"Anadayur's new Colombia Page" a Colombia Travel Page by Anadayur

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Founded on August 6,1538 by the Spanish Conqueror Gonzalo Jiménez de Quezada on land occupied by the Muiscas Indians as Bogota. In 1740 Santafe de Bogota (Colombia's new constitution, proclaimed in june 1991, restored the ancient name " Santa Fe de Bogota") was made the Capital of the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada and played an outstanding political role during the Colonial period. After the Country won its independency from Spain in 1819 and prior to the dissolution of the Gran Colombia (which united what today comprises Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador) in 1830, Bogota became the capital of Colombia. Bogota is sometimes known as the Athens of America. It is situated more than 2,590 m (8,500 ft) above sea level at the eastern edge of the Basin of Cundinamarca and is near the geographical center of Colombia. The largest city in the country and one of the fastest growing in Latin America, Bogota has a population of 4,819,696 (1990 est.). Although located at an equatorial latitude, the high altitude moderates its climate. Average annual temperature is about 14 deg C (58 deg F), and the climate changes little through the year.