Bogotá was founded on the 6th of August 1538 by the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada who fough the Chibcha Indians near the site of the populous tribe center called Bacatá.  The new city became the vice-regal capital of New Granada in 1717.  It was captured by Simón Bolívar in 1819 and was the capital of the independent nation of Great Colombia (which included modern day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela).  It became the capital of New Granada (later renamed Colombia) in 1830 when Great Colombia was dissolved.

The city grew slowly because Bogotanos (cachacos) wished to preserve their old culture.  They cherished their churches, convents, homes (built in the ornate Spanish colonial style) and the National University, founded in 1573.  They also prided themselves on speaking the purest Spanish in the New World.  The city expanded rapidly after 1940 as large numbers of rural Colombians migrated there in search of greater economic opportunities. It is sometimes called the Athens of South America.  Bogotá is now Colombia's largest financial, political, and cultural center.  The National University of Colombia and many other universities located there make Bogotá the nation's chief educational center.

Today Bogotá is a cosmopolitan city in continuous expansion.  It is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas, not only in Colombia, but also in South America.  Its almost 6 million inhabitants include a multitude of immigrants from all over the world, which makes the capital a true microcosm of the nation.  Modern highrises and skyscrapers contrast with old houses of colonial and republican architecture.  Bogotá offers residents and visitors everything that a modem city can give.  Cultural activities abound and its enormous selection of restaurants, bars and nightclubs offers all kinds of food and entertainment.

A picturesque city, it is known for its colonial architecture, its collection of pre-Colombian gold art, and its bookshops and splendid colonial churches.  It is also a city of futuristic architecture, modern highrises, brilliant museums, and skyscrapers.  Bogotá offers residents and visitors everything that a modem city can give including a vibrant and diverse cultural and intellectual life. It is also a city of Dickensian waifs, beggars, shantytowns and traffic jams.

This amazing mixture of prosperity and poverty, Masseratis and mules, makes it one of the world's most chaotic, fascinating and aggressive metropolises.  Tourists that visit Bogotá fall in love with the city, and would like to remain forever there.

Major suburbs include Bosa, Engativá, Fontibón, Suba, Usaquén, and Usme.  Industries include printing and publishing, motor-vehicle assembly, food processing, and the manufacture of beverages, textiles, metals goods, machinery, and electrical equipment.  Many banks and corporations maintain their headquarters in the city.  Railroads and highways, including the Pan-American Highway, link the city with other major centers.  The international Eldorado Airport is nearby.