Santiago de Cali
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| Cali, Colombia | |||
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| Nickname: "La Sultana del Valle", "La Sucursal del Cielo" | |||
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| Region | Pacific Region (Colombia) | ||
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| Department | Valle del Cauca Department* | ||
| Foundation | July 25, 1536 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Not determined (Apolinar Salcedo was removed from his charge) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 4,977.96 km² (1,922 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2005)[1] | |||
| - City | 2,068,386 | ||
| - Density | 4,372/km² (11,323.4/sq mi) | ||
| * | |||
| Website: www.cali.gov.co |
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República de Colombia , Santiago de Cali (IPA: [san'tjaɰo ð̞e 'kali]), better known as Cali (IPA: ['kali]), is the main city and capital of the Valle del Cauca Department in western Colombia. It was founded July 25, 1536 by Spanish conqueror Sebastián de Belalcázar.
The name Santiago de Cali comes in one part to honour Saint James the apostle (Santiago in Spanish) whose feast day is celebrated on July 25. About the word Cali there are several opinions about its possible origin. Some attribute it to a mispronunciation of the word "Lili", the name of a local tribe. Others believe that the word "Cali" has quechua origin, and it was brought by the Yanaconas Indians that came from Quito serving Sebastián de Belalcázar. This theory is reinforced from the fact that near Quito there is an indigenous town named Cali Cali.
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[edit] Geography and climate
Cali is located on the Cauca Valley to the west of the Cauca River and to the east of the Western Mountain Range near the hills known as Farallones de Cali. The city rests approximately 1,000 meters (3,280 ft.) above sea level and its topography is fairly flat. Approximately 100 km west of Cali lies the port city of Buenaventura on the Colombian Pacific coast; to the northeast are the industrial town of Jumbo and the city of Palmira, where Cali's international airport, the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón (CLO), is located; the colonial city of Popayán is two hours south by car in the Cauca department.
Several rivers that descend from the Western Mountain Range and empty into the Cauca River pass through the metropolitan area of Cali. In the western part of the city the Aguacatal River flows into the Cali River, which continues on to the Cauca River. In the south the rivers Cañaveralejo, Lilí, and Meléndez flow into the CVC south channel which also empties into the Cauca River. Farther south, the banks of the Pance River are a popular place for recreation and leisure. And it is a very hot area.
The local climate is semi-tropical as the Western Mountain Range screens the flow of humidity from the Pacific coast toward the interior of the country. In the afternoons Cali enjoys a fresh cross breeze that originates in the west and blows east. The Western Mountain Range rises from an average of 2,000 meters above sea level in the northern part of the city to approximately 4,000 meters to the south. Because of this variation in altitude, the weather in the northwest portion of the city is drier than in the southwest. The average annual precipitation varies between 900 mm to 1,800 mm depending on the metropolitan zone for a citywide average of approximately 1,000 mm. Cali's average temperature is 24°C (74°F) with an average low temperature of 19°C (66°F) and a high of 30°C (86°F).
Due to its proximity to the equator there are no major seasonal variations. However, locals refer to the dry season as the city's "summer" period and call the rainy season "winter." There are typically two rainy seasons: from April to May and from October to November. Regardless, rain can be expected to fall at any point during the year nourishing the city's permanent green and lush vegetation.
[edit] History
[edit] Precolombian and conquest
Before the arrival of the Spaniards the actual region of Cali was inhabited by many indigenous tribes, mostly speakers of Cariban languages. On the region between the Cauca River and the Western Cordillera, the Gorrones were established between the actual Roldanillo and Cali; the biggest Morron's town was settled on the River Pescador near the actual towns of Zarzal and Bugalagrande. Although cannibals, the Morrones traded with the Quimbayas who inhabited the north of the Valle del Cauca.
On his way to Cali, Sebastián de Belalcázar first met the Timbas which ran away before the arrival of the Conqueror's men leaving behind their towns and gold. After the Timbas, towards the north, the Spaniards entered in the territory of the chief Jamundí and his tribe the Jamundíes between the rivers Pance and Jamundi. These Indians offered a strong resistance to the invaders, fighting with poisonous darts and arrows against the arquebuses and swords of the Spaniards. After taking Jamundíes' town the Spaniards looted the Indian's gold.
Before taking complete control over the region the Spaniards had to defeat the chief Petecuy, whose tribe inhabited between the river Lilí and the Western Cordillera. Petecuy formed a big army formed by many tribes and fought the Spaniards on the Holy Tuesday of 1536.
The Morrones gave up easily to the Spaniards and were divided in encomiendas. The already "mestizo" nature of the Spaniards made the process of mixing with the Amerindians easy. In fact, Belalcázar himself had several children born in the Americas from Indian mothers, as did his men.
Cali was important for Belalcazar because it was beyond the Inca empire. After the capture and execution of the Inca Atahualpa at Cajamarca, Francisco Pizarro had sent Belalcazar to take possession of Guayaquil and Quito on his behalf. Cali, being beyond the Quechua empire, was claimed by Belalcazar as his own territory. After his death, his descendants maintained possession of much of the land until the war of independence against Spain.
[edit] Founding and colonial period
The founder of Cali, Sebastián de Belalcázar, came to the American continent in the third voyage made by Columbus in 1498. In 1532, after serving in Darién and Nicaragua, he joined Francisco Pizarro in the conquest of Perú. In 1534 Belalcázar separated from Pizarro's expedition to found the city of Quito, and later in his search of El Dorado he entered the actual Colombian territory founding the cities of Pasto and Popayán.
On July 25, 1536, Belalcázar founded Santiago de Cali, first established a few miles north of the present location, near the actual towns of Vijes and Riofrio. Under the orders of Belalcázar, captain Miguel Muñoz moved the city to its present location in 1537, where the chaplain Brother Santos de Añasco celebrated a mass in the place occupied by the Church La Merced today, and Belalcázar designated Pedro de Ayala as the first municipal authority.
During the Colonia (colonial period), Santiago de Cali was part of the gobernación of Popayán, which was part of Quito's Audiencia. Although initially Cali was the capital of Popayán's Gobernación, in 1540 Belalcázar moved this function to Popayán due to better weather.
Until the 18th century most of the territory of what is now Cali was occupied by haciendas (ranches), and the city was only a small town near the Cali River. In 1793, Cali had 6,548 inhabitants, 1,106 of whom were slaves. The haciendas were the property of the dominant noble class with many slaves dedicated mostly to stockbreeding and raising sugar cane crops. Many of these haciendas became neighborhoods of the present city like Cañaveralejo, Chipichape, Pasoancho, Arroyohondo, Cañasgordas, Limonar, and Meléndez.
Cali was strategically positioned for trade, centrally located in relation to the mining regions of Antioquia, Chocó, and Popayán. In the colonial period, the first trail for mules and horses between Cali and Buenaventura was completed.
[edit] Independence
On July 3, 1810 Santiago de Cali proclaimed its independence from Popayán's Gobernación. This local uprising predates the national one in Bogotá by 17 days. Soon the local militia looked for allies forming the "Ciudades Confederadas del Valle del Cauca" with Anserma, Cartago, Toro, Buga and Caloto. Immediately after the rebellion the Governor of Popayán, Miguel Tacón y Rosique, organized an army to control the uprising. The people from Cali called for help to the "Junta Suprema" in Bogotá which sent a contingent under colonel Antonio Baraya to support the independence cause. On the 28 March 1811 in the battle of Bajo Palacé the Army of Baraya defeated the royalist army with the help of Atanacio Girardot.
In the following years there were many battles between royalists and local militia. After having been released from captivity by Napoleon, King Fernando VII of Spain sent a large army under the command of the Pacificador (peacemaker) Pablo Morillo who reclaimed power for Spain.
In 1819 after Simón Bolívar defeated the bulk of the Spaniard army in the Batalla de Boyacá, there were new uprisings in the Valle del Cauca and the Criollos took control permanently. In 1822 Bolívar arrived in Cali. The city was an important military outpost and the region contributed many men to the war of independence that liberated the nations in the south.
[edit] Politics
Cali is governed by a mayor elected for a three year term. Under the mayor there are several administrative departments and secretaries.
The legislative branch is a city council whose members are elected by citywide circumscription for four year terms.
The first elected mayor was Carlos Holmes Trujillo from the liberal party. The current mayor is Apolinar Salcedo who is blind and a former member of the city's council.
[edit] Transportation
Cali has started building a massive transportation system, (MIO) (Masivo Integrado de Occidente) which consists of special buses and bus routes. This system is highly needed to organize the transport in the City. It should start operating in 2007. Currently people commute in the city using an intricate and disorganized network of buses with many routes and names.
Cali is served by the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), which serves as an important national and international hub for the southwestern Colombia region. Its international terminal is served with daily international flights to and from Houston, Miami, Quito, Madrid, Panama City and other important cities.
[edit] Education
The most important higher education institution is the Universidad del Valle (Valle State University), or Univalle, which was founded in 1945; with more than 20,000 students distributed in its schools and departments, Univalle is the only institution offering a wide variety of academic programs in the region. It stands out because of the developments in the areas of scientific and applied technological research. The Universidad Santiago de Cali is another academic center with a considerable number of schools and departments. Other important universities, offering academic programs are Universidad Autónoma de occidente, Universidad Javeriana, Universidad ICESI, Universidad Libre, and Universidad San Buenaventura.
[edit] Cultural activities
[edit] Feria de Cali
"La Feria de Cali" the main feria in Colombia and America, is the main cultural event in the city. From December 25 to December 31 people enjoy of many activities like an opening cabalgata (parade of horseback riders), tascas, salsa concerts, bullfightings, parades, and athletic activities and competitions.
Cali is also known as the "Capital de la Salsa" given the city's infatuation with that type of Afro-Caribbean music. In early July there is the Summer Salsa Festival which lasts for one week. It usually includes concerts by the world's great remaining salsa bands as well as dance shows and "melomano" competitions in which salsa connoisseurs try to out do each other by digging deep into the archives of salsa music and related sounds to find and reveal long lost tunes.
[edit] Rio Cali race
Cali has two main athletic events, a mid-year half marathon [2] and a December 10k race called Carrera del Río Cali.
[edit] Sports
- Cali is known as the Colombia's sports capital.
- Cali's best known and most popular sports clubs are América de Cali and Deportivo Cali football (soccer) teams.
- Cali hosted the 1971 Pan American Games.
- Cali hosted the 1975 Fina World Championships
[edit] Places of interest
- Plaza de Caicedo: The main square in the city in downtown.
- La Ermita: Gothic-style church located in the downtown area and a well-known tourist destination. It was built in 1678 and then renovated in 1930.
- La Tertulia: Museum of modern art.
- Museo Arqueológico La Merced: Colonial-type church, with an archaeological museum displaying items from ancient cultures which inhabited the region in pre-Columbian times.
- Torre Mudéjar: This tower and the little church that it is part of are the best preserved genuine sample in South America of the moorish-influenced architecture brought from Spain before the XVII century. It is part of the Franciscan complex in downtown Cali,
- Museo del Oro del Banco de la República: Museum containing archaeological exhibits of pre-Columbian cultures which existed in the region.
- Zoo: Considered the best in Colombia and one of the best in Latin America for its great variety of species. [3]
- Cerro de las Tres Cruces: A hill embellished with three big crosses from which the whole city is visible.
- Estatua de Belalcazar: Great view of the downtown area at the feet of the statue of the founding father.
- Iglesia de San Antonio: Colonial-type church at the top of a hill. Another great view of the downtown area.
- Loma de La Cruz: Best place to find inexpensive crafts.
- La Gruta: Hip downtown hangout where young people go to have fun.
- Cerro de Cristo Rey: Another hill embellished with a large statue of Jesus Christ.Best view of the city.
- Canchas Panamericanas: Sports Complex that includes the Pascual Guerrero stadium, Evangelista Mora Gym, many sporting fields, pools and so forth. Is also widely known for a common iced drink (Cholado) sold here.
- Pance: Extended rural zone south of the city frequently visited for leisure purposes, surrounded by plentiful vegetation and irrigated by the Pance river.
- El Topacio: for camping in contact with nature, a good hiking to Pico de Loro, and beautiful waterfalls.
- Parque Natural Los Farallones: with a top altitude of 4,000 meters is an outdoors activity for the more expirienced hikers. The view of the city, the Central cordillera, the Choco jungle, and the Pacific Ocean is amazing.
- Paramo de las Hermosas: enjoy this unique Andean landscape, full of frailejón and small lakes.
- Plaza de Toros: The city's bullfighting arena. Only active in December during the "Feria de Cali" festival.
[edit] External links
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Santiago de Cali travel guide from Wikitravel
- Gobernación del Valle del Cauca
- Universidad del Valle
- Universidad Santiago de Cali
- Universidad San Buenaventura
- Universidad Autónoma de Occidente
- Universidad ICESI
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana - Cali
- El País newspaper
- Occidente free newspaper
- [4] - PDF file in Spanish
| Pan American Games host cities |
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1951: Buenos Aires • 1955: Mexico City • 1959: Chicago • 1963: São Paulo • 1967: Winnipeg • 1971: Cali • 1975: Mexico City • 1979: San Juan • 1983: Caracas • 1987: Indianapolis • 1991: Havana • 1995: Mar del Plata • 1999: Winnipeg • 2003: Santo Domingo • 2007: Rio de Janeiro • 2011: Guadalajara • |
