This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) |
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Spanish. Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Bucaramanga | |
---|---|
Municipality and city | |
Bucaramanga skyline Casa de Bolívar Palace of Justice | |
Nicknames: La ciudad bonita (The Pretty City) La ciudad de los parques (City of Parks) | |
Motto: Montani semper liberi | |
Coordinates: 7°8′N 73°0′W / 7.133°N 73.000°W | |
Country | Colombia |
Region | Andean Region |
Department | Santander |
Foundation | 22 December 1622 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Jaime Andrés Beltrán (Movimiento 'Ciudadanos Libres') |
Area | |
• Municipality and city | 152.9 km2 (59.0 sq mi) |
• City | 55.31 km2 (21.36 sq mi) |
Elevation | 959 m (3,146 ft) |
Population (2020 estimate)[2] | |
• Municipality and city | 607,428 |
• Density | 4,000/km2 (10,000/sq mi) |
• Urban | 893,040 |
• Metro | 1,304,288[1] |
• City | 597,316 |
• City density | 11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi) |
Demonym | Bumangués |
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) | |
• Year | 2023 |
• Total | $22.7 billion[3] |
Time zone | UTC-05 (Eastern Time Zone) |
Postal code | 680001-680011 |
Area code | 57 + 7 |
Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
Bucaramanga (Spanish pronunciation: [bukaɾaˈmaŋɡa]) is the capital and largest city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth-largest economy by GDP in Colombia, has the lowest unemployment rate and is the ninth most populous city in the country, with a population of 613,400 (2023 projection).[4] Bucaramanga has over 160 parks scattered throughout the city and has been given the nickname "La Ciudad de Los Parques" ("The City of Parks") and "La Ciudad Bonita de Colombia" ("Colombia's Beautiful City").
Bucaramanga has grown rapidly since the 1960s, mostly into neighbouring locations within the metropolitan area. Floridablanca, Girón and Piedecuesta are inextricably linked geographically and commercially with Bucaramanga, and now all form together the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Area with a population of 1,304,288.[1]
The city is the base of the Colombian Petroleum Institute (ICP),[5] the research branch of the state oil company Ecopetrol.