Bogota – officially called Bogata, D.C. (D.C for “Distrito Capital”, which means “Capital District”) also called Santa Fe de Bogota and nicknamed “Athens of Latin America” - is the caiptal of Colombia as well as the largest and most populous city in the country.

General climate of the city and the best time to visit

The average temperature is 14.0°C, varying from -8°C to 20°C. Dry and rainy season alternate throughout the year. The driest months are December, January, February and March; the rainiest months are April, May, September, October and November. June and July are usually the rainy periods and August is sunny with high winds. Frost usually occurs in dry season when the temperature falls below 0°C. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -8°C inside the city and -10°C in the nearby towns. The climatic conditions are irregular and quite variable due to the El Nino and El Nina - climatic phenomena, which occurs in and around the Pacific basin and is responsible for pronounced climatic changes.

The best time to visit Bogota is January, February, March and August. But those who love rain they can venture in the months of June and July. For snow lovers December, January, February are the best time to visit.

Area and location

Located in the center of the country, on the eastern side of the “sabana de Bogota”, Bogota is 2640m (8661 feet) above the sea level. Although popularly called “sabana”, literally “savanna” is actually a high plateau in the Andes mountain. The ' sabana' is bordered in the east by the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes mountain range. The surrounding hills that limits the growth of the city runs from south to north parallel to the Guadalupe and Monserrate mountains. The western limit is the Bogota river, Sumapaz paramo borders the south and the north Bogota extends over the plateau to the towns of Chia and Sopo.
The city has a total area of 1,587 sq km or 612.74 sq. miles.

Bogota delicacies

In Bogota and the Andean region, ajiaco is the traditional dish. It is a type of soup made of chicken, potatoes, and flavored with a locally grown herb called “guasca”. Traditionally, cream and capers are added just before eating. Both the soups are served with rice, salads with a hint of lemon, avocado, or plantain chips, sweet or salty. For breakfast people often have changua, a typical breakfast of Colombia that includes milk with eggs, scallion and egg soup. Some of the common beverages of Bogota are:

• Aguapanela:
  To make this drink one dissolves the panela (a kind of sugarloaf) in water. Lime juice is added sometimes. It's usual to put cheese inside and let it melt.

• Aguardiente:
  An alcoholic drink mostly used in Colombian parties. It is a variation of the Spanish drink “Anis”.

• Chicha:
  Formerly a strong forbidden alcoholic beverage which can be done with virtually everything, corn being the most typical ingredient.

• Malta:
  Is a common non–alcoholic beverage of Colombia with a molasses flavor.

• Soda:
  Soda of Colombia has a characteristic flavor of a creme soda with a characteristic orange color.

• Salpicon:
  Chopped fruits are mixed with soda known as salpicon and is served either with meal or as a snacks.

• Panela:
  Unrefined brown sugar.

• Bocadilo:
  A soft guava paste.

• Cocodas:
  Is a dessert made up of coconut, pineapple, brown sugar and other tropical fruits common in the coastal region.

• Merengue:
  Includes fruits or other sweets from strawberries to even chocolate chips.

• Algodon de Azucar:
  A type of cotton candy.

• Bolis:
  Flavored water on ice.

• Bunuelos a slightly sweet bread despite being cheese bread.
  
  
• Pandeyuca baked cheese bread made with yucca flour.

The Bogota Municipal Government operates under a borough council, consisting of a Mayor and six council persons elected at large by the town citizens. The Mayor is elected to serve a four year term and he can be re – elected. The Mayor is empowered as head of the municipal government to look for the proper execution of local and state laws. Although the Mayor presides over meeting of the borough council, the Mayor votes only in case of a tie. State law requires the Mayor to be a member of the Planning Board and Board of Trustees of the Municipal Public Library. The council members are elected at large for a term of three years two each year. During the month of January the organization meeting is held at the Borough hall.

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