San Gil 6.47

San Gil is a town municipality in the Department of Santander in northeastern Colombia, located roughly 300 km (192 mi) from Bogotá and 95 km from the department's capital, Bucaramanga. As of 2005, San Gil had a population of roughly 42,000 people within the total municipal area, making it the third largest urban area in the department, after Bucaramanga and Barrancabermeja. Founded in 1689, San Gil is over 300 years old. It was officially named the tourist capital of the region in 2004, thanks to its outdoor activity opportunities such as rafting, caving, kayaking and hiking.HistorySan Gil's history goes back to pre-Columbian times, when it was inhabited by native indigenous people called the Guanes. Spanish conquest during the colonial period nearly eradicated the local tribes. The town was officially founded on March 17, 1689 by Don Gil Cabrera Dávalos and Leonardo Correa de Betancourt. According to official sources, San Gil played an important role during the Colombian independence period. "Comuneros" rebels came from nearby regions, united, traveled to the capital, Bogota, and fought for the nation's independence, a process which occurred during the early 1820s.DemographicsSan Gil's population, as of 2005, was 42,000, . The majority reside in the urban area. The population as of 2010 was estimated to be 44,561, an increase of roughly 1,500 people, but showing a tendency to decrease in rural areas, decreasing from 6,240 to a projected 5,601. Ninety-eight percent of houses have access to electricity, 90.3% to running water, and 84.1% to a sewage system.