Colombia
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Country name |
Republic of Colombia |
Area |
1.141.748 sq km (440.830 sq mi) |
Population |
44.000.000 |
Capital City |
Bogotá (pop6 million) |
People |
58% Mestizo (European - Indian descendants), 20% European descendant, 14% mulatto (African - European descendants), 4% African descendant, 3% African - Indian descendants, 1% indigenous |
Language |
Spanish, plus over 200 indigenous languages |
Religion |
Catholic 95%, with a remainder mixture of Episcopal and Jewish beliefs |
Government |
Democrat |
President |
Alvaro Uribe Vélez |
Manizales
Capital of Caldas |
Altitude |
2.150 above sea level |
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Average Temperature |
18 degrees centigrades |
Location |
5' 4' North latitude, 75' From Greenwich |
Area |
508 square km. |
Population |
362.664 people |
GENERAL CITY DEVELOPMENT
The city of the "Open doors" is a commercial and industrial center that preserves in its history the characteristic of having been
the first city to have a fair in America and to have opened a tourism office in Colombia.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Manizales has a considerable economic activity, including: Agriculture, Cattle Farming, Forestry and Fishing, Quarry Mining, Manufacturing,
Gas and Steam Electricity, Wholesale and Retail Businesses, Transport, Storage and Communications, branches of the most important
banks in the country and insurance Companies, in addition to Community and Personal Services.
COFFEE
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All roads and footpaths leading to Manizales are openings which have been made in the green depths of the coffee plantations. City life is indissolubly linked to its aroma. The relationship is identical to that of any other passion: happiness when it is a source of wealth, sorrow when it means economic ruin.
The coffee grain, the backbone of the Colombian economy, has belonged to the territory of Manizales since 1864 when Edward Walker Robledo, from Sonsón, established the first small rural property in La Cabaña. Since then, coffee has been a source of development and wealth.
Its cultivation, collection, threshing and exportation strengthens industry and business in the city. |
THE UNIVERSITIES
The seven universities, with their fifty professional programs, educating 15.000 students coming from all corners of the country, give joy to the city, inundating it with youth.
The climate of Manizales, its ambience, character and intellectual vocation, along with the general living standard, give it validity deserving the name of "the Salamanca of Colombia", and possibly being declared "University District".
The knowledge and scientific development seeds of future generations are sown in the universities, model research, academic and teaching centers.
Fundamental in the University soul are humanistic inclinations, the interest in synchronizing minds with world events.
ENJOYING OUR CITY
In Manizales, you can visit many interesting places as the Basilic Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Fine Arts Palace, the Bullfighting Ring, the Air Cable Station, the Railway Station. You can know the Historic Center (downtown) from which almost 150 buildings and constructions have been declared National Monuments. Chipre sightseeing place is an important urban space for recreation for people who are attracted by its spectacular views. "The Yarumos Park" is a beautiful piece of a jungle inside the city.Near Manizales, just one hour from the city, you can enjoy "The Nevados National Natural Park". |
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There are several events throughout the year in Manizales: Manizales Fair (January)
Latin-American Theater Festival (August - September) National Horse Show (March).
At Caldas University you can find:
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The Natural History Museum which has one of the best butterfly collections in Colombia and South America.
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The Botanical Garden which has a greenhouse, nurseries, a meteorological station, a collection of medical and ornamental plants and an arboretum containing national tree species.
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The Anthropological Museum which has over 3500 pre-Colombian pieces, found in diverse burial tombs of the "Quimbaya Archaeological Zone"
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The Arts Program which is developed at the Fine Arts palace, a national monument building.
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The Mineralogy Museum contains a varied collection of rocks and minerals, such as: silicates, sulfides and carbonates; igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks; as well as regionally found elements.
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BASIC SERVICES GUIDE
Tourism Office
Calle 29 No. 20-25 Tels: 8846211 - 8842266
e-mail: culturayturismo@epm.net.co
Airport - La Enea Tels: 8745451 - 8745438
Bus Station - Av. 19 No. 15-04 8849331 - 8849183
Car Rental - Carrera 23 No. 66-113 8867515 - 8871061
Diplomatic Offices
German Consulate Via al Mag. No. 74-71 Piso 10 Tel: 8872928
Italian Consulate Calle 20 No. 21-38 Of. 501 8831935
Spanish Consulate Calle 36 No. 22-22 8845960
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Useful Information
Police Department 112 patrol Tels: 8845044
Fire Department 119 Central Station 8849427
Customs 8831858
Passport Office Government 8810600
Calle 53 No. 2511-35
Civil Aid Calle 12a No. 14-63 8843001
Transit and Transport Office 8801030 |
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