| Ibagué | |||
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| Nickname(s): Musical city of Colombia | |||
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  Ibagué
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| Coordinates: 4°26′N 75°14′W / 4.433°N 75.233°W | |||
| Country |  Colombia |
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| Region | Andean Region | ||
| Department | Department of Tolima | ||
| Foundation | October 14, 1550 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Jesús María Botero Gutiérrez | ||
| Area | |||
| - Municipality | 1,498 km2 (578.4 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 1,285 m (4,216 ft) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - Municipality | 498,401 | ||
| - Urban | 468,647 | ||
| Time zone | Eastern Time Zone (UTC-5) | ||
| Website | www.alcaldiadeibague.gov.co | ||
Ibagué is the capital of the department of Tolima in Colombia. It is situated 1,285 m (4,216 ft) above sea level, on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central between the Chipalo and Combeima rivers, tributaries of the Coello River. It is on the road from Bogotá to Cali near the high mountain pass known as "La Línea" ("The Line") which connects the interandean valleys of Magdalena and Cauca rivers; as a result, the city has become an important commercial center and road transport hub. The fertile surrounding countryside produces coffee, cacao, tobacco, sugarcane, and rice. Ibagué is widely regarded as the "Musical City of Colombia" due to its long tradition in offering advanced musical education and its rich schedule of musical events during the year.
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History
Ibagué was founded by Spaniard Andrés López de Galarza on October 14, 1550 as "Villa de San Bonifacio de Ibagué del Valle de las Lanzas" ("Town of Saint Boniface of Ibagué of the Valley of the Spears") in the place where today is located the urban area of the neighbouring municipality of Cajamarca, which lies 42 km to the west of the modern city of Ibagué. Due to the frequent attacks by the indigenous Pijaos commanded by cacique Ibagué, the city was founded once more in its current location on February 7, 1551. From April to December 1854 Ibagué was briefly the capital of the New Granada following a coup d'etat promoted by José María Melo, a general and politician born in Chaparral, Tolima. In 1908, when the department of Tolima was created, Ibagué became its capital. Tolima University was founded in 1945, and was raised to state university status in 1954. The city is also the home of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ibagué.
Geography
Ibagué is located in the Colombian Andean region, in central Tolima department, surrounded by mountains in all sides, except for a plateau which extends to the east.
Climate
| Weather data for Ibague, Colombia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 28.3 (83) |
28.3 (83) |
28.3 (83) |
27.2 (81) |
27.2 (81) |
28.3 (83) |
29.4 (85) |
29.4 (85) |
28.9 (84) |
27.2 (81) |
26.7 (80) |
27.2 (81) |
28.1 (83) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18.3 (65) |
18.9 (66) |
18.9 (66) |
18.9 (66) |
18.9 (66) |
18.9 (66) |
18.3 (65) |
18.9 (66) |
18.9 (66) |
18.9 (66) |
18.3 (65) |
18.3 (65) |
18.7 (66) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 78.7 (3.1) |
96.5 (3.8) |
137.2 (5.4) |
193.0 (7.6) |
238.8 (9.4) |
119.4 (4.7) |
71.1 (2.8) |
99.1 (3.9) |
160.0 (6.3) |
231.1 (9.1) |
167.6 (6.6) |
114.3 (4.5) |
1,706.9 (67.2) |
| Source: The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc. July 2009 | |||||||||||||
Volcanism
Ibagué lies within the Andean Volcanic Belt. It has two active volcanoes in its immediate vicinity, the Nevado del Tolima, 28 km NW of the city, and the Cerro Machín, 17 km E of the city centre but still within the Municipality of Ibagué. The city is one access point to the Los Nevados National Park, the other being Manizales.
Cerro Machín has been dormant for the last 800 years, but recently seismological activity has been registered, causing several earthquakes. The volcano is classified as "III - Changes in behaviour of volcanic activity" by Ingeominas, the Colombian Institute for Geology and Mining.[1] A map of menaced areas has been published indicating that in case of an eruption the city of Ibagué would, despite its vicinity, not be affected.[2]
Demographics
The total population of the municipality of Ibagué (including urban and rural zones) is 498,401 inhabitants, of which 468,647 reside in the urban area.
Infrastucture
Transportation
Municipal transport is managed by several local bus companies that operate minibuses throughout the city and to neighbouring villages.
Ibagué lies at the intersection of national roads 40 and 43, connecting the city to Magdalena River Valley and Bogotá to the east, Armenia and the Valle del Cauca to the west, and Honda to the north. There is a long distance bus terminal with connections to most big cities in Colombia. There are frequent connections to Bogotá, Cali, Medellin, and several overnight buses to Cartagena, Barranquilla, and seasonal services to Santa Marta.
About 10 km east of the city lies Perales Airport which has several flights a day to Bogotá and Medellin.
Notable people
Ibagué is the birthplace of boxer Óscar Escandón singer Jairo Alberto Bocanegra Pena, soprano Patricia Caicedo and novelist James Cañón.
References
- ^ "Ingeominas" (in Spanish). Manizales, Colombia: Ingeominas. 01 August 2009. http://intranet.ingeominas.gov.co/manizales/Página_Principal. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ "Mapa de amenaza del Cerro Machín" (in Spanish). Manizales, Colombia: Ingeominas. 09 December 2008. http://intranet.ingeominas.gov.co/manizales/Mapa_de_Amenaza_del_Cerro_Machín. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
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