This document provides information about the city of Florencia, Colombia. It discusses the city's founding, population, location, borders, indigenous population, water resources, recreational areas, buildings, festivals, sports, main square, church, market, monuments, cultural activities, landscape, economy, and agriculture. The overall purpose is to describe important aspects of Florencia's culture and identity to both locals and outsiders.

1. Florencia Caquetá
Amazon Nature
of Colombia
Cultural Identity
By Erika Julieth Páez
Sánchez

2. Justification
I worked in this project because I think that it
is really important and interesting to explore
the cultural expresions of our town, and to
describe the most important things of our
region that are concentrated in the Capital
“Florencia”.
Also, because I considered a good oportunity
for me as habitant of Florencia, to show
these beatiful things and at the same time to
enrich my Cultural Identity.

3. Objective
Mainly, for the people from Florencia;
however this proyect is for all the people
who want to know about our city.
My main objective with this project is the
people know and remember important
things, for instance: the exotic beauty, the
amazon richness and the turistic and cultural
aspects that characterized our city, known
as “amazon paradise”.
With the firm intention of strengthening the
cultural identity, because I do believe it is,
one of the most important aspect of an
inhabitant, of any city.

4. Florencia Caquetá
There are two hypotheses on the origin of
the name of the city: the first one has to do
with the amount of flowers that adorned the
fields when the pioners arrived and the
second one is related to the Italian city in
which the arts and sciences flourished during
the Renaissance.
The capital of Caquetá is known as “Puerta
de Oro de la Amazonía” because it is an
ideal place to access to the land of tropical
forests in the Amazonian tributaries.

5. Its founding is attributed to Franciscan
Doroteo de Pupiales on December 25, 1902.
Its population is about 150.000 inhabitants
whose activities are trading, small industries,
livestock, agriculture and public sector jobs.
It is located at 1°37’03” west longitude, 563
km far from Bogotá. It has an average height
of 242m above sea level, an average
temperature of 24°C and an annual rainfall
of 3,840mm.
It borders, at North on Huila and La
Montañita, at South on Milán and Morelia,
at East on La Montañita and at west on
Belén de los Andaquíes.

6. The indigenous population, from the ethnic
group Embera, lives in rural areas on two
settlements: the first one, located in
Honduras shelter with 114 people and the
second one, the settlement of San Pablo del
Pará, with 32 people. In the urban area there
are also indigenous people, 33 Emberas live
in Las Malvinas neighborhood.
Water resources are abundant in the
foothills. Florencia has one of the highest
rainwater resources with approx. 65 L/Km2.
The main rivers in the municipality are: San
Pedro, Orteguaza, Hacha, Bodoquero; these
rivers are navigable although in recent years
have lost flow, depth purity and fishing
wealth due to indiscriminate tree felling,
pollution and uncontrolled fishing. Hacha

7. river is considered as the most important
since it provides the city with water and
offers recreational spaces.
Villa Martha is a recreational zone that
draws visitors´attention because of its fresh
and crystal water and natural pools formed
at the bottom of the waterfalls. It is located
on the road to Huila.
Santo Domingo bullring is located just 10
minutes away from the capital city on the
road leading to the South of the department.
The Indian Museum preserves and shows
representative testimonies of former and
current ethnicities that make part of the
identity of the deparment, there is also a
complete sample of local crafts.

8. “Los Colonos” and the monument to the
“Manigua”, made by Emiro Garzón, evoke
the pioneer and rainforest “madre de la
soledad y esposa de la neblina” (mother of
loneliness and wife of the fog).
Parks and squares are important meeting
points to the people in this city. Some of
them are: Pizarro square, which is
surrounded by the most important economic
activities, some time ago it was named
Santander park, and San Francisco square,
where it is located near to the Catedral of
Nuestra Señora de Lourdes.
According to legal resolution N 1752 of
December 6, 2000, the oldest building
“Curiplaya” was declared as a cultural

9. wealth of national character, under the
parameters of authenticity and originality.
People celebrate some festivities such as San
Pedro, Bambuco contest and Festival por la
Paz. San Pedro festivities from a cultural
artistic and musical tradition. El colono de
Oro takes place during this holiday as well.
This events brings together various
communities and the Agricultural and
Livestock Fair are carried out.
In Florencia sports are promoted as activities
that stimulates the highest values of the
individual.
Soccer, basketball and volleyball are usually
activities practiced by the local youth and for
many people in our city.

11. Pizarro square
Surrounded by the traditional mango tree,
the Pizarro Square, the city´s Main Square, is
an unavoidable point of reference for people
from Florencia. There, people can enjoy
gathering with friends, one of the greatest
pleasures offered by warm people.

12. Official Buildings
Alcaldía and
Gobernación

13. “Nuestra Señora de Lourdes” church, located
in the downtown, is the “axis mundi” of
Florencia. It aims at heaven and her and, for
the same purpose, the catholic population in
the city.
“Nuestra Señora de Lourdes” depository of
faith and gathering of the locals.

14. Main Market place“La
Concordia”

15. “Los Colonos” monument
The relationship between
man and nature is a
fundamental pillar in the
development of mankind,
especially in Florencia,
where the potential is

16. based on the great
biodiversity and quality of
its people. These reasons
make the public investment
be aimed at the
improvement of its
habitants´ qualities.
The Caqueteño landscape sets a charming
and pleasure whole in the midst of heaven,
flora and mountain chain. We offer the
magical experience of knowing and enjoying
the contact with the Amazon nature in its
entire splendor.

20. Te

21. Cultural Activities

25. The famous
“Colombian chiva”
Decorated by people from Florencia
with characteristic products of our
region.

26. Indigenous people of our
region

28. In most of the cases, the
economy is based on
agricultural production,
forest and fishing
exploitation, commercial
activities and service
rendering.
Farming consists of
livestock production and
agriculture

32. Agricultural activity is specially based on
traditional crops, obtained without
techniques just with the knowledge that
its habitants possess, its purpose is the
sustenance of region´s inhabitants.

33. Welcome to Florencia…
You are invited to enjoy life
in this fabulous city.