Welcome to Bogotá!
Bogotá's sheer size and its past reputation for violence are intimidating for visitors, but the city opens up to the savvy traveler, with incredible riches befitting the capital of Colombia, and one of the biggest cities in Latin America.
Historic riches, it's well preserved historic quarter has a good claim to be the original capital of Spanish colonial South America, as the capital of the vast New Kingdom of Granada, placed strategically close to mythical El Dorado. Artistic riches, the small historic quarter alone is home to dozens of experimental theaters, and diverse art galleries dot the most popular neighborhoods pressed against the dramatic Eastern Andes peaks. Culinary riches, its several dining districts play host to world-class restaurants representing all the world's cuisines, traditional and modern, frequented by the local jet set. Rich with nightlife, the party lasts well into the night at sweaty salsa clubs, English pubs, caffeinated indie rock shows, cocktail lounges, steakhouses-cum-dance parties, and amidst drawn-out conversations in coffeeshops and corner cafes in this decidedly intellectual university town known as the Athens of South America. You could see the sights in a few days, or linger for a month to live the cosmopolitan life.
Bogotá (officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000) is the capital and largest city of Colombia, administered as the Capital District, as well as the capital of, though not part of, the surrounding department of Cundinamarca. Bogotá is a territorial entity of the first order, with the same administrative status as the departments of Colombia. It is the political, economic, administrative, and industrial center of the country.
Bogotá was founded as the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada on 6 August 1538 by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada after a harsh expedition into the Andes conquering the Muisca, the indigenous inhabitants of the Altiplano. Santafé (its name after 1540) became the seat of the government of the Spanish Royal Audiencia of the New Kingdom of Granada (created in 1550), and then after 1717, it was the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. After the Battle of Boyacá on 7 August 1819, Bogotá became the capital of the independent nation of Gran Colombia. It was Simón Bolívar who rebaptized the city with the name of Bogotá, as a way of honoring the Muisca people and as an emancipation act against the Spanish crown. Hence, since the Viceroyalty of New Granada's independence from the Spanish Empire and during the formation of present-day Colombia, Bogotá has remained the capital of this territory.
The city is located in the center of Colombia, on a high plateau known as the Bogotá savanna, part of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense located in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes. Bogotá is the third-highest capital in South America and in the world after Quito and La Paz, at an average of 2,640 meters (8,660 ft) above sea level. Subdivided into 20 localities, Bogotá has an area of 1,587 square kilometers (613 square miles) and a relatively cool climate that is constant throughout the year.
The city is home to central offices of the executive branch (Office of the President), the legislative branch (Congress of Colombia), and the judicial branch (Supreme Court of Justice, Constitutional Court, Council of State, and the Superior Council of Judicature) of the Colombian government. Bogotá stands out for its economic strength and associated financial maturity, its attractiveness to global companies, and the quality of human capital. It is the financial and commercial heart of Colombia, with the most business activity of any city in the country. The capital hosts the main financial market in Colombia and the Andean natural region and is the leading destination for new foreign direct investment projects coming into Latin America and Colombia. It has the highest nominal GDP in the country, responsible for almost a quarter of the nation's total (24.7%).
The city's airport, El Dorado International Airport, named after the mythical El Dorado, handles the largest cargo volume in Latin America and is third in the number of people. Bogotá is home to the largest number of universities and research centers in the country, and is an important cultural center, with many theaters, libraries, and museums. Bogotá ranks 52nd on the Global Cities Index 2014 and is considered a global city type "Beta +" by GaWC in 2020.