Pereira

Pereira is the capital of Risaralda department. It is in the coffee zone of Colombia. In 2005 there were 454,000 people in the city.

History

The history of the town dates from the pre Columbian era. The area that now comprises the city was inhabited by tribes of Quimbaya and Pijao. In this region, Marshal Jorge Robledo founded the city of Carthage on August 9, 1540. In 1961, the city moved to where it now lies. Much later, in 1816 found the brothers Jose and Francisco Manuel Pereira shelter in the region after the defeat of Simon Bolivar and his army at the Battle of Cachirí. Francisco Martinez Pereira wanted to found a city on the land, which had protected him and his brother from the hands of the Spaniards. On August 24, 1863, four days after his death, departed priest Antonio Remigio Cañarte as head of a caravan from Cartago. He founded the city of Pereira to 30 augustus1863 on the site of the current "Plaza de Bolivar".
In the time settlers from Antioquia occupied the area and settled in the city, which is created by the growth of ambitious village. Pereira was especially favored by its economically strategic location, fertile soil and good weather. The settlers grew large quantities of high quality coffee in the mineral rich volcanic soil of the Andes. It is still the main crop produced in the area.
During the economic recession of 1999, and the low growth in the years 2000 and 2001, many residents migrated to the United States and Spain. Some special districts, such as the district with the name Cuba is assumed to average at least one family member living abroad.