BOGOTá, CAPITAL DISTRICT

The 'Capital District of Bogotá', 'Bogotá, Capital District' or simply 'Bogotá DC' is a capital district, subdivision of Colombia and the Department of Cundinamarca where most of the Metropolitan Area of the Colombian capital city of Bogotá and surrounding areas are located. The district presents a diverse climate ranging from the lower and warm plains of Los Llanos to the higher snowy peaks of Sumapaz Snowy Mountain at 4,560 meters over sea level.
The Capital District is treated as a Department of Colombia also functioning as the Department capital for Cundinamarca Department while keeping its hierarchy; administrative and legislative autonomy only sharing the judicial jurisdiction. It is the only district of Colombia with these characteristics in comparison to other districts, which are only named as districts to denote a particular characteristic surrounding the urban area.

Contents

Organization

Subdivisions

History

External links

See also

Organization

The district is comformed by different levels of entities some centralized and some decentralized (with certain autonomy).

★ At a central level: the District Council of Bogotá (, legislative branch) and the Mayor of Bogotá (, executive branch).

★ At a local level: the Local Administrative Juntas (20 in total) and the local mayors, which conform the local "minor cityhalls" (Alcaldias menores). Each neighborhood in these district is governed by Communal Action Junta ().

Subdivisions

The district is subdivided into 20 localities, some part of the urban area and others in the rural area, or mixed. There are five zones within the urban area; the ciy of Bogotá, Usme's urban area and the corregimientos of San Juan de Sumapaz, Nazareth and Betania.
Mixed localities include Usaquén, Chapinero, Santafé, San Cristóbal, Usme, Ciudad Bolívar, Bosa, Fontibón, Engativá and Suba
Ciudad Bolívar, Bosa and Fontibón are rapidly becoming more urban. The most rural of all localities is Sumapaz with the exeption of three of its corregimientos.
Within the urban area of Bogotá are; La Candelaria, Barrios Unidos, Rafael Uribe Uribe, Antonio Nariño, Teusaquillo, Los Mártires, Tunjuelito, Kennedy and Puente Aranda.

History

Main articles: History of Bogotá

The Capital District of Bogotá was created as judicial entity in 1955 during the regime of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla when he anexed the metropolitan municipalities of Engativá (Fontibón was then part of Engativá), Suba, Usme, Usaquén and Bosa. It was originally named "Bogotá, Special District" () but was changed after the Colombian Constitution of 1991 which established a new "Territorial Ordinance Plan" ().

External links

★ Alcaldía de Bogotá

★ Información General sobre Bogotá

See also

★ Capital districts and territories