Arauca Department
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Arauca () is a department of Eastern
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 in the extreme north of the Orinoco Basin of Colombia (the
Llanos Orientales The Llanos (Spanish ''Los Llanos'', "The Plains"; ) is a vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, in northwestern South America. It is an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, sa ...
), bordering
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
. The southern boundary of Arauca is formed by the Casanare and
Meta River The Meta River is a major left tributary of the Orinoco River in eastern Colombia and southern Venezuela, South America. The Meta originates in the Cordillera Oriental (Colombia), Eastern Ranges of the Andes and flows through the Meta Department ...
s, separating Arauca from the departments of Casanare and Vichada. To the west, Arauca borders the department of Boyacá. The
Caño Limón Caño is a barrio in the municipality of Guánica, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 1,788. See also * List of communities in Puerto Rico In the archipelago and island of Puerto Rico, there are 78 municipalities serving as second-level ...
oil field A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the prese ...
s located within Arauca account for almost a third of the Colombian
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...
output. Its capital is the town of Arauca.


Etymology

The name Arauca is believed to derive from the name of an Indigenous people, who are thought to be related to the
Arawak The Arawak are a group of Indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. The term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to different Indigenous groups, from the Lokono of South America to the Taíno (Island Arawaks), w ...
or Arhuaco people. Some have also speculated that the name Arauca is connected with the
Araucanian The Mapuche ( , ) also known as Araucanians are a group of Indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups ...
or
Mapuche The Mapuche ( , ) also known as Araucanians are a group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging e ...
Indians of
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
and
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
.


History

The first
conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
to set foot in the region of present-day Arauca was
Nikolaus Federmann Nikolaus Federmann (, ) (c. 1505, Ulm – February 1542, Valladolid) was a German adventurer and conquistador in what is modern-day Venezuela and Colombia. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Venedig (1528–1546), the concessio ...
in 1539. He was a soldier in the company of
Georg von Speyer Georg von Speyer (1500, Speyer, Holy Roman Empire – 11 June 1540, Coro, Klein-Venedig) was a German conquistador in New Granada and Venezuela. His birth name was Georg Hohermuth but he chose to call himself after his place of birth. H ...
, who passed through the south of present-day Venezuela and the eastern part of what is today known as Colombia. In 1659, the Catholic missions were establishing new settlements in tribal Guahibo, U'wa, Aeric and Chirico tribal lands. In the eighteenth century, being expelled from the Jesuits under Viceroy Pedro Mesia de la Zerda, the Augustinian Recollect succeeded in their mission of evangelization. They founded five centers of the catechism: Solitude of Cravo, Cuiloto San Javier, San Jose del Ele, Lipa San Joaquin and San Fernando de Arauca. In 1810, the Araucanian territory became part of the newly created province of Casanare and in 1819 Arauca was incorporated into the province of Cundinamarca. By 1857, Arauca was made part of the Sovereign State of Boyacá, that later became the Boyacá department. In 1891, the Arauca police station was established with chief executive Pedro León Acosta. By decree 113 of January 20, 1955, the territory was elevated to the national quartermaster, and finally, with the Constitution of July 5, 1991, Arauca became a department. Arauca is the regional capital since 1911.


Political and administrative evolution

* 1550: The
New Kingdom of Granada New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
is officially established under the Audiencia * 1810: With the division into new units, the Arauca territory becomes part of the province of Casanare * 1818: Under
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Fernando Serrano Manuel Fernando Serrano Uribe (May 30, 1789 – February 15, 1819) was a Neogranadine statesman, lawyer, and officer who became Governor of the Province of Pamplona and wrote its Constitution in 1815. He also served as the last Preside ...
and Santander, General Commander of the patriotic forces, Arauca becomes provisional capital of the Republic * 1819: The province of Casanare became part of the Department of Cundinamarca * 1831: With the dissolution of
Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central ...
, Arauca remains part of the province of Casanare * 1886: With the creation of the departments, Arauca becomes part of the Department of Boyacá * 1911: Creation of the Special Commissioner of Arauca; capital of Arauca * 1955: The Araucanian territory acquired the status of National Quartermaster * 1960: Boyacá Arauca is created


Geography

Its territory covers an area of 23,818 km2, predominantly composed of plains.


Ethnography

The Colombian census does not collect data on race and ethnicity, but compiled population estimates of the five groupings are: * Indigenous Latino (93.70%) *
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 ...
s (4.07%) * Native Tribal American or Tribal Indigenous (2.22%) *
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
(0.01%) * Asian (0.01%) There are small numbers of descendants of European immigrants: the
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, Portuguese,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
,
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
,
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
,
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
,
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
,
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
and
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
(i.e. Lebanese,
Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...
and
Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...
) nationalities. Many
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
n nationals live in the department; around 10-15 percent of the population is of Venezuelan origin.


Indigenous population

The department's total indigenous population amounts to 3591 people. Across the department 26 '' resguardos'' are located in an area of . Six indigenous groups populate this region; U'wa with 1,124 members; Betoye at 800, Sikuani number 782, 441 Hitnü are registered,
Kuiba ''Kuiba'' () or Greatbug is a 2011 Chinese animated film. It was released on July 8, 2011. The film was followed by '' Kuiba 2'' in 2013 and '' Kuiba 3'' in 2014, with a fourth film, ''Kuiba 4'', scheduled for release in 2020. Plot Every 333 year ...
count up to 241, Hitanü are listed at 110, the Chiricoa amount to 63 and thirty Piapoco are registered in Arauca. The predominant ethnic group in the department are the U'wa. They are located in the northeastern foothills of the
Eastern Ranges The Eastern Ranges is an Australian rules football team that currently competes in the Talent League, the Victorian statewide under-18s competition. History Inaugural playing squad (1992) Honours *Premiers (2): 2002, 2013 *Runners-up (6): 199 ...
of the Colombian
Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
, until the
Sierra Nevada del Cocuy The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Chita or Guican National Natural Park (or Sierra Nevada de Chita or Sierra Nevada de Güicán, is a national park and a series of highlands and glaciated peaks located within the Cordillera Oriental (Colombia), Cordill ...
in Boyacá. Its total population is estimated at 7231 people, belong to the
Chibcha language Chibcha, Mosca, Muisca, Muysca (*/ˈmɨska/ * ˆmʷɨska, or Muysca de Bogotá is a language spoken by the Muisca people, one of the many indigenous cultures of the Americas. The Muisca inhabit the Altiplano Cundiboyacense of what today is th ...
family. U'wa means "intelligent people who can speak". The Betoye with 800 members constitutes the second-largest ethnic group in the department. They inhabit the banks of the
Cravo Norte River Cravo Norte River is a river of Colombia. It is part of the Orinoco River basin. See also *List of rivers of Colombia Atlantic Ocean Amazon River Basin * Amazon River ** Guainía River or Negro River *** Vaupés River or Uaupés River ** ...
and the municipality of Tame. The area of its territory is . Their language is considered part of the Chibcha language family. Although not retaining their original language, the people speak a mixture of Betoye with Spanish. Certain grammatical structures of the Betoye language persist in this mixture. The Guahibo are subdivided into tribes known as Sikuani, Kuiba, Chiricoa, Hitanü (iguana) and Hitnü (Macaguane), who speak
Arawakan language Arawakan (''Arahuacan, Maipuran Arawakan, "mainstream" Arawakan, Arawakan proper''), also known as Maipurean (also ''Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúre''), is a language family that developed among ancient Indigenous peoples in South America. Branch ...
s.


Economy

The main economical activity of Arauca is centered around the oil industry, with the
Caño Limón oilfield Caño is a barrio in the municipality of Guánica, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 1,788. See also * List of communities in Puerto Rico In the archipelago and island of Puerto Rico, there are 78 municipalities serving as second-level ...
s as the most important source. The soils of the region have shown good conditions for growing cacao,
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...
s,
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
,
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 ...
,
corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
and fruit trees, as well as industrial crops such as African palmtree,
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 ...
, soybeans and sesame. Livestock farming is another important factor of the department's economy.


Municipalities

Arauca department consists of seven municipalities. # Arauca #
Arauquita Arauquita is a town and municipality in the Arauca Department, 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 ...
# Cravo Norte #
Fortul Fortul is one of the seven municipalities of the Colombian department of Arauca. It limits to the north with Saravena; to the south with Tame; to the east with Arauquita and to the west with Güicán. It was founded on January 7, 1920. According ...
#
Puerto Rondón Puerto Rondón is a town and municipality in the Arauca Department, 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. ...
#
Saravena Saravena is a city and municipality in Arauca Department, Colombia. It is located south of Colombia's border with Venezuela. The municipality, with a population of 55,554, has had FARC and ELN activity as well as a Colombian military presence ne ...
#
Tame Tame may refer to: *Taming, the act of training wild animals * River Tame, Greater Manchester *River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley * Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality * "Tame" (song), a song by the Pixies from their 1989 a ...


Gallery

File:Sierra nevada Guican.jpg, Sierra Nevada del Cocuy in Güicán File:Vaca y cría.JPG, Cattle farming in Arauca File:Arauco.JPG, The arauco is the region's bird File:Arbolenfortul.JPG, Tree in Fortul


References


External links

* *
News, music and photos of Arauca


{{Authority control Departments of Colombia States and territories established in 1991