Manizales, Cololmbia

MANIZALES, COLOMBIA - JANUARY 5, 2010: Carnival in the city during the annual 'Manizales Fair'. The Manizales Fair was born in 1951 with the first centenary of the city. It began with the presentation of grand Bullfights and with typical "Manolas" parade (Spanish parade). Due to its huge welcome by people, more shows and presentations have been brought into the Fair, such as International Coffee Beauty Pageant which together with the bullfighting season turn into the main events of the Fair. Currently within the Fair you can enjoy activities as: Horseback riding Parades, Typical presentations, "Trovas", other parades, National and International Musicians and Bands, Expositions, and Cultural shows. The Feria de Manizales (Manizales Fair) is the second biggest celebration in the country, after the Barranquilla Carnival. Manizales is a city and municipality in central Colombia, capital of Department of Caldas and part of the region of Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis, near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano. Nowadays the city is the main center for the production of Colombian coffee and an important hub for higher educational institutions. The city of Manizales is described as having "abrupt topography"; it is built in 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. Even though Manizales has a very difficult topography, there are a lot of coffee plantations in these fertile lands. The city is located in the north of the Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis ("Eje Cafetero"), near the volcano Nevado del Ruiz, at an altitude of about 2153 meters. (Photo by Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)