Montenegro (Kolumbien) 5.74

Montenegro is a municipality in the western part of the department of Quindío, Colombia. It is located 10 km west of the departmental capital Armenia.Montenegro (literally: Black Mountain) was named for the dark green color of the trees that originally covered the hill above the current-day site of the township, which was visible from other parts of the region as it rose above the surrounding guadua forests. Between 1897 and 1904, Montenegro was officially known as Villa Quindío.The boundaries of Montenegro are principally formed by three rivers. To the north, the Roble River forms the limit with Quimbaya; to the east and south, the Espejo River forms the limit with Armenia and La Tebaida; and to the west La Vieja River is the limit with the neighboring department of Valle del Cauca. There is also a short boundary with Circasia in the northeast of the municipality.In 2005 it had an estimated population of 45,000, of which 36,400 live in the main urban zone.Located in the heart of Colombia's coffee zone, Montenegro is also home to the National Coffee Park. Founded by the Colombian Coffee Federation, the park hosts numerous thematic attractions based on Colombian history and the country's thriving coffee culture. The rural landscape of Montenegro is typical of the coffee zone, and the hotel and posadas infrastructure has increased dramatically in the 2000-2005 period. It is an important tourism and convention destination for a relaxed vacation featuring nature-watching and cultural trips (related to the coffee-growing techniques).