Medellín Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Medellín

City

Municipio de Medellín

Flag

Seal

Location of the city (in dark gray) and municipality (red) of Medellín in Antioquia Department

Country

Colombia

Department

Antioquia

Founded

1616

Area

• City

380 km² (150 sq mi)

• Metro

1,152 km² (445 sq mi)

Elevation

1,495 m (4,905 ft)

Population

(2005)

• City

2.343.101 hab (ranked 2nd)

• Density

6.925/km² (17.94/sq mi)

• Metro

3.333.970 hab

Time zone

UTC-5

HDI (2006)

0.808 – high

Website

Government of Medellín official website: http://www.medellin.gov.co/

Medellín (pronounced or Spanish: or) is the capital city in the Metropolitan Area of Medellín of the Antioquia Department, Colombia. It was founded in 1616 by Francisco Herrera y Campuzano. As of 2006, the municipality of Medellín had a population of 2.4 million inhabitants. This makes it the second most populated city in Colombia after Bogotá. Medellín also is the core of the Valle de Aburrá (Aburrá Valley) metropolitan area. This is the second largest metropolitan area in Colombia, with more than 3.8 million inhabitants, and a leading and productive industrial and urban center.

The city's major problem is unemployment. Many other Colombian cities also have this problem. People from Antioquia and especially from Medellín are called Paisas although the Paisas are people from the departments of Antioquia, Risaralda, Caldas and Quindío.

Images for kids

Spanish conquistador Marshal Jorge Robledo
Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellín
Map of Medellín in 1791
San Ignacio Church, an example of colonial architecture in Colombia
Coltejer Building, the tallest building in Medellín.
El Poblado, a wealthy southern district, is one of Colombia's most important urban and economic centers
View of Medellín at night
Corregimientos (townships, rural areas) of Medellín
Headquarters of Bancolombia, the largest commercial bank in Colombia and one of the largest in Latin America, in Medellín
Former headquarters of Argos Company, the first cement industrial group of Colombia
Spain Library, located in the 1st commune
León de Greiff Library
Point Zero Bridge, decorated with a plumb-bob, symbolizes the center of the city.
The Church of the Veracruz remains, but with many transformations, from the end of the colonial period.
Plaza Cisneros
Engineering School, National University of Colombia
Central Library of Pontifical Bolivarian University
José María Córdova International Airport
Medellín Metro is the only metro system in Colombia.
Western Tunnel, the longest and most modern tunnel in Latin America
Medellín's Metrocable at Santo Domingo Savio station
Trams returned in Medellin in 2015 after an absence of 64 years.
Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture
Monumento a la Raza, by Rodrigo Arenas Betancur. It is located in La Alpujarra Administrative Center.
Plaza Botero, in the background the Museum of Antioquia
Christmas Lighting on La Playa Avenue in 2011
An example of a silleta at the Festival of the Flowers
Museum El Castillo
Tomb of Saint Laura Montoya Upegui
San Pedro Cemetery Museum
Bandeja paisa is the representative food of Medellín and Antioquia.
Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex
Coat of Arms of Medellín in 1678
Wishes Park
Botero Plaza
Parque Lleras
Bolívar Park
Bicentennial Park
Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria
San Ignacio Square
Downtown Medellín
Pilot Public Library
Christmas lights at Nutibara Hill
Botanical Garden of Medellín
Paraninfo University of Antioquia
Antique Railway Station
Metrocable
International Center of Business CIC
Metropolitan Theatre
Barefoot Park
Estadio station
EAFIT University
Headquarters of Hewlett-Packard in Route N

Medellín facts for kids

Images for kids

See also