Suba (Bogotá)

Suba
Locality of Bogotá
Location of the locality in the city of Bogotá
Location of the locality in the Capital District of Bogotá
Country	Colombia
City	Bogotá D.C.
Area
• Total	100.56 km2 (38.83 sq mi)
Elevation	2,600 m (8,500 ft)
Population (2007)
• Total	981,613
• Density	9,800/km2 (25,000/sq mi)
Time zone	Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5)
Website	Official website

Suba is the 11th locality of the Capital District of the Colombian capital city, Bogotá. Suba is located north of the city, limiting to the north with the municipality of Chía in Cundinamarca Department, to the west with the municipality of Cota, to the east with the locality of Usaquén and to the south with the locality of Engativá.

Etymology

Suba is either derived from the Chibcha contraction Suba meaning "Flower of the Sun" (uba = "fruit" or "flower", sua = "Sun", minus its last vowel, making it a possessive) or from the words sua (Sun) and sie (water).

Geography

View of the Hills of Suba, Bogotá

Suba has certain green areas mostly concentrated to the west of the locality, on the Hills of Suba and the Hills of La Conejera as well as the plains where urbanization has developed. Suba has become a residential area with small industrial and commercial zones located to the south of the locality. It is also crossed by a small mountain range that includes the hills of Suba and La Conejera separating Suba in two areas; the eastern side being more integrated to the urban area of Bogota.

The locality borders specifically to the north with the Bogotá River and the 220th Street and the municipality of Chia. To the south with the Juan Amarillo River and the 100th Street and the localities of Engativá and Barrios Unidos. To the east with the Autopista Norte and the locality of Usaquén and to the west again with the Bogotá river and the municipality of Cota.

Besides the Bogota and Juan Amarillo rivers the locality of Suba is covered by other streams and wetlands like the Torca wetland, Guaymaral, La Conejera, Cordoba and the Tibabuyes Lagoon.

Transport

See also: Transmilenio

The Suba Avenue is the main road of Suba and the one that connects eastern with western Suba. Other major streets include the City of Cali Avenue to the west and the Autopista Norte to the east.

Since April 29, 2006 the mass-transit system TransMilenio covers the area throughout the Autopista Norte with its "B Line"; Portal del Norte, Toberín, Cardio Infantil, Mazurén, Calle 146, Calle 142, Alcalá, Prado, Calle 127, Pepe Sierra, Calle 106 and Avenida Suba with its "C Line"; Portal de Suba, La Campiña, Suba-Transversal 91, 21 Ángeles, Gratamira, Suba-Boyacá Avenue, Niza Calle 127, Humedal Córdoba, Shaio, Puente Largo, Suba Calle 100, Suba Calle 95, Rionegro and San Martín.

Other avenues like Boyaca Avenue, Ciudad de Cali Avenue, 134th and 170th Street are still covered by regular bus companies. There is also an inter-municipal highway that connects the locality of Suba with the municipality of Cota in Cundinamarca Department.

Economy

The main economic activity of Suba relies in the cultivation of export quality flowers, services and commerce, specially of large shopping centers like Bulevar Niza, Centro Suba, Plaza Imperial and Centro Comercial Santa Fe.

Territorial subdivision

Suba is formed by a Regional Forest Reserrve Zone called La Conejera located to on the western side of the locality and 12 Units of Zone Planning (Unidades de Planeamiento Zonal, UPZ) which are: La Academia, Guaymaral, San José de Bavaria, Britalia, El Prado, La Alhambra, La Floresta, Niza, Casablanca, Suba centro, El Rincón and Tibabuyes.

History

Main article: History of Bogotá

In the last ice age the climate in the region of Suba was of a páramo and andean forest. Since 10,500 BC groups of humans inhabited the area and practiced hunting and gathering. Since 3500 BC these hunters and gatherers began to domesticate animals, cultivate and create arts and crafts. By 500 BC maize and potato were predominantly cultivated and by the year 800 the Muiscas as culture inhabited the area. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, in 1538 the Muiscas were preserved in a Resguardo located in the area of Suba. In 1550 Antonio Días Cardoso and Hernán Camilo Monsilva founded the village of Suba.

On June 22, 1850 the Resguardo of the Muiscas in Suba was closed and the indigenous peoples forced away from the urban areas. This process continued until the year 1877.

On November 16, 1875 Suba was then declared a territory free of indigenous peoples and became a satellite municipality of Bogota. It became a municipality by decree during the Sovereign State of Cundinamarca. The rural area then was divided into landlords and peasants.

In 1954 the municipality was formally annexed to the "Special District of Bogotá" during the dictatorship of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla while still keeping its municipality status. In 1977 became a minor cityhall of Bogota and in 1991 was elevated to a locality of the renamed Capital District.

In 1990 the indigenous peoples of Suba and their towns were legally recognized by the government and ratified in the Colombian Constitution of 1991. In 1992 and 2001 the Cabildo Muisca of Suba and the Cabildo Muisca of Bosa respectively were legally recognized in an official ceremony with the participation of the then Mayor of Bogotá Antanas Mockus as estipulated in the Law 89 of 1890 and after more than a century without legal existence, it was also ratified in 2005.ratificado

Indigenous population

According to the numbers provided by the respective Cabildos, the Muisca population of Suba is estimated to be of 5186 people. The following are the indigenous last names with their origin in Suba: Niviayo, Bulla, Cabiativa, Caita, Nivia, Chisaba, Muzuzu, Neuque, Yopasá, Quinche.

Sites of interest

• Hills of Suba and La Conejera
• Wetlands of Córdoba, Juan Amarillo and La Conejera
• Headquarters of the Indigenous peoples Cabildo
• Central Park of Suba
• Viewpoint of Los Nevados

Neighbourhoods and veredas

Southeastern neighborhoods

The southeastern zone includes the sectors of Niza, Las Villas and Bulevar. The neighborhoods of Andes, La Floresta, Puente Largo, Pontevedra, Santa Rosa, San Nicolás, Morato, La Alhambra, Malibú, Recreo de los Frayles, Batán, Niza, Córdoba, Las Villas, Calatrava, Casablanca, Colina Campestre, Prado Veraniego and Mazurén.

Northeastern neighborhoods

The northeastern zone includes the neighborhoods of San José de Bavaria, Del Monte, Granada Norte, Villa del Prado, Nueva Zelandia, Santa Catalina, Mirandela, Vilanova, Guicaní and San Pedro.

Southwestern neighborhoods

The southwestern neighborhoods includes the sector of main Suba; The neighborhoods of Suba, La Campiña, Pinares, Tuna baja, La pradera, Nuevo Suba, Aures 1 and Aures 2, Alcaparros, Cataluña, Costa Azul, Lagos de Suba, Corinto, El Laguito Villa Maria, La Chucua Norte, El Rosal de Suba, El Rincón, El Rubí, Bilbao, fontanar del río, La Gaitana, Tibabuyes, Lisboa, Berlín y Villa Cindy, Sabana de Tibabuyes.

Northwestern neighbourhoods

To the north there is the sector of Guaymaral, to the northeast La Academia and to the west the sector of Corpas which has a Clinic of the same name. This also includes the numerous veredas where the export quality flowers are cultivated primarily on the highway to the town of Cota, near the Marshall Sucre Military School (Spanish: Colegio Militar Mariscal Sucre).

References

• (Spanish) National University of Colombia; Suba
• (Spanish) Neighborhood Information Unit of Suba

External links

• Northwest Bogotá travel guide from Wikivoyage
• (Spanish) Secretary of District Government; Suba
• (Spanish) Colnodo; Suba
• (Spanish) Noticias desde los Barrios de Suba, Bogotá