Aguachica
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Aguachica (), is a city and
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the southern region of the
Cesar Department Cesar Department (), or simply Cesar, () is a departments of Colombia, department of Colombia located in the north of the country in the Caribbean Region of Colombia, Caribbean region, bordering to the north with the Department of La Guajira, to ...
,
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, located between the inter-Andean valley of Magdalena Medio and the Motilones. It is the second most populated municipality in the department and an important livestock and commercial center in the southeast of the Colombian Caribbean. In terms of transportation infrastructure, its geographically strategic position connects the Colombian Caribbean with the Santanderes through the Ruta del Sol, and is also a key communication point for the Catatumbo region via National Route 70. It also has air transportation through the Hacaritama Airport, a railway system, and in parallel with the Magdalena River waterway through the port of Gamarra.


Geography

The municipality is located south of the
Cesar Department Cesar Department (), or simply Cesar, () is a departments of Colombia, department of Colombia located in the north of the country in the Caribbean Region of Colombia, Caribbean region, bordering to the north with the Department of La Guajira, to ...
, between the Cordillera Oriental
Andean The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long and wide (widest between 18°S ...
mountains and the
Magdalena River The Magdalena River (, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, ...
. The municipality of Aguachica borders to the north with the municipality of La Gloria and the Department of North Santander (municipality of El Carmen); to the east with the municipality of
Rio de Oro Rio or Río is the Portuguese and Spanish word for "river". The word also exists in Italian, but is largely obsolete and used in a poetical or literary context to mean "stream". Rio, RIO or Río may also refer to: Places United States * Rio, Flo ...
; to the south with Rio de Oro once again, with the municipality of San Martín and the
Department of Santander Santander () is a department of Colombia. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia. It is located in the central northern part of the country, borders the Magdalena River to the east, Boya ...
(municipality of Puerto Wilches) and to the west with the municipality of Gamarra and the
Department of Bolívar Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
(municipality of
Morales Morales is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alfredo Morales (born 1990), American footballer * Alvaro Morales (disambiguation), several people * Amado Morales (born 1947), Puerto Rican javelin thrower * Bartolomé Mo ...
) covering a total area of 876 km2, 3.8% of the total area of the Department of Cesar.Townhall of Aguachica: Generalities: Geography
The northern area of the municipality is mountainous part of the Cordillera Oriental mountain range with altitude varying between the 200 m and 2,150 m over sea level. The southern area of the municipality of Aguachica is predominantly flat with two major rivers flowing through the region; the
Magdalena River The Magdalena River (, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, ...
and the
Lebrija River Lebrija River is a river of northern Colombia. It originates in the Cordillera Oriental (Colombia), Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes in Piedecuesta and flows through the northern part of the department of Santander Department, Santander into ...
.


History


Pre-Columbian

The territory of present-day Aguachica was inhabited by
amerindian In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...
Chimila tribes, before the Spanish conquerors arrived. This tribe was later brutally decimated by the Spanish.


Spanish conquest and colonization

During the first decades of the 17th century, the area was established as the
Hacienda A ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or '' finca''), similar to a Roman '' latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards ...
de San Roque by the Spanish and was owned by Don Antonio Garia de Bonilla, but due to pests and illnesses the settlement was moved a few hundred meters to the south. By 1722 the settlement had grown in the middle of an hacienda predominantly owned by Don Casimiro Ramos de Barahona (also spelled Barahoja). The settlement was serving now as a rest area for merchants traveling to and from the nearby fluvial port town of Gamarra and Ocaña (present-day Department of North Santander).Townhall of Aguachica: Generalities: History
On 1748, the settlement received the royal grant in favor of Jose Lazaro de Rivera and established as a Roman Catholic
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
. By this time the Spanish conqueror
Jose Fernando de Mier y Guerra Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean *Jose ben Halafta *J ...
was ordered to "pacify" the Chimila indigenous groups and to reorganize some villages in the basin of the Magdalena river. These foundations and re-foundations were approved back then by
José Alfonso Pizarro José Alfonso Pizarro, Marquis del Villar (sometimes given as José Alonso Pizarro) (1689 in Murcia – 1762 in Madrid) was a Spanish naval officer and colonial administrator. From November 6, 1749, to November 24, 1753, he was viceroy of the Spa ...
viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...
of the
Viceroyalty of New Granada The Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada ( ), also called Viceroyalty of New Granada or Viceroyalty of Santa Fe, was the name given on 27 May 1717 to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in northern South America, corresponding to modern ...
between 1749 and 1753. In 1753 the Spanish ordered the construction of houses in Aguachica and was made part of the Government of Santa Marta. Between 1798 and 1804 a plague swept most of the population causing the village to move to its present location. In 1914 became a municipality.


The Republic

By 1850 the first migrants arrived to Aguachica largely attracted by the plantations of
coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
in neighboring Ocaña, Sovereign State of Santander and also introduced agricultural and farming practices for commerce in the region. During the 1920s,
Petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...
deposits were found in the area triggering another wave of migrants mostly from the neighboring departments of Colombia;
Antioquia Antioquia is the Spanish form of Antioch. Antioquia may also refer to: * Antioquia Department Antioquia () is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the central northwestern part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders th ...
, Caldas, Santander,
North Santander Norte de Santander (Spanish for Northern Santander) () is a department of northeastern Colombia. It is in the north of the country, bordering Venezuela. Its capital is Cúcuta, one of the country's major cities. Norte de Santander is bordered ...
and Boyaca. During the 1950s the construction of the highway and the Magdalena railroad turned Aguachica into a strategic area between the Andean region and Caribbean region. The 1960s were marked by the migration of people from the
Department of Tolima Tolima () is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the Andean region, in the center-west of the country. It is bordered on the north and the west by the department of Caldas; on the east by the department of Cundinamarca; on the ...
mostly farmers interested in exploiting the land, developing large plantations of
cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
,
sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...
,
rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
, among other products. The economy grew, developing an economy based on agricultural products, commerce and services.


Colombian armed conflict

During the 1980s and early 1990s the region was influenced by the
Colombian armed conflict The Colombian conflict () began on May 27, 1964, and is a low-intensity asymmetric war between the government of Colombia, far-right paramilitary groups, crime syndicates and far-left guerrilla groups fighting each other to increase their i ...
producing the displacement of people from the countryside and from neighboring regions of the southern
Department of Bolívar Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
and the Department of Cesar into the municipality seat.


Politics


Administrative divisions

The municipality of Aguachica is subdivided into
Barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...
s, Corregimientos (9) and Veredas (64).


Corregimiento ''Corregimiento'' (; , ) is a Spanish term used for country subdivisions for royal administrative purposes, ensuring districts were under crown control as opposed to local elites. A ''corregimiento'' was usually headed by a '' corregidor''. The ...
s

Barranca de Lebrija, Buturama, Campo Amalia, El Juncal, Loma de Corredor, Norean, Puerto Patiño, Santa Lucía, Villa de San Andrés (El Totumal).


Vereda Vereda () is a subdivisional administrative part of a municipality in Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America ...
s

Barcelona, Bombiadero, Cañada Ospina, Caracol, Costa Rica, El Corral, El Tope, Esmeralda Alta, Honduras, Cascabela, La Pajuila, La Ye, Las Bateas, Las Margaritas, Los Caliches, Los Llanos, Marinilla, Palmira, Peralonso, Soledad, Quebrada Seca, San Benito, San José, San Pablo, Santa Inés, Bella Vista, Campoalegre, Caño Caracolí, Cerro de los Bustos, El Carbón, El Faro, Esmeralda, Guaduas, La Bocatoma, Santo Domingo, La Unión, La Yegüerita, Las Latas, Las Piñas, Los Columpios, Maligüal, Palenquillo, Peñoncito, Planadas – Limoncito, Sabana de Caballeros, Puros Altos, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San Pedro, La Ceiba, Cerro Bravo, La Morena, Las Adjuntas, Lucaicál, San Miguel, Santa Lucia, Villa Nueva, Boquerón, Cerro Redondo, La Campana, La Yegüera, Mucuras, Santa Bárbara, Santa Rosa.


Heritage Sites

Aguachica has religious sites such as Cerro de la Cruz () in which religious traditions are practiced and where the pilgrimage of parishioners from the municipality begins, in addition to the San Roque Parish, this building, built in the hacienda of the same name, is considered the starting point of the establishment of the church and history of Aguachica. In the book "Floresta de la Santa Iglesia Catedral de la Ciudad y Provincia de Santa Marta" by José Nicolás de la Rosa, which was written between 1736 and 1738, is one of the first records documenting the existence of the San Roque Parish. By 1748, Aguachica was officially assigned as a parish. Another religious temple in Aguachica is the Church of Maria Auxiliadora established by the Comboni Missionaries, who in 1992, entered Aguachica to accompany the population, in 2006, the structure of the church was completed and was handed over to the Diocese of Ocaña. Another heritage site is the Eladio Vargas Cultural Center, which is in charge of documenting and preserving the history, traditions, culture and folkloric aspects of Aguachica, which has been in existence for more than 18 years.


Nature Reserves

Aguachica has a natural reserve of the Agüil Forest, which has 40 different species of butterflies and 88 types of birds. Currently the forest has 8 hectares in which there are 200 different species of plants. One of the main types of flowers found in the forest are
Acalypha ''Acalypha'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole genus of the subtribe Acalyphinae. It is one of the largest euphorb genera, with approximately 450 to 462 species. The genus name ''Acalypha'' is from the ...
, Machaerium and
Solanum ''Solanum'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include three food crops of high economic importance: the potato, the tomato and the eggplant (aubergine, brinjal). It is the largest genus in the nightshade family Solana ...
.


Demographics

In the 2005 Census by the
DANE Dane or Danes may refer to: People Pertaining to Denmark * Dane, somebody from Denmark * Danes, an ethnic group native to Denmark * Danes (tribe), an ancient North Germanic tribe Other people * Dane (name), a surname and a given name (and a lis ...
the municipality of Aguachica had a total population of 80,789.DANE 2005 Census: Aguachica
The majority of the population 51% is female while 49% are male. Of these 0.1% considered itself of indigenous ancestry and 3.7% of
Afro-Colombian Afro-Colombians (), also known as Black Colombians (), are Colombians of total or predominantly Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Colombia has one of the largest African diaspora, Afro-descendant populations in South America, with government ...
ancestry.2005 DANE Census: Demographic statistics Municipality of Aguachica
87% of these 80,789 people living in houses, while 2.1% lived in apartment buildings and 10% in rented rooms. 4.8% of these homes were also used for home businesses. 90% of the municipality of Aguachica had electricity, 73% with sewage service, 87% had aqueduct services, 50% had natural gas services installed at home while 30% percent had a telephone line.


Climate


References


External links


Aguachica official website

2005 Census: Aguachica


{{Authority control Municipalities of Cesar Department Populated places established in 1748