OUR COAT OF ARMS

It was adopted through the decree number 085 on november 7th in 1977, when the mayor was Carmen Cecilia Perez Gómez.
In the ribbon, it has these printed latin phrase :
“Potius mori quam foedari “, it translated in Spanish means: “ Antes morir que deshonrarse”.

OUR FLAG

The flag consist of only one green stripe, it means the earth’s riches, and a guane sun image.
The flag was adopted through the decree number 003 of november 4th in 1977, when the mayor was Carmen Cecilia Perez Gomez.

OUR MAP

A LITTLE HISTORY

Floridablanca is part of the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga; the metropolitan area was created through the orderly number 020 on December 15th in 1981 by Santander’s assembly.

*The territory where our town is located was called by a Guane cacique in the pre-hispanic time, it was igual for Bucaramanga and Piedecuest.

*Floridablanca’s aborigines were guanes but they hadn’t an important human settlement there because of the proximity with the triple border where were guanes, yaquiries and chitareros.

*In 1540, Martin Galeano conquered the region and defeat the aborigines, but it purchased a legal life on 7th november in 1817.

*In 1917, Floridablanca received a departmental prize because was the town with the bigest quantity of people who assist at school in relation with Floridablanca’s population.

*In 1932, the town was called Floridablanca; before that it was called Florida.

*In 1954, was created the transport Enterprise and Jose Elias Puyana High School was inaugurate.

*In 1973, the principal park mercury’s illumination was installed and Vicente Azuero High School was created.

*In 1975, the first woman mayor for Floridablanca was elect.

*In 1977 the flag was created.

GEOGRAPHY

Floridablanca is located in the Santander department, it has an extension of 100,35 km, also has an elevation of 925 metres, and the distance from Bucaramanga are 7 km.

DEMOGRAPHY

According to the DANE census(2005), Floridablanca has 252.472 inhabitants, for that reason, it is known as the second city for inhabitants in Santander.

*The 46,8% are men and the 53,2% are womans.

*The 95,6% of population from 5 years old know how to read and write, so the illiteracy porcent is of 4.4.

ETHNOGRAPHY

According to the same census, the ethnography composition in the town is:

*People of mixed and white race 99.5%

*Afro-colombians 0.5%

ARCHITECTURE

Floridablanca has old-fashioned churches and houses on the south. But in other parts, there are many modern malls, buildings…Floridablanca has been grow in the lasts 15 years.
If we compare it with Giron and Piedecuesta, Floridablanca is superior in population, economy, territory and also in residential places.

The best houses in Floridablanca are located in Cañaveral, Zafra, Florida(buildings), Picasso towers, Ruitoque and a very big clinic, that is the biggest and best clinic in Bucaramanga; the cardiovascular, that see to all the hearth problems, the Guane clinic and Floridablanca’s hospital are there too.

TOURISM AND SPORT ATTRACTIONS

Floridablanca with 23 degrees centigrade, the principal attraction are the wafers and paila sweets, these are very famous because of his flavor. Floridablanca is people’s favourite destination to spend a Sunday afternoon.
If you want a space to know about our aborigines you can go to the culture house, that was built around the sun rock. There you can see some indigenous pictogramas and an important collection of Guane’s culture.

In Floridablanca there are many places for visit and enjoy, here there are some of them:

Comfenalco’s recreactive center:

It’s been between Floridablanca and Piedecuesta for many years. It is a very common and good place to go on free time, especially on Sundays.

Mesa de ruitoque:
A few minutes from the municipal head broad is la mesa de ruitoque, with great natural beauty and where many can practice kite flying and paragliding.

*Also there are many beauty natural places as welles, saltos and flora variety.

*As a town of the metropolitan area, there are important enterprises as Sanatander’s liquor, Powder’s Mariposa fabric, Confectioney shop Celis and Cañanaveral mall.

*Floridablanca is know as the mundial sweet capital, Santander’s tax free area and also as the best town in Colombia.

*The caracoli tree is a Floridablanca’s symbol since april 22 in 1996 when the mayor was Eulises Balcazar Navarro.

*The white heron is a Floridablanca’s symbol because in a great part of the rural territory were little water’s extensions with a pool or a little lagoon form that were product of large rains and where the herons were see. As a homage, some Floridablanca’s professors created the heron’s dance.

CULTURE

In Floridablanca are very common some activities as the holy week celebration, the corn festival,the guasca and guascarrilera music movement, the matachines festival,the Anastacio Carrancio festival and the fairs.

ECONOMY

The third sector is the most important economy sector inn Floridablanca, especially for the comercial activity.
In the industrial sector the 50% of the companies produce food, the 14,3% manufacture clothes and the same percentage manufacture not metalic minerals, so these three groups are the 80% of the total industrial establishments located in the town.

*In 1998, the construction activities were concentrated in a 89,7% in the stratums II, III and IV; it was distribute like this:

*39,8% in the III stratum

*25% in the IV stratum

*24,7% in the II stratum.