Bogotá, Colombia

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Bogotá (known officially in Spanish as Bogotá D.C. (Distrito Capital)) is a city of 7.7 million people and the capital of Colombia. At an altitude of 8,660 feet (2640 meters) above sea level in the Cordillera Oriental of the Northern Andes Mountains, Bogotá is situated on a sloping plain at the base of two mountains, Guadalupe and Monserrate, upon whose crests stand two imposing churches. Several small streams, one of which, the San Francisco, passes through the city, unite near the south-western extremity of the plateau and form the Rio Funza, or Bogotá, which finally plunges over the edge at Tequendama in one of Bogotá's biggest tourist attractions: a beautiful, perpendicular waterfall of about 475 feet (145 meters). The climate is mild and temperate, the average annual temperature being about 58°F (14°C) and rainfall about 44 inches (110 cm). The city is laid out in a grid, with numbered carreras intersecting numbered calles. Several squares are located in the city, including the Plaza Bolívar, where some of the important public buildings and churches are located. Bogotá is connected by road to both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Colombia, to the north and west, respectively, as well as to all other major cities of Colombia. The Pan-American Highway and the Simón Bolívar highway both pass through the city. The city is served by El Dorado International Airport. The TransMilenio transportation system is the most modern form of public transit serving the city. Bogotá has traditionally been a major center of art, culture, and learning for northern South America. Sometimes called the "Athens of South America," Bogotá is home to several excellent universities, including The Los Andes University, The National University of Colombia (1830), The Xavier Pontifical University (1622) and the University of Santo Tomás (1580). In addition to the Gold Museum, which holds the world's largest collection of pre-Columbian gold artifacts, there is also a museum of natural history, a planetarium, and several modern art galleries.

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General Tips about Colombia

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