Manizales

Manizales is a city of 480,000 people and the capital of the department of Caldas, located in central Colombia. The city is located in the north of the "Zona Cafetera" (Coffee zone), near the volcano Nevado del Ruiz, at a height of about 2153 metres.

Manizales is an important cultural and educational center : there are 7 colleges and universities : Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad de Manizales, Universidad Autonoma, Universidad Luis Amigo and Universidad Antonio Narino. It's known as the Coffee capital of the world, because it's the business center of the "Zona Cafetera". Every year in January the city holds its main festivity, the Feria de Manizales, with events such as bullfights, beauty parades, and folk dancing. It is considered one of the biggest and oldest feria (fair) in the Americas.

Another important event heldhere is the International Theater Festival, which is one of the mayor theater events in Latin-America.

The city of Manizales is described as having "abrupt topography"; it is built on a mountain region with a number of ridgelines and steep slopes. Combined with the seismic instability of the area, this has required architectural adaptations and public works to make the city safer.

The city is also known as the home of the football club Once Caldas, the surprise winner of the 2004 International Liberators of the Americas Soccer Cup.