The departments that make up the Caribbean region of Colombia are Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Córdoba, La Guajira, Magdalena, San Andrés and Providencia and Sucre.
Seven of them are located in the continent, while San Andrés and Providencia is a department formed by a small archipelago in the western zone of the Caribbean Sea.
The The Caribbean Region receives its name by the Caribbean Sea, with which it makes border to the north of the territory. Its territory covers 132,218 Km2, which represents approximately 11% of the total of the country.
For its part, the population in 2012 surpassed by little the 10.000.000 of inhabitants, slightly more of the 22,5% of the total of Colombia.
Departments that make up the Caribbean region
Atlantic
The capital of the Department of Atlantico is Barranquilla, the most important city in the whole area.
Atlantic is the most populous department of the Region, with almost 2.5 million inhabitants.
Its name comes from the homonymous ocean, of which the Caribbean Sea forms part and with that limits to the north. Its inhabitants are known as Atlántico.
Its history as a Department begins on April 11, 1905 and is known worldwide for the celebrated Carnival that is celebrated every year in its capital, the second largest in the world after Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Bolivar
Its capital is Cartagena de Indias, named Universal Patrimony of Humanity and the most visited city of the whole country.
This Department has a population, according to the projections of 2015, of 2,100,000 inhabitants, with almost half residing in the metropolitan area of the capital.
Its name was given in homage to the liberator Simon Bolivar in 1857, replacing to its previous denomination like Province of Cartagena.
In fact, Bolivar's first visit to Colombia was to the capital, Cartagena de Indias.
cease
The Department of Cesar is located in the northeast of the Caribbean Region, bordering Venezuela.
Its capital is Valledupar, also denominated like City of the Holy Kings of the Valley of Upar, being known like the cradle of vallenato. The population of the Department is 1,166,420 inhabitants.
It seems accepted that it was the Caesar River that gave name to the whole Department. As to the origin, one of the existing theories affirms that it was baptized thus by the Latin word Cessare, that means"to separate".
Cordova
Cordoba has a total population of 1,710,000 and is one of the Departments bordering the Caribbean Sea.
Its capital is Montería, the most important cattle city in the whole country. His birth as a Department dates back to 1952, when he split from that of Bolivar.
Its name comes from the hero of the Colombian independence Jose Maria Cordova, who fought along with Simón Bolívar and Sucre in Century XIX.
La Guajira
This Department is located in its great majority in the peninsula of the same name, with the south zone formed part of Sierra Nevada.
It has about 850,000 inhabitants and its capital is Riohacha, known for the pearls that were on its coast.
This territory is also known as Wajiira, since it is the denomination that the wayúu or guajiros give to the Department.
Magdalena
The Department of Magdalena is one of those that has more history inside Colombia.
In 1863, along with 8 other departments, it formed the United States of Colombia. The capital is Santa Marta and has more than 1,270,000 inhabitants.
The name comes from the Magdalena River, located in its western zone. This Department is the birthplace of the Nobel García Marquez, while Simon Bolivar died in his capital, Santa Marta.
Sucre
The Department of Sucre makes land border with those of Bolivar and Cordova, while on the north borders with the Caribbean Sea.
Its capital is Sincelejo and has around 850,000 inhabitants according to the estimates for 2016 of DANE. It was not until 1966 when the law was promulgated that gave birth to this department.
His name is a tribute to Antonio Jose de Sucre, one of the heroes in the struggle for independence.
San Andres and Providencia
Although they have a special administrative regime, this archipelago is considered part of the Caribbean Region.
It is formed by two main islands, being the less extensive department of the country. However, by its number of inhabitants, 76,500, it is the one with the highest density.
Its capital is San Andrés and lies to the west of the Caribbean Sea, just 220 kilometers from Nicaragua.
Precisely this last country and Colombia have maintained a legal dispute on the sovereignty of the islands, dictating the International Court of Justice its membership to Colombia.
References
- Colombia. The Caribbean Region. Obtained from colombia.com
- Uncover Colombia. The Caribbean Region. Obtained from uncovercolombia.com
- Colombia Cultural Heritage. Characteristics of the Caribbean Region. Obtained from colombiapatrimoniocultural.wordpress.com
- Colombia Info. Colombian Caribbean region. Obtained from colombiainfo.org
- Ecodiving Colombia. Caribbean Region. Retrieved from ecodivingcolombia.travel