Pereira, Colombia
Pereira | |
|---|---|
City | |
From the top: Skyline, Naked Bolívar, Church Antonio Maria Claret and César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct | |
| Nickname(s): La Querendona, Trasnochadora y Morena | |
| Motto: Pereira con Vida (Spanish: Pereira with Life) | |
Location of the city and municipality of Pereira in Risaralda Department. | |
| Coordinates: 4°48′51.4″N 75°41′40.41″W / 4.814278°N 75.6945583°W | |
| Country | Colombia |
| Department | Risaralda |
| Region | Andean |
| Foundation | August 30, 1863 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mauricio Salazar Peláez (2024-2027) |
| Area | |
• City | 702 km2 (271 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 628 km2 (242 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,411 m (4,629 ft) |
| Population (2023, DANE) | |
• City | 481,768 |
| • Density | 690/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 735,796 |
| Demonym(s) | Pereiran, Pereirano/a (Spanish), Paisa |
| Time zone | UTC-05 (Eastern Time Zone) |
| Area code | 57 + 6 |
| Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
Pereira (Spanish pronunciation: [peˈɾejɾa]) is the capital city of the Colombian department of Risaralda. It is located in the foothills of the Andes in a coffee-producing area of Colombia officially known as the "Coffee Axis". Pereira, alongside the rest of the Coffee Axis, form part of UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia". It is the most populated city in the Coffee Axis. Pereira is also part of the Central West Metropolitan Area, which has 735.769 residents and is composed of Pereira and the neighboring cities of Dosquebradas and La Virginia. It is considered the most important city in the "Coffee Axis" from a geopolitical and economic standpoint.
As the capital of the department of Risaralda, Pereira houses the headquarters of the Government of Risaralda, the Departmental Assembly, the Departmental Court, the Metropolitan Area Authority and the Attorney General. It also serves as the headquarters for numerous public companies and institutions of the Colombian state. Being in the center of the Golden Triangle (which consists of the cities of Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali), Pereira has become especially important in the fields of trade and commerce.