Armenia, Colombia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the city in Colombia. For other uses, see Armenia (disambiguation).
| Armenia | |||
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| Nickname: ""Miracle City"" | |||
| Motto: "Trabajo y Civilización" (work and civilization) | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Colombia | ||
| Departamento | Quindío | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 140km2 km² (Expression error: Unrecognised word "km" sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 1,480 m (4,855.6 ft) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| - City | 324,588 | ||
| - Density | 5,320.75/km² (13,780.7/sq mi) | ||
| Website: Government of Armenia's official website | |||
Armenia is the capital of Quindío, a department in Colombia. The city is located at coordinates 4.5170° north, 75.6830° west, 290 kilometers west of Bogotá. Armenia is a mid-size city located between Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, the 3 largest Colombian cities. The city's area code for phone calls is 096. It's average temperature is between 18ºC- 22ºC. Raipur-India is the latest to become a sister city[citation needed] of Armenia.
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[edit] History
Armenia was founded in October 14, 1889 by Jesús Maria Ocampo, also known as "Tigrero" (translates to "tiger killer") due to his love of hunting jaguars, known locally as tigers. Ocampo came from Anaime, Tolima looking for shelter in the mountains of Quindío since he was running away from General Gallo. He paid one hundred pesos in gold coins to Antonio Herrera for the land in which to build a fonda, or trade center, not only for himself but also for other colonists who came from Salento, Antioquia, Manizales and areas surrounding the Quindío River and La Vieja River. Ocampo then proceeded to sell land for settlement. In order to found a population, Ocampo returned to Anaime to ask for the help of his friend Juan de La Cruz Cardona, and to marry thirteen year-old Arsenia Cardona.
Six months after its foundation, in August 1890, the city of Armenia had reached the population of 100 people, allowing it to gain legal recognition by the governent.
The city was initially called Villa Holguin, in honor of the current president of the country. It is believed the name was changed to Armenia in memorium of the Armenian people murdered in Hamidian massacres of 1894-97.
Despite Armenia's quick expanding economy at the time, the means of transportation were still very limited. The main form of transporting people and merchandise was by mule, due to the mountainous terrain surrounding the city. It was not until the construction of the first asphalt road in 1927 to Zarzal in the Cauca river valley that transportation was improved.
[edit] Economy
Armenia is often referred to as "Ciudad Milagro" (Miracle City) due to its fast urban growth and development. The local economy is based on the production of coffee, plantains, and bananas. Many traditional plantations still exist in the surrounding area and many offer bed and breakfast accommodation and "ecotourism" packages. The city has a modern airport with daily links to Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín.
[edit] Local Folklore
After World War II the city was given imported general purpose vehicles known as Jeeps so that they may be used for the difficult paths. However, it has been adopted into a tradition known as the Yipao (Parade of Jeeps). The Tipao, the theatrical Castañeda family parade, the beauty pageants known as Chapoleras (Coffee harvesting Girls) in typical costumes, and the popular dances, such as machete dances, are widely known in the entire country and are a tourist attraction.
[edit] Recent History
In January 25 1999, at 1:19 P.M., the city was devastated by a 6.2 earthquake on the Richter Scale. The earthquake caused extensive damage to the city mainly because of the poor construction codes and the aging buildings. The earthquake claimed several thousand lives and left over 200,000 people homeless. Since then, international aid has helped rebuild and expand the city: Numerous new government buildings and highways have been constructed.
It is estimated that a large earthquake, approximately 6-7 in magnitude, will hit this area every 20 years due to high seismic activity.
[edit] Education and Sports
Armenia has several universities, the primary ones being the University of Gran Colombia and the University of Quindio. Local sporting events include national and international soccer tournaments, bullfighting, golf, swimming and cycling. The mountainous area surrounding Armenia has helped create some of the greatest climbing cyclists in the world, many of whom compete internationally in events such as the Tour de France[citation needed].
[edit] Media
- Newspaper: La Crónica del Quindío
- Television: Telecafé
[edit] References
- Rendell, M.: Kings of the Mountains: How Colombia's Cycling Heroes Changed Their Nation's History, Aurum Press Ltd. 2003
[edit] External links
[edit] Gallery
 Armenia view |
 Soledad (Bird of loneliness) Blue-crowned Motmot as seen in a public park. Armenia Downtown |
 Old train station |
| Municipalities of the department of Quindío , Colombia | |||||||
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