Santiago de Cali is one of the oldest cities in Colombia. It was founded in 1536 by the conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar. Before the conquest, Cali was inhabited by indean tribes such as the gorrones, timbas and morrones. During the firest days of the XIX century, cali will join the efforts to achieve independency from spain, and rised on July 3rd of 1810, making an alliance with neighbouring cities as was done by the natives in the Cauva Valley to oppose the spaniards decades earlier.Due to its location, which is ideal for the development of commerce, Cali began to transform into one of the biggest cities of the country at the beginning of the XXth century, in part due to the construction of new means of transportation - such as trainways and highways- which connect the city with the Buenaventura port, favoring the exportation industry. Present day Cali is a prosperous city, which is known as the colombian capital of the rumba and salsa due to the great number renowned schools that teach these dances.