The Republic of Colombia is a South American country located in northwest South America bordering Panama, Brazil, Venezuela, and the Caribbean Sea. Colombia is well known for its excellent coffee and it is also the first country in South America to have a constitutional government.
On this day June 17th, in 1773, Juana Rangel de Cuéllar founds Cúcuta, Colombia. Cuéllar had inherited a substantial amount of property from his uncle in 1727. At the age of 84 the Cuéllar decided to donate 1,930 acres, and the city was built around a church. As a result of its location, which was both close to the Caribbean and Venezuela, made it a prosperous city, as well it became a focal point during the Colombian Revolution.
Cúcuta to this day is a special commercial center and has been dubbed a special city. It has the most active international border in all of South America. The city has a population of 1,158,672, and in the metropolitan area nearly 1.7 million – it is the fifth largest city in Colombia. Its economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture and trade. This city also has the most greenery of any city in Colombia and is deemed an “urban lung” for its lack of pollution.