Most of the population is classified as mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
and the most common religion is Roman Catholic. The town's architecture, landscapes and the sociability of the locals makes Filandia one of the most beautiful and attractive towns in the department of Quindio and the nation. The town's best-known tourist attractions are its "mirador" (viewing tower) with its extensive views over the Cauca River
Cauca River
The Cauca River is a river in Colombia that lies between the Occidental and Central cordilleras. Born in southwestern Colombia near the city of Popayán, it joins the Magdalena River near Pinillos in Bolívar Department, and the combined river eventually flows out into the Caribbean Sea. It has a...
valley to the west and the Parque Nacional Natural los Nevados to the east (it is also possible to see both Armenia and Pereira
Pereira, Colombia
Pereira is the capital city of the Colombian department of Risaralda. It stands in the center of the western region of the country, located in a small valley that descends from a part of the western Andes mountain chain. Its strategic location in the coffee producing area makes the city an urban...
from the top of the tower), and the cafe in the main square where scenes from the popular Colombian telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
Cafe, con aroma de mujer
Café, con aroma de mujer
Café con aroma de mujer was a 1994 Colombian telenovela, produced by then programming company RCN TV on state-owned Canal A. It is probably one of the most popular telenovelas on Colombian television...
were filmed.
Geography
Filandia is the northernmost town of the Department of Quindío. The town is located on the west slope of the Cordillera Central of the Colombian Andes, on the Alto Cauca basin and the Rio La ViejaLa Vieja River
La Vieja River is a river in the Colombiandepartments of Quindío, Valle del Cauca and Risaralda.It is a major tributary of the Cauca River.The river is formed by the joining of the Quindío River and the...
sub-basin. The main urban area is located at an altitude of 1923 metres above sea level and the altitude range of the municipality is between 1300 and 2200 metres above sea level.
The total territory of the municipality extends from the foot of the Andes to the plains of the northern Valle del Cauca
Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali...
department. The town is bordered by the department of Risaralda
Risaralda Department
Risaralda is a department of Colombia. It is located in the western central region of the country and part of the Paisa Region. Its capital is Pereira.It was divided from the department of Caldas in 1966...
to the north, the department of Valle del Cauca
Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali...
to the west, the town of Salento
Salento, Quindío
Salento is a town and municipality in the north-east of the department of Quindío, Colombia. The municipality covers an area of 377.67 km2. It was the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era, and the first municipality founded in the department. The town of Salento itself is located 24 km...
to the east, the town of Circasia
Circasia, Quindío
Circasia is a municipality in the northern part of the department of Quindío, Colombia. It is located 7 km north of the department's capital Armenia....
to the south, and the town of Quimbaya
Quimbaya, Quindío
Quimbaya is a town and municipality in the western part of the department of Quindío, Colombia. It is 20 km northwest of the departmental capital Armenia...
to the southwest.
Climate
Due to its geographical location, Filandia has a high-land tropical climate characterized by two main climatic indicators, "frió-húmedo" (cold-humid) and "templado-húmedo" (warm-humid). The average annual temperature is 18°C, and precipitation in the form of rain is sporadic. However, due to the climatic phenomena known as El Niño and La NiñaLa Niña
La Niña is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that is the counterpart of El Niño as part of the broader El Niño-Southern Oscillation climate pattern. During a period of La Niña, the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean will be lower than normal by 3–5 °C...
precipitation in the form of hail sometimes occurs, most recently in 1996 when approximately 15 cm of hail fell over most of northern Quindío.
History
The town, currently known as "La Colina Iluminada de los Andes" ("The Illuminated Hill of the Andes"), is the second oldest municipality in the department. In Pre-ColumbianPre-Columbian era
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
times the territory where modern Filandia is located was occupied by indigenous peoples of the Quimbaya
Quimbaya civilization
The Quimbaya civilization is a South American civilization, noted for spectacular gold work characterized by technical accuracy and detailed designs. The majority of the gold work is made in tumbaga alloy, with 30% copper, which imparts beautiful color tonalities to the pieces...
tribe, who not only practiced agriculture but were also noted for their metalwork, particularly in gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and tumbaga
Tumbaga
Tumbaga was the name given by Spaniards to a non-specific alloy of gold and copper which they found in widespread use in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and South America.-Composition and properties:...
, an alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
of gold and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. The Quimbayans began to diminish in number after the arrival of the 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....
in the 16th century. It is estimated that Filandia along with most of the Quindío territories were uninhabited for about 200 years until the "Colonizacion Antioqueña" in the 19th century.
It is thought that by 1870 settlers from the department of Antioquia
Antioquia Department
Antioquia is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the central northwestern part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea. Most of its territory is mountainous with some valleys, much of which is part of the Andes mountain range...
in the northwest of Colombia were already settled in modern day Filandia. On August 20th 1878, Filandia was founded as a settlement of Colombians escaping the misfortune faced by the rest of the nation at the time. The Antioqueños came to Quindío attracted by the rumors of massive gold and emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
deposits in the area.
In the early years of the 20th century, Filandia was a prosperous community - trade and industry had grown to the point that by 1900 there were estimated to be 250,000 coffee bushes in Filandia. As a response to the increased coffee production, many processing plants were created and the coffee culture now synonymous with the town was born.
By 1930, however, Filandia was in decline. The road the first settlers used to populate the town lost its importance due to the construction of a highway to the east connecting the capital of Risaralda and the capital of Quindío, isolating the town and providing a more direct alternate route to goods and services that previously were obliged to pass through Filandia.
Economy
The economy of Filandia is heavily dependent on agriculture (the main crop being coffee) and tourism. Another large source of income is money sent from other countries by family members that have emigrated to the United States and Europe. The largest of these immigrant communities originating from Filandia is located in Madison, New JerseyMadison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
where several hundred Filandeños have settled.