Florencia (, ) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

and the capital city of the Department of Caquetá,

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

. It is the most populous city in the Amazon Region of Colombia. It lies on the Orteguaza River which flows into the Caqueta River. Its population is 177,946 in 2023.

Etymology

The name of the city pays homage to an Italian businessman dedicated to the rubber trade, Paolo Ricci, from the city of

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

History

The area where Florencia is located was inhabited by tribes of the Andaquí ethnic group. The territory where the city is located was also inhabited by Witoto and tribes. In 1542, the territory was explored for the first time by the Spanish conquistador, Hernán Pérez de Quesada. Florencia was founded on December 25, 1902 by Capuchin Friar Doroteo De Pupiales (1876-1959) Born in Pupiales, Nariño,

. Rubber plantations around several areas of what is now known as the department of Caqueta encouraged the creation of the city next to the . The city became an important site after the creation of the trail between the settlement and the town of Guadalupe in what is now the department of Huila.

Geography

Florencia is located at the foot of the Cordillera Oriental mountain range. The municipality of Florencia limits to the north with the Huila Department and the municipality of El Paujil, to the east with the municipalities of El Paujil and La Montañita, to the south with the municipalities of Milán and

Morelia Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid; Otomi language, Otomi: ) is a city and municipal seat of the municipalities of Mexico, municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. It is both th ...

, and to the west with the municipality of Belén de Andaquies and the Huila Department.

Climate

Florencia has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Af''), and experiences significant rainfall during the course of the year. There is still a large amount of rainfall, even in the driest month. The average temperature in Florencia is . In Florencia, January is the driest month, while June tends to be the wettest month. About of rain falls annually during the year.

Economy

According to a report of the first half of 2022 by the MinCIT, the main economic activities of the city were Trade and repair of vehicles with 22.6%, followed by Public Administration and Defense with 18.8% and third, Artistic Activities with 10.9%.

Heritage Sites

* El Encanto Petroglyphs: These petroglyphs are located to the left of the Hacha River near Barrio Torasso. The engravings are approximately 16 meters long. They were first described by archaeologist Eliécer Silva Celis in 1963. Among the petroglyphs are Zoomorphic and Human figures. * Curiplaya Building: A historic building of colonial architecture built in the 1950s. This building served as a hotel, currently it houses some cultural entities of the municipality and the department. In addition it is the headquarters of the Palace of Culture and Fine Arts of the Amazon (Spanish: ''Palacio de la Cultura y Bellas Artes de la Amazonía''). The building was declared a national cultural property in 2000 by the Colombian Ministry of Culture. The name "Curiplaya" means "Golden Beach" in the Witoto language.

References

External links

*
Alcaldía Municipal de Florencia en Caquetá
*
Florencia official website
*
Government of Caqueta; Florencia

Portal Positivo del Caquetá

Clasificados del Caquetá
{{DEFAULTSORT:Florencia, Caqueta Municipalities of Caquetá Department Capitals of Colombian departments