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Santa Fe (Bogotá)
Encyclopedia
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...
, Capital District 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...
. Santa Fe is the traditional downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
of the city of Bogotá. This area once comprised Bogotá's total main urban area and was known as "Santa Fe de Bogotá" with its traditional neighborhoods.
Santa Fe is one of Bogotá's most developed areas and includes the area by the Carrera Septima, one of the main arteries with most of Bogotá's skyscrapers. The International Center and the financial district of the Avenida Jimenez are also located within Santa Fe. It also contains the colonial-era commercial neighborhood of San Victorino.
The main streets of Bogotá intersect in Santa Fe: the "Carrera Septima" (7th Avenue) formerly known as Calle Real (Royal Street), the "Carrera Decima" (10th Avenue), "Calle 26" (26th Street), the "Circunvalar Avenue", "Caracas Avenue", "Ciudad de Lima Avenue" and "Jimenez Avenue".
Santa Fe also has a rural area which covers the mountains of Monserrate
Monserrate
Monserrate is a mountain that dominates the city center of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It rises to above the sea level, where there is a church with a shrine, devoted to "El Señor Caído" .The hill is a pilgrim destination, as well as a tourist attraction...
and Guadalupe. The locality of La Candelaria
La Candelaria
La Candelaria is a historic neighborhood in downtown Bogotá, Colombia. It is the equivalent to the Old City in other cities. The architecture of the old houses, churches and buildings has Spanish Colonial and Baroque styles...
was the foundation site 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...
and is enclaved in the middle of Santa Fe. La Candelaria was separated from Santa Fe after the creation of the Capital District.
History
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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...
in 1538 under the name of Santa Fe. The legal foundation occurred at the Bolívar Square
Bolívar Square
The Bolívar Square is located in the heart of the historical area of Bogotá. It has a statue of Simón Bolívar sculpted in 1846 by the Italian Pietro Tenerani, which was the first ever public monument in the city...
in La Candelaria
La Candelaria
La Candelaria is a historic neighborhood in downtown Bogotá, Colombia. It is the equivalent to the Old City in other cities. The architecture of the old houses, churches and buildings has Spanish Colonial and Baroque styles...
between the rivers of San Francisco (now Jimenez avenue) and San Agustin (now 6th Street).
During the early years of the 20th century, the city was confined within the present territory of Santa Fe until the 1920s when urbanization expanded towards Chapinero
Chapinero
Chapinero is the second locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located in northeastern Bogotá. It is among the more affluent of localities in the city, and is home to several important commercial and dining areas. It comprises three major residential areas: Chicó, El Lago, and Chapinero...
and later towards the west in the 1950s just before the violent days of El Bogotazo
Bogotazo
El Bogotazo refers to the massive riots that followed the assassination in Bogotá, Colombia of Liberal leader and presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán on April 9, 1948 during the government of President Mariano Ospina Pérez...
that partially destroyed the streets.
Santa Fe got a minor city hall in 1972. With the Constitutional reform of 1991
Colombian Constitution of 1991
The Political Constitution of Colombia, better known as the Constitution of 1991, is the current governing document of the Republic of Colombia. Promulgated on July 4 of 1991 , it replaced the Constitution of 1886...
, Santa Fe legally became a locality (or a Local Action Junta) of the Capital District.
General Data
- Population: 107,044 people (1993 census)
- Average temperature: 13 °C
- Total area: 4,487.74 ha
- Urban area: 662.05 ha
To the north, Santa Fe is bordered by the Canal Arzobispo or "Calle 39" (39th Street), bordering the locality of Chapinero
Chapinero
Chapinero is the second locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located in northeastern Bogotá. It is among the more affluent of localities in the city, and is home to several important commercial and dining areas. It comprises three major residential areas: Chicó, El Lago, and Chapinero...
. To the south it is bordered by Avenida Primera, con San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal (Bogotá)
San Cristóbal, is the fourth locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located in the south-east of the city.- Borders :North: Santa Fe locality.South: The locality of Usme....
. In the east, it is bordered by the Cerros Orientales (eastern mountains, bordering with the municipalities of Choachí
Choachí
Choachí is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
and Ubaque
Ubaque
Ubaque is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
in 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....
. Lastly, the city is bordered in the west by Avenida Caracas, with Teusaquillo
Teusaquillo
Teusaquillo is the 13th locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located in the geographic center of the city, to the northwest of downtown. It is an urbanized locality with several green zones in its parks, avenues, and the campus of the National University of Colombia...
, Los Mártires
Los Mártires
Los Mártires is the 14th locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located near the city's downtown to its west. It takes its name in honor of those who died during the war for independence from Spain...
and Antonio Nariño
Antonio Nariño (Bogotá)
Antonio Nariño is the 15th locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located in the city's south. It is named after an early Colombian leader, Antonio Nariño, who is often referred to as the precursor to the presidency.- Borders :...
.
Among the neighborhoods there are Las Cruces, Los Laches, La Perseverancia, La Concordia, Santa Inés, Santa Bárbara, San Bernardo, La Merced, Egipto, Germania, Las Aguas, La Paz, La Peña, Liévano, Las Nieves, El Consuelo, Belén, Egipto Alto, Central, El Rocío, Tisquesuza, La Macarena and El Bosque Izquierdo. Veredas are Monserrate and El Vergel mountains.
Santa Fe is crossed by the San Francisco River, San Agustín River, Arzobispo River and San Cristóbal River. Because of its proximity to the eastern mountains, the urban area near these mountains is tilted some 40 degrees.
Economy
Santa Fe is mostly a commercial area with some small factories and service companies such as financial businesses, hotels and tourism facilities. There are some important universities in the area such as University of the AndesUniversity of the Andes, Colombia
The University of the Andes , is a coeducational, nonsectarian private university located in city centre Bogotá, Colombia. Founded in 1948, the University has 9 faculties: Administration, Architecture and Design, Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Economics, Engineering and...
, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Jorge Tadeo Lozano University
Jorge Tadeo Lozano University
Jorge Tadeo Lozano University is a university in Colombia, with campuses in Bogotá, Cartagena, Santa Marta and Chía.-External links: Jorge Tadeo Lozano, the person...
among others.
Transport
TransMilenioTransMilenio
TransMilenio is a bus rapid transit system that serves Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. The system opened to the public in December 2000, covering Av. Caracas and Calle 80...
operates in the Avenida Caracas and Avenida Jiménez de Quesada. A funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
and an aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
to climb Monserrate
Monserrate
Monserrate is a mountain that dominates the city center of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It rises to above the sea level, where there is a church with a shrine, devoted to "El Señor Caído" .The hill is a pilgrim destination, as well as a tourist attraction...
have existed since 1926.
Sites of interest
- Colombian National MuseumColombian National MuseumThe National Museum of Colombia is the National Museum of Colombia housing collections on its history, art, culture. Located in Bogotá downtown, is the biggest and oldest museum in Colombia. The National Museum of Colombia is a dependancy of the Colombian Ministry of Culture.The National Museum is...
- Independence Park, Tercer Milenio Park and the Olaya Herrera National Park
- La Santamaría BullringSantamaría BullringSantamaría Bullring is a bullring in Bogotá, Colombia and it is currently used for bullfighting, although it has also been used for concerts and other cultural activities. The stadium holds 14,500 people and was built in 1931. This bullring is more commonly known as the Plaza de Toros Santamaría....
(opening its season in February) - La Rebeca
- The Natural History Museum
- The Planetarium
- The Gold MuseumGold MuseumThe Gold Museum is a museum located in Bogotá, Colombia. It displays an extraordinary selection of its pre-Hispanic gold work collection - the biggest in the world - in its exhibition rooms on the second and third floors...
- The National Library of ColombiaNational Library of ColombiaThe National Library of Colombia is the national library of Colombia. The library is a dependancy of the Colombian Ministry of Culture.- Founding and history :...
- The churches of San Francisco, la Tercera, la Veracruz and la Capuchina
- Las Cruces Marketplace
- Colpatria Tower