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Barranquilla () is the capital district of the
Atlántico department Atlántico (, ) is a Departments of Colombia, department of Colombia, located in northern Colombia with the Caribbean Sea to its north, the Bolívar Department to its west and south separated by the Canal del Dique, and the Magdalena Department ...
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. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
. It is located near the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean coast region; as of 2018, it had a population of 1,206,319 making it Colombia's fourth-most populous city after
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
,
Medellín Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...
, and
Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,280,522 residents estimate by National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE in 2023. The city span ...
. Barranquilla lies strategically next to the delta of 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, ...
, (originally before rapid urban growth) from its mouth at the Caribbean Sea, serving as a port for river and maritime transportation within Colombia. It is also the main economic center of the Atlántico department in Colombia. The city is the core of the Barranquilla metropolitan area, with a population of over 2 million, which also includes the municipalities of Soledad, Galapa, Malambo, and
Puerto Colombia Puerto Colombia is a coastal town and municipality in Atlántico Department, Colombia founded in the mid-1800s. It is famous for its " Pier of Puerto Colombia", that at one time was the largest pier in the world. Duties were later transferred to ...
. Barranquilla was legally established as a town on April 7, 1813, although it dates from at least 1629. It grew into an important port, serving as a haven for immigrants from Europe, especially during and immediately following World War I and World War II, when waves of additional immigrants from the Middle East and Asia arrived. Barranquilla became Colombia's main port, and with its level of industrialization and modernity, it earned the nickname "Colombia's Golden Gate" (Spanish: ''La Puerta de Oro de Colombia''). In the 1940s, Barranquilla was the second-largest city in Colombia and one of the most modern cities in the Caribbean and in South America; later local administrations, due to widespread corruption in their ranks, brought about a decline in the standard of living. As government investment increased in other Colombian cities, Barranquilla's national position was eclipsed. Barranquilla has hosted the
2018 Central American and Caribbean Games The 23rd Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Barranquilla, Colombia. Asamblea ODECABE, Islas Caimán' (translation: "CASCO Assembly, Cayman Islands"). Published by CACSO on 2012-10-27; retrieved 2012-11-13. Bidding process Quet ...
. The city is home to one of the most important folk and cultural festivals of Colombia, the
Carnival of Barranquilla The Barranquilla Carnival (') is one of Colombia's most important folkloric celebrations, and one of the biggest carnivals in the world. The carnival has traditions that date back to the 19th century. Four days before Lent, Barranquilla decks it ...
, which was declared a National Cultural Heritage by the
Congress of Colombia The Congress of the Republic of Colombia () is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature. The Congress of Colombia consists of the 108-seat Senate, and the 188-seat Chamber of Representatives, Members of both houses are e ...
in 2001 and recognized by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
in 2003.
Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport () is an international airport serving the area of Barranquilla, the capital city of the Atlántico department in Colombia. The airport is located in the suburban municipality of Soledad. It owes its ...
, built in Barranquilla in 1919, was the first airport in South America. The city is served by domestic and international flights and was
Avianca Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias de Colombia S.A.'', "Airways of Colombia", and stylized as avianca since October 2023) is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it ...
's first hub.


Etymology

Barranquilla's name refers to the canyons that existed in the area adjacent to the Magdalena, where the city arose. During the
Spanish colonization of the Americas The Spanish colonization of the Americas began in 1493 on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) after the initial 1492 voyage of Genoa, Genoese mariner Christopher Columbus under license from Queen Isabella ...
, the name "barranca" was common in coastal communities (
Barrancabermeja Barrancabermeja () is a municipality and city in Colombia, located on the shore of the Magdalena River, in the western part of the department of Santander. It is home to the largest oil refinery in the country, under direct management of ECOP ...
, Barranca Nueva, Barranca Vieja, etc.). This name was probably derived from an alteration of Aragon. During Spanish colonization, the area was known as
Camacho Camacho is a surname of Spanish origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Tanga Loa, (born 1983), Tongan-American professional wrestler who wrestled as Camacho in WWE * Alejandro Camacho (born 1954), Mexican actor and producer * Alicia ...
or Kamash Indian Site, and San Nicolás de la Barranquilla (patron saint of San Nicolás de Tolentino) began to develop the area with the estates of Barrancas de Camacho, Barrancas de San Nicolás, Barranquilla de Camacho, and Barranquilla de San Nicolás, from which the city name is derived.


Nicknames

In 1921, President
Marco Fidel Suárez Marco Fidel Suárez (April 23, 1855 – April 3, 1927) was a Colombian political figure. He served as president of Colombia from 1918 to 1921. He was born on April 23, 1855, in the town of Hatoviejo, Antioquia. His parents were Rosalía Suárez a ...
called the city the ''Puerta de Oro de la República'' (Golden Gate of the Republic) in recognition of its economic importance as a port since the late 19th century. In 1946, opening the 5th Central American and Caribbean Games, President
Mariano Ospina Pérez Luis Mariano Ospina Pérez (24 November 1891 – 14 April 1976), commonly known as Mariano Ospina Pérez, was a Colombian politician and a member of the Colombian Conservative Party. He served as the List of Presidents of Colombia, 17th Pr ...
reaffirmed the nickname of the city as the "Golden Gate". Barranquilla is also known as ''La Arenosa'' (meaning ''The Sandy''), so named by the president of
New Granada New Granada may refer to various former national denominations for the present-day country of Colombia: *New Kingdom of Granada, from 1538 to 1717 *Viceroyalty of New Granada, from 1717 to 1810, re-established from 1816 to 1822 *United Provinces of ...
,
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera Tomás Cipriano Ignacio Maria de Mosquera y Figueroa Arboleda Salazar, Prieto de Tovar, Vergara, Silva, Hurtado de Mendoza, Urrutia y Guzmán (September 26, 1798 – October 7, 1878) was a Colombian general, political figure, and slaveholder ...
, during his stay in Barranquilla in 1849. ''Curramba, la Bella'' was also used to refer to Barranquilla by journalist Juan Eugenio Cañavera in
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
in the mid-twentieth century. The "la Bella" part was assigned by fellow journalist Roger Araújo as a counterweight to the word Curramba, which is seen as derogatory, derived from adjective "currambero". Others refer to the expression "curramba" which reads the apocope of the city "Barranq" backwards as "q-rran-ba", then given the regulations of Castilian Spanish, they changed the "n" to "m" to precede the "b", finally giving rise to "curramba".. The thinker Agustín Nieto Caballero called Barranquilla "Ciudad de los Brazos Abiertos" ("City of the Open Arms") and Enrique Ancízar, president of the Colombian Society of Agriculture, called it "Faro de América" ("Beacon/Lighthouse of America.").


Heraldry and symbols

;Flag In 1811, the patriots who obtained the independence of the Cartagenas adopted the current flag. It consists of three rectangles, red being the outermost, then yellow, and green in the center. Red symbolizes the blood of patriots; yellow, the sun of freedom and hope; and green, a proud home. In the centre, there is an eight-pointed silver star, which symbolizes the eight provinces of the confederacy. The flag was carried by Simon Bolívar during the campaign of Lower Magdalena in 1811. In 1814, the Congress of Tunja adopted it as the emblem of the
United Provinces of New Granada The United Provinces of New Granada was a country in South America from 1810 to 1816, a period known in Colombian history as '' la Patria Boba'' ("the Foolish Fatherland"). It was formed from areas of the New Kingdom of Granada, roughly corres ...
. In 1910, the Council approved the flag for Barranquilla. ;Coat of arms The seal of the city was mentioned in the decree that granted Barranquilla the status of a city by Manuel Rodríguez Torices, the then President of the Sovereign State of Cartagena de Indias, as a reward for the determined and courageous patriots who participated in the defense of the independence of
Cartagena de Indias Cartagena ( ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Region of Colombia, Caribbean Coast Region, along the Caribbean Sea. Cartagena's past ...
against
Santa Marta Santa Marta (), officially the Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta (), is a port List of cities in Colombia, city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is the capital of Magdalena Department and the fou ...
in 1813. ;Anthem The music and lyrics o
Himno de Barranquilla
were chosen in competition by the Sociedad de Mejoras Públicas and officially adopted as the anthem of the city by the Municipal Council in a meeting on 19 October 1942. The lyrics were written by the poet Amira de la Rosa (winner of the contest in 1942) and the music is of Panama, by Simón Urbina (1928). ;Other symbols The flowers
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising List of Hibiscus species, several hundred species that are Native plant, native to warm temperate, Subtropics, subtropical ...
, and
Tabebuia rosea ''Tabebuia rosea'', also called pink poui, and rosy trumpet tree is a neotropical tree that grows up to and can reach a diameter at breast height of up to . The Spanish name ''roble de sabana'', meaning "savannah oak", is widely used in Costa R ...
, and the animals Volatinia jacarina and
iguana ''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti, J.N. Laurenti in ...
are used as other symbols of the city.


History


Origins and colonial era

Unlike other cities in Colombia such as Cartagena or Bogotá D.C., Barranquilla was not founded during the Spanish colonial period and it was not founded on a pre-Columbian site. The first mention of the current territory of Barranquilla dates back to 1533 and was written by
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (August 1478 – 1557), commonly known as Oviedo, was a Spanish soldier, historian, writer, botanist and colonist. Oviedo participated in the Spanish colonization of the West Indies, arriving in the first fe ...
. He describes the route of
Pedro de Heredia Pedro de Heredia ( – 27 January 1554) was a Spanish conquistador, founder of the city of Cartagena de Indias and explorer of the northern coast and the interior of present-day Colombia. Early life Pedro de Heredia was born in in Madrid. He w ...
, founder of Cartagena, just weeks before he founded that city, and says that this was a point of landing of canoes for the Indians of Santa Marta within the interior. They had two canoes full of dried shrimp as merchandise and went to 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, ...
to trade with this commodity, salt and other things. However, the Kamash Indians were known to occupy the area and the settlement itself was established in about 1629. For this reason the city does not celebrate its foundation, but rather the date in which it was declared a town on April 7, 1813. Barranquilla is honored as the origination of the aviation and airport. The first airline in South America was born in Barranquilla with the name of SCADTA which is today
Avianca Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias de Colombia S.A.'', "Airways of Colombia", and stylized as avianca since October 2023) is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it ...
. The home location of the Kamash indios (hispanized to ''Camacho'' or ''Camach'') is known as the first permanent human settlement of Barranquilla. During the 16th century, an ''
encomienda The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish Labour (human activity), labour system that rewarded Conquistador, conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. In theory, the conquerors provided the labourers with benefits, including mil ...
'' of captain Domingo de Santa Cruz was established, granted by the Spanish crown for his notable military performance. This ''encomienda'' disappeared in 1559, when it was in the hands of señora Ana Ximénez, widow of Santa Cruz, after the death of her husband. She became the victim of a disregardful violent act by the second ''encomendero'' of Galapa, Don Pedro de Barros I, when he arbitrarily grabbed all the Camacho population that could offer labour and took them to his ''encomienda''. Between 1627 and 1637, Hacienda San Nicolás de Tolentino was founded by Nicolás de Barros, great-grandson of Don Pedro de Barros I. The farm was established on the banks of the river channel. The original property area was . Pedro Vasquez Buezo expanded the property to . On this estate, Barros allowed his workers to build their homes and support their families, which helped further develop his field operations. After the death of Barros, the estate began to accommodate others, such as people who for reasons of health, age or cronyism with the hacienda owner were allowed to stay. There were also Indians from Malambo and Galapa. By 1681, the ranch was considered a village, known as Barrancas de San Nicolas. Before 1700, Barranquilla was occupied by Aguerra of Tierradentro and in 1772, the township was expanded by the same group, adding a Judge Counsel. The origin of Barranquilla, promoted in the second half of the 19th century by the historian Domingo Malabet, was not supported by oral tradition nor scientifically validated. Blanco Barros' 1987 book on Northern Tierradentro and the origins of Barranquilla argued that the city had been founded by farmers from the neighboring town of Galapa who left their land, following their herds to the Magdalena River.


Era of Independence (1810–1823)

In the era of the
Colombian War of Independence The Colombian War of Independence began on July 20, 1810 when the Junta (Spanish American Independence), Junta de Santa Fe was formed in Bogotá, Santa Fe de Bogota, the capital of the Spanish Empire, Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of New Granad ...
, Barranquilla distinguished itself as a supporter of the pro-independence forces. In 1812, General Pierre Labatut attacked and defeated royalist forces at Sitioviejo and Sitionuevo. On April 7, 1813, which was later celebrated as "Barranquilla Day" ("el Día de Barranquilla"), the President-Governor of the Free and Independent State of Cartagena de Indias, Manuel Rodríguez Torices, granted the title of "villa" to the town, thereby allowing it to benefit from certain privileges, and making it the capital of the department of Barlovento (or Tierradentro), in recognition for the valor and patriotism displayed by the town for its defense of the pro-independence city of Cartagena de Indias against the royalist stronghold of Santa Marta. In 1815, Joaquín Vallejo, a rich merchant, maintained a pro-independence battalion for three months at his own expense. When the Spanish forces under Colonel Valentín Capmani approached Barranquilla, its inhabitants resisted Capmani but were defeated on April 25, 1815. The population of the town was attacked and taken prisoner by the royalist troops, which also defeated Vallejo's pro-independence battalion. In the following 5–6 years, Barranquilla was a center for republican military operations. On October 10, 1821, the last royalist stronghold at Cartagena was defeated. At that time, Cartagena was capital of the Sovereign State of Bolivar, to which Barranquilla belonged. In the same year, Barranquilla was governed by its very first mayor, Agustín Del Valle, who carried out his duties from his own home, which later was converted in a military headquarters. On July 24, 1823, the naval
Battle of Lake Maracaibo The Battle of Lake Maracaibo also known as the "Naval Battle of the Lake" was fought on 24 July 1823 on Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo between fleets under the commands of Republican Admiral José Prudencio Padilla and royalist Captain Ángel L ...
took place, which resulted in the final expulsion of Spanish royalist forces from Gran Colombia.


Republican Period


19th century

The geographic area of Barranquilla did not include mineral or natural riches, and thus did not serve as a location where the Spanish maintained a permanent presence. Its importance was not appreciated until the mid-19th century, due to the introduction of
steamships A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
that navigated 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, ...
by the German Juan Bernardo Elbers on behalf of Simón Bolívar at the founding of Gran Colombia in 1823. The route was opened on November 10, 1825. Barranquilla thus initiated a lively exchange of goods with cities and towns of the Colombian interior, as well as with international merchants, and it became a principal port for the export of coffee. With the establishment of the new nation of the
Republic of New Granada The Republic of New Granada was a Centralism, centralist unitary republic consisting primarily of present-day Colombia and Panama with smaller portions of today's Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil that existed from 1831 to 1858. ...
in 1831, two revolutions began in Barranquilla. One was led by Policarpo Martínez, Antonio Pantoja, Lorenzo Hernández, Crispín Luque, Esteban Márquez y Santos de la Hoz against the dictatorship of
Rafael Urdaneta Rafael José Urdaneta y Farías (October 24, 1788 – August 23, 1845) was a Venezuelan General and hero of the Spanish American wars of independence. After overthrowing President Joaquín Mosquera in a 1830 military coup, he served as Pre ...
. The second was led by General Ignacio Luque, who had crushed the first revolution. In 1840, merchants and commercial carriers of Barranquilla tried to form an independent province, ''Cibeles'', which was to comprise the cantons of Barlovento. They proclaimed Colonel Ramón Antigüedad as their leader. The primary objective was to rehabilitate the town of Sabanilla as an independent port, as exports were controlled by the cities of Cartagena and Santa Marta. This rebellion was quickly crushed by Cartagenan troops. In 1845, the city was one of nine cantons that comprised the province of Cartagena. At the end of the decade, in 1849, President
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera Tomás Cipriano Ignacio Maria de Mosquera y Figueroa Arboleda Salazar, Prieto de Tovar, Vergara, Silva, Hurtado de Mendoza, Urrutia y Guzmán (September 26, 1798 – October 7, 1878) was a Colombian general, political figure, and slaveholder ...
issued a decree that revitalized the bay of Sabanilla as a port to export goods. A customs house was built there, the Castillo de Salgar, to accommodate the new traffic. In early June 1849, an outbreak of
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
occurred in Barranquilla. It had originated in Cartagena, which in turn had received it from shipments coming from Panama. On March 20, 1852, a law was passed by the Congress of New Granada that separated the province of Cartagena from the cantons of Barranquilla, Soledad, and Sabanalarga, which became part of the province of Sabanilla, with Barranquilla as the capital. On May 2, 1854, Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera arrived at Barranquilla, and the inhabitants supported him in his fight against the revolutionary
José María Melo José María Dionisio Melo y Ortiz (October 9, 1800 – June 1, 1860) was a Colombian general and political figure who fought in the South American wars of independence, and who rose to power and briefly held the presidency of Colombia in 185 ...
in
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
. On October 7, 1857, Barranquilla was granted the status of "ciudad" ("city") by the Constituent Assembly of the State of Bolívar; and in the same year, the Municipal Council of Barranquilla designated three zones in the city: Abajo del Río, Arriba del Río, and El Centro. Barranquilla formed part of the department of Sabanilla, one of the five departments that comprised the Sovereign State of Bolívar, whose formation had succeeded the province of Cartagena by law of June 15, 1857. During the time of the
Granadine Confederation The Granadine Confederation () was a short-lived federal republic established in 1858 as a result of a constitutional change replacing the Republic of New Granada. It consisted of the present-day nations of Colombia and Panama and parts of north ...
, Conservative General Joaquín Posada Gutiérrez attacked and defeated the city square in Barranquilla defended by the Liberal leader Vicente Palacio on November 6, 1859. Subsequently, the city would be recovered by the Liberal leader Manuel Cabeza on December 9. On January 25, 1861, General
Juan José Nieto Gil Juan José Nieto Gil (24 June 1804 – 16 July 1866) was a Colombian politician, Army general and writer. A Colombian Liberal Party, Liberal party caudillo of Cartagena de Indias, Cartagena, he served interimly as Governor of the Cartagena P ...
, president of the State of Bolívar, launched a rebellion from Barranquilla. Barranquilla became the capital of a province of the same name by law on December 26, 1862, and the Sovereign State of Bolívar was divided into 12 provinces. At the establishment of the United States of Colombia, the growing commercial importance of Barranquilla led to the construction, between 1869 and 1871, of the Bolívar Railway (''Ferrocarril de Bolívar''), the first railway of the present-day Republic of Colombia. It linked Barranquilla and Sabanilla (Salgar), the latter being the location of the customs house. Due to the shallowness of the waters, it was necessary to extend the railway to Puerto Cupino, where the Cuban engineer Francisco Javier Cisneros built what was then one of the longest piers in the world, second only to the one in
Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in south-eastern Essex, England. It lies on the nor ...
, England. In 1872, an epidemic with symptoms similar to those of cholera became manifest in the city. In 1876, an enormous amount of contraband entered the city from Salgar. In the last decades of the 19th century, Barranquilla experienced a series of advances represented by the founding of the Society of the Aqueduct in 1877, commissioning in 1884 of a mule-pulled tram, the installation of the first phones in Colombia on September 1, 1885. This telephone project had Mr. Orlando Flye, an electrical engineer from Ohio, as general contractor; and the foundation of the first private telephone service in Colombia, the Colombian-West Indian Mobile Company of Mobile by the U.S. citizen William Ladd. It was at this time that the city became important for its booming business and its strategic geographic location, becoming the first port on a river of Colombia. On January 6, 1885, revolutionary forces under General Ricardo Gaitán Obeso occupied the city. On February 11, the head of government, General Vicente Carlos Urueta, attacked an area defended by General Nicolás Jimeno Collante. Urueta triumphed over Obeso, but additional troops overtook Urueta. The modern Republic of Colombia was established the following year. Barranquilla became one of the 34 new departments, comprising the provinces of Barranquilla and Sabanalarga. During this time the city was established as the principal port of Colombia, helped along by the commissioning of the steam tramway in 1890 and the construction of the port of Puerto Colombia in 1893, which served as the Barranquilla port into the 20th century. The goods moved by rail to Barranquilla, and then by river to the interior.


20th century

As part of the country's restructuring, President General
Rafael Reyes Rafael Reyes Prieto (December 5, 1849 – February 18, 1921) was a Colombian politician and soldier who was the Chief of Staff of the Colombian National Army and President of Colombia (1904–1909).Gobernantes Colombianos, Ignacio Arismendi Pos ...
, of the National Constituent and Legislative Assembly, through Act April 17, 11, 1905 created the Atlántico department, consisting of the provinces of Barranquilla and Sabanalarga, the department of Bolivar, and Barranquilla as the capital. However, in 1908, Atlántico department was changed to the Department of Barranquilla by Act 1. With the fall of General Reyes in 1909, the Department of Barranquilla was abolished by Act 65 of that year, with Barranquilla again integrating into the department of Bolivar. The National Constituent Assembly of 1910 enacted Law 21 on July 14, which definitively established the Department of Atlántico with Barranquilla again as capital. With the city's economic boom, the Chamber of Commerce of Barranquilla was created on June 28, 1905. On September 7, 1909, a bill was passed by Congress recognizing the opening of Bocas de Ceniza as a national necessity. In June of the same year, "The Barranquillazo" coup was attempted by followers of General
Ramón González Valencia Ramón González Valencia (May 24, 1851 – October 3, 1928) was a Colombian conservative, military officer and statesman. He participated in the civil wars of 1876, Colombian Civil War of 1895, and the Thousand Days War.Gobernantes Colombia ...
against the General Jorge Holguín who was designated the rank of president of the republic after the resignation of the incumbent, General Reyes. The first flight of a Colombian airplane occurred in Barranquilla in December 1912, the plane being flown by the Canadian pilot George Schmitt. On December 10, 1919, the first commercial airline arrived in the Americas, and second in the world;
Scadta Sociedad Colombo Alemana de Transportes Aéreos (SCADTA; ), was the world's second airline, and the first airline in Latin America, operating from 1919 until World War II. After the war, SCADTA merged with Colombian regional carrier Colombian Air ...
later became
Avianca Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias de Colombia S.A.'', "Airways of Colombia", and stylized as avianca since October 2023) is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it ...
. In June 1919, U.S. pilot William Knox Martin and Mario Santo Domingo inaugurated industrial airmail in Colombia with a flight between Barranquilla and
Puerto Colombia Puerto Colombia is a coastal town and municipality in Atlántico Department, Colombia founded in the mid-1800s. It is famous for its " Pier of Puerto Colombia", that at one time was the largest pier in the world. Duties were later transferred to ...
, where Santo Domingo delivered the mail sack. With the connections of the river and seaport reaching the country's interior and abroad, the city became in the second half of the 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, one of the most cosmopolitan and multicultural cities of Colombia.
Puerto Colombia Puerto Colombia is a coastal town and municipality in Atlántico Department, Colombia founded in the mid-1800s. It is famous for its " Pier of Puerto Colombia", that at one time was the largest pier in the world. Duties were later transferred to ...
became one of the longest piers in the world and the principal port of Colombia, nicknamed the "Golden Gate of Colombia". A major inflow of Jewish immigrants, as well as foreigners from Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, France, Germany, the United States, Italy, China and Japan, invigorated the industry and helped to make Barranquilla a modern city. Of these immigrants, the Arab and Jewish from the Middle East immigrants were prominent, referred to wrongly as "Turks" by the Colombian people. As a result, during the first half of the twentieth century, Barranquilla became one of the fastest-growing cities of Colombia, growing at rates well above others; this was maintained until the 1970s. In this context, the office of Salgar was moved to Barranquilla, the Customs Administration of Barranquilla was constructed between 1919 and 1921, designed by the English architect Leslie Arbouin. Under economic dynamism, the city's business strength grew. This was attributed to its point of entry to the country by thousands of immigrants and many advances such as aviation. The city received from President Marco Fidel Suarez the title of "Golden Gate Republic". On January 12, 1919, amid great excitement in the
Costa Caribe Costa Caribe is a Nicaraguan professional basketball team that competes in Nicaragua's Torneo Carlos Ulloa league.
against Bogotá, Barranquilla joined the Costeña League. In 1920, archaeologists revealed that Barranquilla is located on a vast historic
necropolis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...
. On June 8, 1924, while distributing flyers for the work of
Bocas de Ceniza Bocas de Ceniza (Spanish for: ''Ash Mouths'') is the mouth of the Magdalena River in the Caribbean Sea. It owes its name to the dusky color ocean waters take to receive the river. At present, the river flows into the sea through an artificial ca ...
, the Tolima A-16 airplane, flown by German aviator Helmuth Von Krohn crashed, killing all six people aboard, including Ernesto Cortissoz, president of
SCADTA Sociedad Colombo Alemana de Transportes Aéreos (SCADTA; ), was the world's second airline, and the first airline in Latin America, operating from 1919 until World War II. After the war, SCADTA merged with Colombian regional carrier Colombian Air ...
. In 1925, the first public companies based in the country were established in Barranquilla. The initial effect of the aqueduct that was built in 1929 was the arrival of piped water to 80% of the homes, while water supply coverage in Bogotá was 59%, and decreasing to 57.3% in Medellín, 74.8% in Cali, 21.4% in Cartagena, and 36.2% in Santa Marta. In 1927, the electricity service provided by the Electric Power Company Barranquilla addressed the needs of 10,300 homes, equivalent to 74% of the total. On February 4, 1925, Scadta acquired the planes large enough to make the first international flights, which took place in August of that year between Barranquilla and
Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...
, Florida, with stops in Central America, Mexico and
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. In an era of significant progress for the city, the first private commercial radio station was founded in the country, the first station being the state HJN Colombia Bogotá. Elías Pellet Buitrago started commercial radio in Colombia with the first issue of ''La Voz de Barranquilla'' on December 8, 1929. On April 10, 1931, in a mutiny against hunger and unemployment, the people of Barranquilla destroyed the Theatre Columbia. On August 16, 1933, the Senate approved the contract for Bocas de Ceniza and work was completed in 1936 with President Alfonso Lopez inaugurating the Maritime Terminal Barranquilla. In 1935, the construction of a municipal football stadium enabled hosting of the National Game III. From the 1960s until the early 1980s, the city plunged into an economic decline, largely due to the failure of the political class as well as the collapse of major sectors of industrial activity. In 1958, the government created the first zone of Colombia in Barranquilla. The city's expansion to reach neighboring towns led to the creation of the
Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla The Barranquilla metropolitan area () is a metropolitan area in Atlántico, Colombia, centered on the city of Barranquilla. The city of Barranquilla serves as a major trade center for Colombia, housing the largest port in the country. With an es ...
in 1981. On August 18, 1993, the
Congress of Colombia The Congress of the Republic of Colombia () is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature. The Congress of Colombia consists of the 108-seat Senate, and the 188-seat Chamber of Representatives, Members of both houses are e ...
, through Legislative Act Number August 1, 17, 1993, conferred to Barranquilla the category of "Special District, Industrial and Port".


21st century

In the 21st century, the city has been working on new projects to restore itself as the strategic capital within the country. Rapid urban growth, including the mass migration of peasants to the main cities, attracted by economic development, has led to the demand of numerous proposals to accommodate such growth. Barranquilla has always been famous for its chaotic urban planning, understandable given its spontaneous origin as a port and the reality of high administrative corruption which has hampered the channeling of resources for building an urban centre of greater structure and dimensions. The presentation of a new infrastructure, changes in local and regional administration, decentralization since 1991, international pressure to open markets, and competition between the other major Colombian cities will bring about considerable development in Barranquilla into the 21st century.


Geography

The city is located in the northeastern corner of the department of the Atlantic, on the west bank of 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, ...
, (originally before rapid urban growth) from its mouth in the Caribbean. The municipality covers an area of 154 km2, equivalent to 4.5% of the area of the Atlántico Department. Barranquilla is located at latitude 10° 59' 16" north of the
Equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...
and longitude 74° 47' 20" west of
Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
, with reference to the '' Plaza de la Paz'', ground zero of the city. The urban area is built on a slightly inclined plane whose extreme heights, according to the Codazzi, are 4 m and 98 m east to west. Other sources say the slopes accidental heights of up to 120 meters outside the city. According to
Google Earth Google Earth is a web mapping, web and computer program created by Google that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satelli ...
, the height of the city varies between 0 m in the western breakwater, up to maximum 142 m in the neighborhood of Los Nogales. Politically, Barranquilla is limited to the east by the department of Magdalena (through the middle of the Magdalena River), north to the town of
Puerto Colombia Puerto Colombia is a coastal town and municipality in Atlántico Department, Colombia founded in the mid-1800s. It is famous for its " Pier of Puerto Colombia", that at one time was the largest pier in the world. Duties were later transferred to ...
and the Caribbean Sea, west with the municipalities of Puerto Colombia, Galapa and Tubará and south with the municipality of Soledad. The main river is the Magdalena River; other rivers include the Arriba, Los Tramposos, La Ahuyama, La Tablaza and Las Compañías; streams run through the ''
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'' of Rebolo, Santo Domingo, Las Américas y el Bosque; El Lindero, El Platanal, El Salado, El Salado 2, Don Juan, Hospital, La Paz, Bolívar, Felicidad, Coltabaco, Siape, Calle 92, and the streets 8, 15, 19, 51, 53, 58, 65 and 71. There are also the marshes of Mallorquín Swamp. The north of Barranquilla, from 11° N, corresponded to a region "with good chances of rain water infiltration," while the southern part appears as "low infiltration, poor soil and possible flooding from rain." The geological composition of the region is the
Tertiary period The Tertiary ( ) is an obsolete Period (geology), geologic period spanning 66 million to 2.6 or 1.8 million years ago. The period began with the extinction of the non-bird, avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at t ...
(''
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
and
Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
(''
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
and
Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...
'') in the flatter, like the sole of river. According to the ''Geographic Institute Agustin Codazzi'', the materials in the area are mainly Quaternary alluvial, lacustrine, fluviolacustre. The land ranges from banks, dikes, terraces, valleys, narrow, small alluvial fans, to marshes, swamps, flats and hills. The materials of the Tertiary (''Miocene and Pliocene'') are in the western hills, and presented as varied slopes.


Climate

Barranquilla has a
tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Aw''); it is hot all-year-round, with high levels of
relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...
. The average temperature is . Daytime temperatures usually remain around . Nevertheless, from late November to early April,
trade wind The trade winds or easterlies are permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere, ...
s more or less cool it to a more comfortable temperature during daylight. During the evening and through the night, temperature can change due to the strong winds it receives. Rainy seasons are from April to June and from August to November, when some streets flood producing "arroyos" (streams) that can be very dangerous, given the lack of appropriate rain drainage in some sectors of town.


Flora

According to the Agustín Codazzi Geographic Institute ( Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi), Barranquilla has a dry tropical forest vegetation (according to the
Holdridge life zones The Holdridge life zones system is a global bioclimatic scheme for the classification of land areas. It was first published by Leslie Holdridge in 1947, and updated in 1967. It is a relatively simple system based on few empirical data, giving ob ...
), which includes species including
cacti A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...
,
mangroves A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen and remove sal ...
, '' Acanthocereus'', '' Prosopis juliflora'', divi-divi, ''
Tabebuia rosea ''Tabebuia rosea'', also called pink poui, and rosy trumpet tree is a neotropical tree that grows up to and can reach a diameter at breast height of up to . The Spanish name ''roble de sabana'', meaning "savannah oak", is widely used in Costa R ...
'', and flamboyant or flame tree. In the fertile lands watered by the Magdalena River, one can find species such as '' Eichhornia azurea'', ''
Typha angustifolia ''Typha angustifolia'' is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus ''Typha'', native throughout most of Eurasia and locally in northwest Africa; it also occurs widely in North America, where its native status is disputed. It is an "obligate we ...
'', ''
Heliconia ''Heliconia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the monotypic family Heliconiaceae. Most of the 194 known species are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to certain islands of the western Pacific and Maluku (province), ...
'', ''
Eichhornia crassipes ''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range.Anacardium excelsum ''Anacardium excelsum'', the wild cashew, ''espavél'' or ''espavé'', is a tree in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The tree is common in the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests of Pacific and Atlantic watersheds of Central ...
'', and '' Lecythis minor''. Found in urban areas are such tree species as '' Gliricidia sepium'', '' Cassia nodosa'', ''
Bursera simaruba ''Bursera simaruba'', commonly known as gumbo-limbo, the tourist tree, copperwood, almácigo, chaca, West Indian birch, naked Indian, and turpentine tree, is a tree species in the family Burseraceae, native to the Neotropics, from South Florid ...
'', ''
Terminalia catappa ''Terminalia catappa'' is a large Tropics, tropical tree in the leadwood tree family, Combretaceae, native to Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Madagascar and Seychelles. Common names in English include country almond, Indian almond, Malabar almond, ...
'', ''
Casuarina equisetifolia ''Casuarina equisetifolia'', commonly known as coastal she-oak, horsetail she-oak, ironwood, beach sheoak, beach casuarina, whistling tree or Australian pine is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is native to Australia, ...
'', and species of ''
Ceiba ''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to Tropics, tropical and Subtropics, subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to northern Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall ...
'' such as ''
Ceiba pentandra ''Ceiba pentandra'' is a tropical tree of the order (biology), order Malvales and the family (biology), family Malvaceae (previously emplaced in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, ...
'', ''
Hura crepitans ''Hura crepitans'', the sandbox tree, also known as possumwood, monkey no-climb, assacu (from Tupi ''asaku'') and jabillo, is an evergreen tree in the family Euphorbiaceae, native to tropical regions of North and South America including the Amaz ...
'' and ''
Ficus elastica ''Ficus elastica'', the rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush, Indian rubber tree, or rambung is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to eastern parts of South and Southeast Asia. It has ...
'', ''
Ochroma pyramidale ''Ochroma pyramidale'', commonly known as balsa, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus ''Ochroma'', and is classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the mallow family Malvaceae. The tree is f ...
'', '' Licania tomentosa'', ''
Ficus religiosa ''Ficus religiosa'' or sacred fig is a species of fig native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina that belongs to Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as the bodhi tree, bo tree, peepul tree, peepal tree, pipala tree or ...
'', ''
Ficus benghalensis ''Ficus benghalensis'', ''Ficus indica'', or ''Ficus audrey'' commonly known as the banyan, banyan fig and Indian banyan, is a tree native to the Indian Subcontinent. Specimens in India are among the largest trees in the world by canopy coverage. ...
'', ''
Spathodea campanulata ''Spathodea'' is a genus in the plant family Bignoniaceae. The single species it contains, ''Spathodea campanulata'', is commonly known as the African tulip tree. The tree grows between tall and is native to tropical dry forests of Africa. It h ...
'', ''
Enterolobium cyclocarpum ''Enterolobium cyclocarpum'', commonly known as conacaste, guanacaste, caro caro, devil's ear tree, monkey-ear tree, or elephant-ear tree, is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, that is native to tropical regions of the America ...
'', ''
Samanea saman ''Samanea saman'' is a species of Flowering plant, flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, now in the Mimosoideae, Mimosoid clade and is native to Central and South America. It is often placed in the genus ''Samanea'', which by yet other aut ...
'', ''
Gmelina arborea ''Gmelina arborea'', (in English beechwood, gmelina, goomar teak, Kashmir tree, Malay beechwood, white teak, yamane ), locally known as gamhar, is a fast-growing deciduous tree in the family Lamiaceae. Distribution and habitat ''Gmelina arborea ...
'', '' Ficus nitida'', '' Cordia sebestena'', ''
Tabebuia chrysantha ''Handroanthus chrysanthus'' (araguaney or yellow ipê), formerly classified as ''Tabebuia chrysantha'', also known as ''araguaney'' in Venezuela, as ''guayacán'' in Colombia and Panama, as ''chonta quiru'' in Peru, and Ecuador, as ''tajibo'' i ...
'', '' Kigelia pinnata'', ''
Swietenia macrophylla ''Swietenia macrophylla'', commonly known as mahogany, Honduran mahogany, Honduras mahogany, or big-leaf mahogany is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family. It is one of three species that yields genuine mahogany timber (Swietenia), the ot ...
'', ''
Thespesia populnea ''Thespesia populnea'', commonly known as the portia tree (), Pacific rosewood, Indian tulip tree, or milo, among other names, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a tree found commonly on coasts ar ...
'', ''
Sterculia apetala ''Sterculia apetala'', the Panama tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is found in Florida, southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, and has been introduced to the Caribbean islands. ''Sterculia a ...
'', ''
Cocos nucifera The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...
'', ''
Ficus benjamina ''Ficus benjamina'', commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok. The ...
'', '' Guazuma ulmifolia'', '' Erythrina variegata'', ''
Crescentia cujete ''Crescentia cujete'', commonly known as the calabash tree, is a species of flowering plant a medium size tree in the trumpet vine family Bignoniaceae native to the Americas, and which is grown in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, So ...
'', ''
Cassia fistula ''Cassia fistula'', also known as golden shower, purging cassia, Indian laburnum, kani konna, or pudding-pipe tree,U. S. Department of Agriculture, William Saunders; Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agric ...
'', ''
Azadirachta indica ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus ''Azadirachta''. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of Sout ...
'', '' Sapindus saponaria'' and various palms such as ''
Roystonea regia ''Roystonea regia'', commonly known as the royal palm, Cuban royal palm, or Florida royal palm, is a species of Arecaceae, palm native to Mexico, the Caribbean, Florida, and parts of Central America. A large and attractive palm, it has been plan ...
'' and '' Phoenix roebelenii''. Fruit trees in the area include ''
Mangifera indica ''Mangifera indica'', commonly known as mango, is an evergreen species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is a large fruit tree, capable of growing to a height and width of . There are two distinct genetic populations in modern m ...
'', ''
Manilkara zapota ''Manilkara zapota'', commonly known as sapodilla (), sapote, chicozapote, chicoo, chicle, naseberry, nispero, or soapapple, among other names, is an evergreen tree native to southern Mexico and Central America. An example natural occurrence is ...
'', ''
Melicoccus bijugatus ''Melicoccus bijugatus'' is a fruit-bearing tree in the soapberry family Sapindaceae, native or naturalized across the New World tropics including South and Central America, and parts of the Caribbean. Its stone-bearing fruits, commonly called ...
'', '' Psidium littorale'', ''
Coccoloba uvifera ''Coccoloba uvifera'' is a species of tree and flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. Its common names include seagrape and baygrape. It is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean. It has edible fru ...
'', '' Ziziphus vulgaris'', ''
Annona squamosa ''Annona squamosa'' is a small, well-branched tree or shrub from the family Annonaceae that bears edible fruits called sugar apples or sweetsops or custard apples. It tolerates a tropical lowland climate better than its relatives ''Annona reticul ...
'', ''
Tamarindus indica Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the f ...
'', ''
Spondias purpurea ''Spondias purpurea'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to tropical regions of the Americas, from Mexico to northern Colombia and the southwest Caribbean Islands. It has also been introduced to a ...
'', ''
Anacardium occidentale Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tal ...
'', '' guanábana'', and '' Citrus x limon''.


Fauna

Some animal species can be found in the city such as birds like
owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...
s,
wren Wrens are a family, Troglodytidae, of small brown passerine birds. The family includes 96 species and is divided into 19 genera. All species are restricted to the New World except for the Eurasian wren that is widely distributed in the Old Worl ...
s, and parrots; fish such as mullet in the marshes; insects such as
butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...
,
flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...
,
mosquitoes Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by '' mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, ...
,
gnat GNAT is a free-software compiler for the Ada programming language which forms part of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC). It supports all versions of the language, i.e. Ada 2012, Ada 2005, Ada 95 and Ada 83. Originally its ...
s,
cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are insects belonging to the Order (biology), order Blattodea (Blattaria). About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known Pest (organism), pests. Modern cockro ...
es and
termites Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the sof ...
; mammals such as feral dogs and cats,
monkeys Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, co ...
,
rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
and possums (zorrochuchos);
reptiles Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...
such as
iguanas ''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described by Austrian naturalist J.N. Laurenti in 1768. Two species are plac ...
, snakes and
tortoises Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard ...
. In some rural areas horses,
donkeys The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...
, cattle, pigs and goats are raised.


Ecology and natural resources

Barranquilla contains important ecosystems such as the Magdalena River, Mallorquín Swamp and the Eastern pipe system. The completion of the construction of embankments of Bocas de Ceniza in 1936 resulted in the deterioration of the swamp, which was originally four marshes, and led to the deterioration of the nearby beaches of Puerto Colombia. The stream of La Victoria flows through Barranquilla Botanical Garden, a community and recreational green area for public use with an approximate area of 7 hectares, located in the southeastern part of the city, in the neighborhood of La Victoria. The lush vegetation and clear water springs have allowed a suitable habitat for rare native plant and animal species found within the city.


Environmental pollution

;Air quality Under wind, atmospheric pollutants move in a north and northeasterly direction, and in times of low winds or moderate winds, are more evenly distributed over the city. The most polluting industrial processes in the city are
ammonium sulfate Ammonium sulfate (American English and international scientific usage; ammonium sulphate in British English); (NH4)2SO4, is an inorganic salt with a number of commercial uses. The most common use is as a soil fertilizer. It contains 21% nitrogen a ...
, cement,
plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
, and paper pulp. The emission of gases from motor vehicle traffic is more critical in the central district, where much of the business is. The main source of air pollution is from the vehicles at 34% and then industry with 18%. The pollutants emitted by vehicles are
carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...
(89.12%),
sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is r ...
(0.23%),
hydrocarbon In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and Hydrophobe, hydrophobic; their odor is usually fain ...
s (6.46%), oxides of
nitrogen Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a Nonmetal (chemistry), nonmetal and the lightest member of pnictogen, group 15 of the periodic table, often called the Pnictogen, pnictogens. ...
(3.82%) and other particles (0. 37%). To help remedy this problem, several state enterprises and private sector have supported a project to convert liquid fuel vehicles to natural gas. Furthermore, the city has installed more than 12 service stations catering to natural gas vehicles. Barranquilla is the fourth-biggest atmospheric polluter from industry. According to research conducted by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies of Colombia (IDEAM), monthly concentrations in Barranquilla of particulate matter smaller than 160 micrograms per cubic meter exceeds the highest international standard allowed of 70. The causes of this problem lie heavily with the poor quality of petrol and diesel used by vehicles in the city, with record levels of 5,000 ppm (parts per million sulfur) and 4,500 ppm respectively, when there are countries whose rates do not even exceed 50. ;Water pollution All of the surface water systems of Barranquilla, the Magdalena River, the Mallorquín swamp, and the system of pipes and streams in the east are subject to water pollution as well as the dumping of raw sewage and solid waste by individuals. The environmental effect has been reduced mainly on the Mallorquín swamp with the construction of ponds and the Estación Depuradora de Aguas Residuales (EDAR) by the Triple A. ;Noise The maximum noise allowed is 64 decibels for residential areas, and 70 to 75 for commercial and industrial areas. In the center of Barranquilla, the noise generated by vehicular traffic and commercial activity in peak hours can reach levels above 90 decibels, making it a risk factor for population health.


Administration


Branches of public power

Barranquilla is administered by the Mayor, elected for 4 years, who represents the executive branch, to pronounce decrees and acts as legal representative, in the court and district court. The current mayor Jaime Pumarejo Heins began his term of office in 2020. Also appointed are local mayors which have the coordinating role of taking district government administrative action at each location along with the mayors elected by popular vote, which integrate local administrative boards of the localities in which the city is divided. The governor of Atlántico, Elsa Noguera since 2020, has its offices in the city and influence in the management of some critical entities such as, Universidad del Atlántico, the Library Department and the Regional Autonomous Corporation of the Atlántico, involving environmental management. Administratively, the mayor of Barranquilla is backed by the central government, with agencies reporting directly to the Mayor. Some administrative and technical departments are responsible for advising the mayor, the control of urban and administrative aspects and the development of different urban projects. As for the judiciary branch, the Judicial District of Barranquilla is formed by the Superior Court of the Judicial District of Barranquilla, the Judicial Circle of Barranquilla, the Judicial Circle of Soledad and the Judicial Circle of Sabanalarga. The Court is formed by the Civil-Family Chamber (six judges), the Laboral Chamber (five judges) and the Penal Chamber (three judges). The Judicial Circle of Barranquilla is formed by the civil, family, laboral and penal tribunals of Barranquilla, as well as the combined tribunals of Galapa, Juan de Acosta-Tubará, Piojó and Puerto Colombia


Administrative divisions

According to Act 768 of 2002, the district of Barranquilla is politically and administratively divided into five localities: Riomar, Norte-Centro Histórico, Sur Occidente, Sur Oriente and Metropolitana. Each locality is co-managed by the elected mayors and local mayors (one per locality) appointed by the Mayor. This choice is regulated by the District Administration. At the same time, localities are subdivided into barrios, there are 188 ''
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'' or wards and approximately 7,611 blocks. Legislative Act 01 of 1993 established that the district of Barranquilla also includes the neighborhood Las Flores, the village of La Playa (formerly belonging to the municipality of Puerto Colombia), and the western breakwater of Bocas de Ceniza in the Magdalena River Swamp area of Mallorquín/ The local authority also includes the village of Juan Mina


Metropolitan Area

The Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla is an urban agglomeration located in the northeastern corner of Atlántico. Its main focus is the district of Barranquilla and Soledad peripheral municipalities, Galapa, Puerto Colombia, Malambo. It was created by Decree Law 3104 December 14, 1979, article 16, and put into operation by ordinance 028 December 11, 1981. Its operation is governed by Act 128 of 1994 ("Ley Orgánica de Áreas Metropolitanas"). It is run by the Metropolitan Board, which is chaired by the Metropolitan Mayor, who in turn is the district mayor of Barranquilla. In addition, the Board is composed of the governor of the Atlántico department, the mayors of suburban municipalities, the representative council of Barranquilla and one representative from the councils of the associated municipalities. The director of the entity is the Secretary of the Metropolitan Board.


Defense

Barranquilla is home to the First Division of the
National Army of Colombia The National Army of Colombia () is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, and is the second largest army in the ...
, formed in part by the Second Mechanised Brigade, which consists of the No. 4 Battalion Mechanized Infantry Battalion. No. 2 Military Police Battalion. No. 2 Support Services, and other units. In the nearby town of Malambo is located the No.3 Air Combat Command (Cacom 3) of the
Colombian Air Force The Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC, ) is the air force of the Republic of Colombia. The Colombian Aerospace Force is one of the three institutions of the Military Forces of Colombia charged, according to the 1991 Constitution, with working to exe ...
, which is responsible for ensuring the constitutional order and to exercise national sovereignty over air operations and whose jurisdiction comprises the mainland north of Colombia, the island area of the
Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina The Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina (, ), or San Andrés and Providencia, is one of the departments of Colombia, and the only one located geographically in Central America. It consists of two island groups in the Caribb ...
and Colombian territorial waters in the Caribbean Sea.


State institutions

In Barranquilla are the most important regional headquarters of many Colombian state entities, which are intended to develop programs and strategies defined by national guidelines. Aside from the Judiciary and Superior courts of Barranquilla these include the Attorney General's Office, Attorney General's Office, Comptroller General's Office, the Administrative Security Department, National Apprenticeship Service, the National Civil Registry, National Police, Army, Superintendent of Public Services Ombudsman, Telecom, Instituto de Seguros Sociales (ISS), Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar, Colombian Institute of Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad Solidarity Network, National Bureau of Statistics, Chamber of Commerce, Bureau of Revenue and Customs (DIAN) Banco de la República, the Colombian Air Force), Navy, Codazzi, the Supreme Judicial Council, National Compensation Fund (Cajanal), among others.


Economy

To give a boost to the infrastructure development of the city,
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
(IBRD) loans were sought from 1952 onwards to improve municipal water works, sewage system and slaughterhouse services. Because of its importance in the sector of national economy, the municipality of Barranquilla passed to the category of Special Industrial District and Port in 1993. Barranquilla is a major industrial centre and its economic activity is dynamic, concentrated mainly in industry, commerce, finance, services and fishing. Among the industrial products are
vegetable fats and oils Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of edible plants. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed ...
, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, industrial footwear, dairy products, meats, beverages, soap, building materials, furniture, plastics, cement, metalworking parts, garments clothing, buses and boats, and petroleum products. Its port is also the hub for cotton from the rural areas, coffee and petroleum, apart from the diversified industrial products manufactured in the city. The maritime and river ports are engines of the industrial and commercial development of the region. The port of Barranquilla covers two main routes. The Magdalena River connects with the inner country, and the Caribbean Coast, through which millions of tons are traded with the United States, Europe and Asia. Barranquilla has an international airport, and it is one of the two airports in the country authorized for international cargo. The new Center of Events and Exhibitions of the Caribbean, aims to become the epicenter of business, trade, investment and culture of the Caribbean. The city's economic activity is dynamic and focuses mainly on industry, commerce, finance, logistics services and fishing. Industrial products include: vegetable fats and oils, pharmaceutical products, industrial chemicals, shoes, dairy products, soft drinks, construction materials, furniture, plastics, cement, clothes, and metal mechanical parts, among others. The
Arabs 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 yea ...
(Syro Lebanese) and Jews who were a small group of immigrants to the country in the late 19th century were exclusively involved in commercial activities and made significant value additions to the economy of the Caribbean natural region in Colombia as a whole and Barranquilla in particular. Their prominent presence in the community known as "cosmopolitan bourgeoisie" as social and political elites, which has enabled them to diversify their activities.


Statistics

According to the Integrated Household Survey by DANE, in Barranquilla, during the quarter February to April 2010, the overall participation rate (TGP) was 58.5% occupancy rate (TO) of 53 5%, the underemployment rate subjective (TS Sub), 8.4%, the underemployment rate target (TS Obj) of 6.5% and the unemployment rate (TD) of 5.5%. Also, for the period May 2009 – April 2010, the TGP was 58%, 52.4% OT, ST (U) of 10.6%, CS (Obj) 5.6% and TD of 4.7%. According to the 2005 census, 12.0% of establishments engaged in industry, 65.2% in trade, services 51.3% and 1.4% to another activity. 24.8% of rural homes were occupied in farming. 43.5% of the establishments served between 1 and 10 jobs the month before the census. Most households simultaneously have 2 or 3 types of activities to make a living. The Gran Central de Abastos del Caribe market hall is very important for the collection and distribution of food to the city. The City of Barranquilla is today under a new administration of Mayor Alejandro Char,who made a lot of changes in the whole metropolitan area,with the construction of Trans Millennium, modernizing the city and promoting the industry and commerce taken the city to have the lowest unemployment of the whole nation, Barranquilla has today only 5.6% unemployment,while the nation is over 12%.


Economic zones

According to the results of the Index of Industrial density by department in four major cities (IDI) 2000–2006 DANE, Barranquilla is fourth with a coefficient of 1.4338 establishments per km ². The primary industrial corridors are the Vía 40, Circunvalar, Calle 30, and Barranquillita. Industrial parks include Metroparque, Industrial del Caribe, Industrial Riomar, Industrial, Comercial y Portuario (PIPCA), Industrial del Norte, Industrial La Trinidad, and the long established Marisol and Almaviva. The city is divided into different infrastructure zones; the Zona Franca de Barranquilla is the oldest and largest of the country which has around 90 companies operating within it. , the construction of three new zones is underway with all international specifications, the first in Galapa, to and 20 minutes from the port, the second in Barranquillita and third in the neighboring village of Juan Mina, known as the La Cayena. The sea and river terminals are the engines of industrial and commercial development of the Caribbean Region. The port of Barranquilla covers two main routes, the Magdalena River, which communicates with the interior of the country and the Caribbean Sea, from which millions of tonnes of goods are traded Europe and Asia. With the growing expansion and demand for coal, the authorities are considering developing a Deep Water Port of Barranquilla, "''Superpuerto''", as it is called locally, with an initial investment of $170 million.


Demographics

According to the census conducted by DANE in 2005, adjusted to June 30, 2007, the population of Barranquilla is 1,148,506, with 1,821,517 people in its metropolitan area, making it the most populous city of the Colombian Caribbean Coast and the fourth in the nation after Bogotá, Medellín and Cali.Municipal Populations in 2005
, in the
2005 census
''. Sistema de Consulta de Información Censal.
Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística The National Administrative Department of Statistics (), commonly referred to as DANE, is the Colombian Administrative Department responsible for the planning, compilation, analysis and dissemination of the official statistics of Colombia. DANE ...
. Colombia. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
In accordance with Article 102 of Act 142 of 1994, the different neighborhoods of the city are classified according to the 6 socioeconomic categories for residential property in Colombia. The layers 1 and 2 correspond to the sectors in southeast, southwest, northwest and northeast of the city, layers 3 and 4 to the south-central, the central and northern part, and layers 5 and 6 to the north. Approximately 1,144,470 people live in urban areas and 4,036 in rural areas. The population density is 6918.71 inhabitants per square kilometre. 47.5% of the population is male and the remaining 52.5% female. Approximately 57.9% of households have 4 or fewer people. 26.7% of the population of the city was born in another municipality and 0.4% in another country. 5.3% of the population of Barranquilla has a permanent limitation. According to the 2005 census, 61.5% of people living were living in a home, 32.4% in apartments and 6.2% in another housing solution. Among the causes of change of residence, 63.3% of the population of Barranquilla who changed residence in the last five years did so for family reasons. 9.2% for difficulty in finding a job, 13.3% for other reasons and 2% to avoid life-threatening situations. File:Barranquilla - Población por sexo.png, Gender proportion File:Tipo de vivienda en Barranquilla - Angélica.png, Type of housing File:Bq - Distribución de la población según lugar de nacimiento.PNG, Population by place of birth


Birth and death

In 2007 there were 29,900 births in Barranquilla, which was a sharp decrease compared to 32,108 in 2006. Deaths in 2007 were 4,310 in the city, which shows a decrease compared to 5,938 in 2006. Barranquilla men have a life expectancy at birth of 72.07 years and women 77.71 years, much like the national average (74.0). The infant mortality rate of 17.7 for every thousand children born is well below the national average (26). The government aims to lower it to 15, and in children under five years from 20.7 to 18.


Crime and security

In Barranquilla, in 2007 there were 348 homicides compared to 391 in 2006, a decrease of 11% over the previous year. In Colombia, in 2007 the homicide rate per 100,000 population from Barranquilla (22) is only exceeded by those of Cali (57),
Bucaramanga Bucaramanga () is the capital and largest city of the department of Santander Department, Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth-largest economy by GDP in Colombia, has the lowest unemployment rate and is the ninth most populous city i ...
(32) and Medellín (30). In the past 6 years (2002–2007), however, the number of homicides has been declining, the lowest in 2007 with a peak of 483 killings in 2003. Thuggery (42.24%), fights (31.61%) and robbery (14.94%) are the main types of homicide in the city. Historically, the days when most homicides occur are Saturday and Sunday, but in 2007 there was a uniform distribution (approximately 15%) on all days. 85.23% of homicides are by firearm; Barranquilla and Cali in 2007 recorded the highest percentage of homicides involving firearms in Colombia. Most homicides are concentrated in the centre and south of the city. Another type of crime in Barranquilla also showed a growth trend over the past two years is theft, commercial entities (713 in 2007, 630 in 2006, mainly in the north and centre), residences (528 in 2007, 467 in, 2006 mainly in the north), financial institutions (20 in 2006 21 in 2007 mainly in the north) and people (2,692 in 2007, 2,146 in 2006, mainly in centre, north and south). The programs developed by the Policía del Atlántico to improve safety are: CAI Mobile Community, Youth Civic Police, DARE and Make Peace. Citizen Support Network is made up of School Safety, Security Fronts, the Road Information Community Networks, the network of informants and collaborators and the Support Network and Communications. Community management has sought to increase police presence on the streets and neighborhoods and has set up the Police Bike Block which consists of 1 officer, 3 NCOs, 8 and 60 auxiliary patrol graduates. The city is operating the emergency telephone system of the National Police, through the toll free number 112. In addition to the National Police, the Fire Department, Civil Defense and Red Cross assist in the maintenance of public safety. Currently, the city is undergoing a crime wave with violent thefts often resulting in the death of the victims, shootings or general chaos and impunity.


Cityscape


City planning


Centro histórico

The Centro histórico is between Carreras 35 and 46 and Calles 30 and 46, and includes parts of San Roque and Downtown districts. It is part of the town historical centre and North-Central District. In the Centro histórico are the headquarters of the administrative powers of the city and the department. Socio-economically, this was the most important area until the 80's, when the centre's deterioration led to the displacement of formal trade and banking to the north of the city. Despite the decline, the Centre remains at the heart of the city and is the most representative and important sector in economic terms. There is an intense commercial activity at the public market. In addition, the centre hosts a number of buildings of the Republican period and structures of immense historical and architectural value. The Centro histórico of Barranquilla is a nationally protected site by the Ministry of Culture through resolution 1614 of 1999. Since the 90's, the historic center of Barranquilla is in the process of recovery, which was consolidated in 2008 with the Ministry of Culture's announcement for a public competition of urban design. At local government level, the development of Barranquilla centre is sponsored by the Promotora del Desarrollo del Distrito Central de Barranquilla S.A. (Promocentro), a decentralized body attached to the District Municipality. ; El paseo de Bolívar The paseo de Bolívar, in the heart of Barranquilla, is the most important avenue of the city and the place from which it expanded. Until the late nineteenth century it was called Calle Ancha (Broad Street), but in 1886 Mayor Antonio Abello renamed it Abello. In the early twentieth century it was located at the north end of Columbus statue, so it was called Paseo de Colón. In 1937, a plaza was built at its northern end with an equestrian statue of the Liberator Simon Bolívar, a gift from Andrés Obregón to the city in 1919, and it was renamed Paseo de Bolívar. It is the linchpin of the historic center, housing many buildings from the Republican period which are in the process of being restored.


Public spaces

Land use, including public space and urban planning, are regulated by the Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial which is prepared by the Mayor through the District Planning Secretariat, and approved or revised by the District Council.Barranquilla has an acute deficiency of public spaces and planting trees, reflected in an average of of squares and green areas per inhabitant. The area of the city that has the highest use of public space is the Centre, where 9069 stationary street vendors exist according to the 2005 census. ;Plazas Among the plazas of the city are ''Plaza de Bolívar'', located at the north end of the promenade of the same name which is the center of the city and the spearhead of restoration of the historic centre, rebuilt in 2003. ''Plaza de San Nicolás'', opposite the church of San Nicolas, was the center of the cultural, commercial and religious Barranquilla in early twentieth century. '' Plaza de la Paz'' was built in 1986 opposite the Metropolitan Cathedral to welcome
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
. It is an important site of mass social, political and cultural demonstrations. It contains the sculpture "El Policía Amigo". Plazuela Esthercita Forero is located between Carrera 43 and Calle 74, was built in 2003. It pays tribute to the composer Esthercita Forero, who has a statue and floor plates with the names of his songs. Plaza Mario Santo Domingo is an important public space that is part of the Caribbean Cultural Park and Plaza de la Locomotora, was built in 2002, as part of the Cultural Complex of the former Customs. It exhibits a locomotive of the era where goods were moved by rail between Barranquilla and the alternate port located in the town of Puerto Colombia. ;Parks ''Parque Tomás Surí Salcedo'' was named in honor of the Minister of Finance, and was built in 1921. Located in the strategic area of Calle 72 and Avenida Olaya Herrera, it offers rides and houses the Elías Chegwin basketball arena. It also hosts the annual ''Festival del Dulce'' in time for Easter. ''Parque Metropolitano'', located on the south side of the Roberto Melendez stadium and velodrome in the south of the city also contains a part of the Murillo bridge over the Avenue Circunvalar. It was built for the 2001
Copa América The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship), often simply called the Copa America, is the top men's quadrennial association football, football tournament contested among list of men's national ass ...
. In 2007 a sculpture of
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
was added there. ''Parque Santander'', dedicated to the memory of
Francisco de Paula Santander Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña (April 2, 1792 – May 6, 1840) was a Neogranadine military and political leader who served as Vice-President of Gran Colombia between 1819 and 1826, and was later elected by Congress as the President ...
, lies in the heart of the traditional neighborhood of El Prado. And ''Parque de Los Fundadores'' is located in the ancient neighborhood of El Prado along the central boulevard; it contains several monuments like the eagle in tribute to aviation pioneers who were killed in the crash of 1924. ;Monuments Barranquilla pays tribute to local heroes and national personalities and sister nations, as well as national holidays, sports, art, culture and historical and religious events and religious. Among the most important monuments of the city are the Equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar (1919), in the square of the same name, the center of the city, the Carrara marble statue of Christopher Columbus the Discoverer on the Boulevard de la Carrera 50., which was a gift from the Italian colony in 1892 to mark the fourth centenary of the discovery of America, the Statue of Liberty at Independence Park, a gift from the
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
n colony in 1910 to mark the centenary of the Independence of Colombia, the statue of General Francisco de Paula Santander (1922) in the park of the same name and the Monumento a la Bandera (1932). In 2007, three historic cannons that were used in the cause of independence were restored: the famous Cañón Verde, Boliche and Rebolo The first two were located in the corners of the south side of the Plaza de Bolívar and the last in the first floor of City Hall. ;Road Naming Barranquilla has a complete road layout, where the roads are twisted in a perpendicular way forming blocks. Using an alphanumeric nomenclature replaced the vernacular names. Streets were named to those that progress from east to west and starting at the Maritime Terminal and those moving from south to north, from Avenue Circunvalar, in the field of the Metropolitan Stadium. If the property is situated on a street, an address will begin by Calle (otherwise by Carrera), followed by the number of the street and then separated by the # symbol and then usually the name/number of the closest cross street. For example, Calle 47B # 21–10; Carrera 5 Sur # 50–04.


Architecture

Barranquilla's architecture was built almost entirely in the twentieth century. In the city there are buildings of the colonial period in the early decades of the independent nation, but the profusion of styles that flourished from the late nineteenth century give the city a cosmopolitan atmosphere. This architectural splendor is testament to the influence of the people arriving in the port for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, many of whom settled in Barranquilla and imported architectural styles. Among the most important styles are neoclassical and art deco and interesting examples of neo-colonial architecture, modern, contemporary, eclectic, Mudejar, Spanish late Baroque, Mozarabic and
Netherlands Antilles The Netherlands Antilles (, ; ), also known as the Dutch Antilles, was a constituent Caribbean country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consisting of the islands of Saba (island), Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten in the Lesser Antilles, ...
style Caribbean architecture. Some modern buildings are influenced by international architects such as
Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was b ...
,
Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , ; ), was a Swiss-French architectural designer, painter, urban planner and writer, who was one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture ...
(who was in Barranquilla at the end of the 1940s), Leopoldo Rother,
Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect, academic, and interior designer. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. He is regarded as one of the pionee ...
and
Richard Neutra Richard Joseph Neutra ( ; 8 April 1892 – 16 April 1970) was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for most of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. His most ...
, among others that have contributed to an impressive architectural landscape. ;Republican architecture The so-called "Republican architecture" "style" refers to the architecture of the period in Colombia after independence in 1819, wand around 1930, which brings together different styles in the city, including the late baroque and neoclassical Spanish. Since the beginning of the twentieth century neoclassical buildings were especially welcome in Barranquilla. Among the outstanding examples are Instituto La Salle, Villa Heraldo, la Corporación Autónoma Regional del Atlántico (former home of writer
Álvaro Cepeda Samudio Álvaro Cepeda Samudio (March 30, 1926 – October 12, 1972) was a Colombian people, Colombian journalist, novelist, short story writer, and filmmaker. Within Colombia and the rest of Latin America, Cepeda Samudio is known as an important and inno ...
), the residence of Ezequiel Rosado, Funeraria Jardines del Recuerdo, the restored Customs building, the former Banco Comercial de Barranquilla and Banco Dugand y La Perla, among many others, mainly in the neighborhood of El Prado and in the Centro Histórico de Barranquilla. Other noteworthy buildings are the Hotel El Prado (Spanish late Baroque), the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Universidad del Atlántico and the Intendencia Fluvial. ; The transition (1930–1945) Colombian architectural movement prior to the Modern Movement looks notably different from buildings of the Republicans. Most prominent is
Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
and
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
. In the city there are many buildings with Art Deco style, typical of the 1930s, as the
Estadio Romelio Martínez es:Estadio is the spanish language word for Stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered s ...
(1935), the Departmental Library of Barranquilla (1945), the Rex Theatre (1935), the late Metro Theatre (1946, former Apollo) Shaare Sedek Synagogue (1946–1947), the building of the Agricultural Exhibition (1936, later became Industrial School), the Eckardt building (1939 ), the former residence of the Cuban architect Manuel Carrerá in the Bellavista neighborhood, the García building (1938),
Teatro Colón The Teatro Colón () is a historic opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acoustics expert Leo Beranek among leadin ...
(1946), the former building of
Avianca Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias de Colombia S.A.'', "Airways of Colombia", and stylized as avianca since October 2023) is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it ...
(1934), the last four designed by Manuel Carrerá. The Estadio Romelio Martínez stadium was recognized in 1995 as a national monument by the Ministry of Culture, the first Art Deco building in Barranquilla to obtain this declaration. ; Modern movement (1945–1970) The
Modern Architecture Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architectur ...
is characterized by being free of ornamental designs that identify the buildings of the Republican period, and the trend toward architectural rationalism in concrete. Among the most valuable examples of modern architecture in the city include the National Building (1945), seat of the judicial branch, designed by German architect Leopoldo Rother, Queen Mary's Cathedral (begun in 1955) and the old building of the Agricultural Credit Bank (1964), located on the top of Paseo de Bolívar and designed by architect Fernando Martínez Sanabria. Also, worth mentioning is the Sena buildings, the elegant building of Telecom (with a sculpture by
Alejandro Obregón Alejandro Jesús Obregón Rosės (4 June 1920 – 11 April 1992) was a Colombian painter, muralist, sculptor and engraver. Biography Obregón was born in Barcelona, Spain. He was the son of a Colombian father and a Catalan mother. The Obreg ...
in the square of access), the buildings of the Universidad del Atlantico and the Mayor building in the Paseo de Bolívar, a former building of the Bank of the Republic. ; (1970–1985) This is a period in which the system ''Unidad de Poder Adquisitivo Constante'' (UPAC) resulted in the commercialization of architecture at the expense of spatial quality and aesthetics. The search for safer environments brought about the proliferation of housing complexes and shopping centres closed. The Postmodern Movement appears briefly trying to enhance the historical styles left behind by the modern movement. During this recovery period, buildings of important architectural heritage were recognized and protected such as the Centro Histórico. Among the most representative buildings of this period include the Executive Centre I, the Girasol building, the towers of the Banco Popular, Bogotá and Bancolombia, and the Rodrigo Lara Bonilla building. ; Contemporary architecture Of note are recent buildings such as the World Trade Center of Barranquilla and many apartment towers north of the city and headquarters of Metrotel and Prado Office Center, neoclassical, to be consistent with the architecture of the neighborhood of El Prado, where they are located. ; Religious buildings The city has a large number of
places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is so ...
, exhibiting a rich variety of architectural styles, from
neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
to
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
and
Neo-Mudéjar Neo-Mudéjar is a type of Moorish Revival architecture practised in the Iberian Peninsula and to a far lesser extent in Ibero-America. This architectural movement emerged as a revival of Mudéjar style. It was an architectural trend of the late 19 ...
, contributing to the city's architectural charm. Some of the prominent religious buildings include: * María Reina Metropolitan Cathedral, known for its stunning stained glass windows. This cathedral showcases neo-Gothic architecture and is located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * San Nicolás de Tolentino Church, known for its strong neo-Gothic architecture, this church is dedicated to
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Nicholas of Tolentino, OSA (, c. 1246September 10, 1305) known as the "Patron of Holy Souls", was an Italian Catholic mystic who is invoked as an advocate for the souls in Purgatory, especially during Lent and the month of November. He was a m ...
and is located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * San Roque Church, dedicated to
Saint Roch Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79; traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327), also called Rock in English, was a Majorcan Catholic confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he was especially invo ...
and known for its tall twin clock towers and historical significance. * Inmaculada Concepción Church, emblem of Republican architecture in the city and part of the exclusive El Prado neighborhood. The church is named after the
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...
. * Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Church, significant religious and historical landmark in the city, showcasing the architectural styles of the early 20th century. This church is dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Succour * San José
Salesian The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church, founded in 1859 by the Italian priest John Bosco to help poor and migrant youth during the ...
Church, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality, known for its architecture and religious significance. Named after
Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...
. * Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church, dedicated to
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is a Roman Catholic Titles of Mary, title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated as patron saint, patroness of the Carmelites, Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on M ...
, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Church, dedicated to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus () is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus Christ is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devotion to Christ is p ...
, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church, dedicated to
Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary (), also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Titles of Mary, Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October ...
, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquirá Church, dedicated to
Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Chiquinquirá or the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, is a Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic), Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a venerated image in the northern Andes region. She has been for cent ...
, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * Nuestra Señora de las Gracias de Torcoroma Parish, dedicated to Our Lady of Graces of Torcoroma, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * San Francisco de Asís Church, dedicated to
Saint Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Christian life of poverty, he ...
, located in the central area of the city. * Sagrada Familia Church, dedicated to the
Holy Family The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on,Ainsworth, 122 but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de La ...
, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * Central Baptist Church * Liceo de Cervantes Chapel, located in the Liceo de Cervantes School, known for its stained glass windows. * Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre Church, dedicated to
Our Lady of Charity Our Lady of Charity () is a celebrated Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in many Catholic countries. Various namesake images are found in Cuba, France, Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, Malta, Spain and the United States of America. ...
, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * Shaare Sedek Synagogue, located in the Norte-Centro Histórico locality. * Othman Ben Affan Mosque, located in the Riomar locality.


Tourist landmarks

Barranquilla has developed throughout the years an active business and commercial tourist centre especially during times of carnivals and New Year's Eve, when it receives a large influx of visitors. The northern sector of the city is the most modern and best equipped in terms of infrastructure, with the best neighborhoods, parks, hotels, and shopping centers. It is also the axis of cultural and business life of Barranquilla. It is the location of promising new developments in infrastructure and urban architectural projects of great importance in the city. In terms of hotels, the city has an adequate infrastructure. One can find everything from residences to inns and 5 star national and international hotel chains. The best hotels are located in the north of the city, near important business districts and shopping centres, which are also often used for holding events, conventions, conferences, among others. Barranquilla offers locals and visitors a variety of venues and shopping malls where domestic and imported goods can be purchased. The main business sectors are the centre and north of the city. Calle 98 is an exclusive area located north of Barranquilla, the axis of the expansion of the city with new shopping centres, sports complexes and residential complexes. Calle 84 is located north of the city and became fashionable as a place of celebration during qualifying for the
1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second ...
. It was called the "Calle de la Rumba". Calle Murillo is a large area that starts in the central and southern ends of town, near the Estadio Roberto Meléndez. Carrera 53 lies in the exclusive neighborhood of El Country and Alto Prado, centered on Washington Park, where there are fine restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Among the main tourist sites include: ;Bocas de Ceniza and the Magdalena River
Bocas de Ceniza Bocas de Ceniza (Spanish for: ''Ash Mouths'') is the mouth of the Magdalena River in the Caribbean Sea. It owes its name to the dusky color ocean waters take to receive the river. At present, the river flows into the sea through an artificial ca ...
is the mouth of the Magdalena River in the Caribbean Sea. Its importance lies in accessing the port of Barranquilla. Occasionally trips are organized on river barges that depart from Las Flores to Bocas de Ceniza. There are also special excursions made by small boats along the river, enjoying the local restaurants and touring the nearby swamps. ;The Port of Puerto Colombia Built in 1893 by the Barranquilla Railway & Pier Company under the direction of Cuban engineer Francisco Javier Cisneros, the pier in the neighboring municipality of Puerto Colombia was once one of the longest in the world. Thousands of immigrants came into the country in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries at this port. In 2008 it was partially closed due to its progressive degradation. On March 7, 2009 it suffered the collapse of the final 200 meters of its structure because of strong winds, forcing its complete closure and evacuation of the inhabitants of the area. Despite having been declared a National Monument in 1998, no restoration work has ever been done. Because of the latest tragedy, the local government is developing a strategy to rebuild it. Barranquilla Zoo Barranquilla Zoo is a wildlife sanctuary which houses colorful native and foreign animal species, with an emphasis on Colombian fauna and the protection of endangered species. It has over 500 animals of 140 species, from chickens to elephants or lions, to many different mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and primates.


Around Barranquilla

A maximum one hour by road are several tourist attractions in the surrounding area. Northwest of the department, bordering the Caribbean Sea, there are a number of resorts like Pradomar, Salgar, Sabanilla, Puerto Colombia, Santa Verónica, Caño Dulce, Playa Mendoza, Puerto Velero, Puerto Mocho, Cisne Lake, where visitors can enjoy a variety of water sports, camping, fishing and excursions.
Paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...
is offered at the Cupino hill in the municipality of Puerto Colombia. In
Usiacurí Usiacurí is a municipality and town in the Colombian Departments of Colombia, department of Atlántico Department, Atlántico. References External links Gobernacion del Atlantico - UsiacuríUsiacurí official website
Municipalities o ...
tourists can visit the house of the poet Julio Flórez and buy handicrafts. In the municipalities of Luruaco and Repelón people can practice water sports and other recreational activities. In other areas of the Atlántico department are livestock fairs, cultural festivals, gastronomic, folkloric and musical events.


Cultural landmarks


Teatro Amira de la Rosa

Housed in a traditional strategic sector of the city at the confluence of the deep-rooted neighborhoods of El Prado, Montecristo and Abajo, on May 7, 1976 Barranquilla marked a milestone in its musical and social history, with the presentation of Sinfonía Latina, a concert that was held at the Municipal Theater of Barranquilla, known today as the Amira de la Rosa Theater. This theatre, as well as venues such as the Coliseo Humberto Perea and Casa del Carnaval Colosseum has had an important role in cultural diffusion since 1982, with space for gatherings, presentations, meetings, concerts and exhibitions. It is named after playwright, poet, journalist, and writer Amira de la Rosa.


Museums

Museo Romántico (Romantic Museum) is located in a Republican mansion in El Prado district, showing objects from the history of the city. Costumes can be seen from the Carnival Queens to a replica of the old Abello ridge on the Paseo de Bolívar, through to the typewriter that
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...
wrote his first novel on, '' La Hojarasca''. There are also letters of
Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
, photographs, albums, collections of newspapers, and other items that identify the history of the city. Museo del Caribe (Museum of the Caribbean) is located in the Parque Cultural del Caribe. Museo Antropológico y Etnológico (Anthropological and Ethnological Museum.) is housed in the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Universidad del Atlántico. It presents a comprehensive collection of pieces from the indigenous cultures that inhabited the region. It also provides services as a newspaper library, reading room and exhibition hall. Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art)., established in 1996, brings together an important selection of works by several of the most important artists of the second half of the twentieth century. The collection includes works by renowned authors such as
Fernando Botero Fernando Botero Angulo (19 April 1932 – 15 September 2023) was a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor. His signature style, also known as "Boterismo", depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political ...
,
Alejandro Obregón Alejandro Jesús Obregón Rosės (4 June 1920 – 11 April 1992) was a Colombian painter, muralist, sculptor and engraver. Biography Obregón was born in Barcelona, Spain. He was the son of a Colombian father and a Catalan mother. The Obreg ...
, Enrique Grau and Luis Caballero. It is planned to be transferred to the Parque Cultural del Caribe. Museo Aeronáutico (Aeronautical Museum) is located at the Naval Officers' School ARC, founded in 1989 in tribute to the momentum that took place in Barranquilla with commercial aviation in the early twentieth century. Museo del Atlántico (Museum of the Atlantic) is a new regional museum located in the former headquarters of the Government of the Atlántico Department, covering over 4,000 square metres. Museo del Carnaval (Carnival Museum) is another new museum established pm April 7, 2011 by the Fundación Carnaval de Barranquilla in partnership with the Parque Cultural del Caribe and the Museo del Caribe, located in the Casa del Carnaval in the ''barrio'' of Abajo. El Teatro fue cerrado en 2016 por problemas estructurales, en medio de controversias respecto a su urgente renovación y apertura.


Emblematic Cultural Sites and Organizations

;Parque Cultural del Caribe Parque Cultural del Caribe (Caribbean Cultural Park) is an ambitious cultural complex, unique in its kind in the Caribbean Region and Colombia. Conceived in the framework of the restoration of the historic center of the city, it promotes the natural, cultural and historical aspects of the Colombian Caribbean. It comprises the Museo del Caribe, La Biblioteca Infantil Piloto del Caribe, La Biblioteca Mediateca Macondo (specializing in the work of
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...
), a Documentation Centre, a Multi-Function Room and a public plaza outdoor theatre. The second phase of the development will be complemented by El Museo de Arte Moderno de Barranquilla and La Cinemateca del Caribe. Custom-Elbers cultural park. Plaza of the locomotive. ;Centro Cultural Colombo Americano Since its inauguration in 1956
Centro Cultural Colombo Americano
is the icon of the culture of the United States and the English language in Barranquilla. Mostly known as the "Colombo Americano", this institution is one of the bi-national centers (BNCs) in Colombia, autonomous, non-profit organizations created after the Second World War to contribute to good relations between Colombia and the United States. As well as the other binational centers of the Centros Colombo Americano Network in Colombia, the Barranquilla Colombo Americano provides educational advising information about U.S education, testing service and the main English institute of the region. Its George Washington Library is the only public bilingual library in Barranquilla with an enormous stock of books and some other resources. Th

comprises a great variety of free activities and performances that articulate Colombian and American artists with the intellectual community in Barranquilla. With the financial support of the U.S Department of the State, the Colombo Americano manages some fellowship programs for needy communities. ;Former customs The Republican group of former customs buildings, known as the Complejo Cultural de la Antigua Aduana, were restored during the 1990s to house the Biblioteca Piloto del Caribe, File Histórico del Atlántico, Musical Documentation Centre, Estación Montoya, Parque Cultural Aduana-Elbers (consecrated in memory of Magdalena river transport pioneer Juan Bernardo Elbers), Pllaza de la Locomotora, and
Alejandro Obregón Alejandro Jesús Obregón Rosės (4 June 1920 – 11 April 1992) was a Colombian painter, muralist, sculptor and engraver. Biography Obregón was born in Barcelona, Spain. He was the son of a Colombian father and a Catalan mother. The Obreg ...
's ''Simbología de Barranquilla'', established in 1956 by the Banco Popular, which donated it to the Government of the Atlántico Department in 1994 for restoration. ;Other The restaurant-bar ''La Cueva'' became known for its cultural activity in the twentieth century. Other significant complexes are the Casa del Carnaval, Cinemateca del Caribe and the Planetario de Barranquilla.


Culture

Throughout the year the city has considerable cultural activity, and the best known instance of this is the
Carnival of Barranquilla The Barranquilla Carnival (') is one of Colombia's most important folkloric celebrations, and one of the biggest carnivals in the world. The carnival has traditions that date back to the 19th century. Four days before Lent, Barranquilla decks it ...
, one of the most famous festivals in Colombia. It is a multicultural event that is held every year in February and welcomes the world to four days of celebrations, costumes, and parades highlighting the cultural traditions from the 19th Century. It is held annually during the four days preceding
Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent: the seven weeks of Christian prayer, prayer, Religious fasting#Christianity, fasting and ...
-Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, usually in February or early March. In 2001 it was declared the "Cultural Patrimony of the Nation" by the National Congress of Colombia and in 2003 "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
. The city is home to varied manifestations as folk dances, songs, games, legends, tales, and superstitions, among others, many of which reach their peak during the Carnival. Barranquilla is home to many cultural events like art shows, exhibitions, literary workshops, talks philosophy, plays, poetry workshops, dances, exhibitions, concerts and festivals like the Festival de Orquestas under the Carnival and ''Barranquijazz''. Since 1957 it conducts the Concert of the Month, for the dissemination of classical music. The culture is promoted in the city by the Institute of Culture and Tourism of Barranquilla, assigned to the Mayor, and entities such as the Centro Cultural Cayena of the Universidad del Norte, the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Universidad del Atlántico, Centro Cultural de Comfamiliar, Combarranquilla, Fundación Carnaval de Barranquilla, Banco de la República, Alianza Colombo-Francesa, Centro Cultural Colombo-Americano, Salón Cultural de Avianca, Corporación Luis Eduardo Nieto Arteta, Complejo Cultural de la Antigua Aduana, Biblioteca Piloto del Caribe, lBiblioteca Infantil Piloto del Caribe, File Histórico del Atlántico and the Centro de Documentación Musical Hans Federico Neuman; among many others.


Language

The accent spoken in Barranquilla is a sub-dialect of the broader
Caribbean Spanish * Caribbean Spanish (, ) is the general name of the Spanish dialects spoken in the Caribbean region. The Spanish language was introduced to the Caribbean in 1492 with the voyages of Christopher Columbus. It resembles the Spanish spoken in the Ca ...
classification, which is the dialect spoken in the Caribbean coast of Colombia.


Folk music

Cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, Europeans, and Africans during colonial times. Cumbia is said to have com ...
is musical rhythm and dance most important and representative of the city, deeply rooted in the entire Caribbean region of Colombia. Other important musical rhythms are pulled, the jalao, puya, garabato, cumbión, chandé, porro, gaita, bullerengue, merecumbé,
vallenato Vallenato () is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the ''Sierra Nevada de Santa Mar ...
and pajarito. Other traditional dances are Congo, Mapalé, Son de Negro, Diablos, Gusano and Farotas. Also represented is the Marimondas, the Monocucos and the Toritos and those associated with the famous Carnaval de Barranquilla. Famous salsa singer
Joe Arroyo Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; 1 November 1955 – 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean and sa ...
was an avid lover of the city and its carnival, as can be heard in songs such as "En Barranquilla Me Quedo" and "Carnaval" from the 1988 album ''Fuego En Mi Mente.'' He lived a large part of his life in Barranquilla and after his death, also in Barranquilla, was buried in the city's cemetery. A statue in his honor was inaugurated on December 17, 2011 known as "La Estatua del Joe Arroyo". On November 9, 2011,
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
, born in Barranquilla, performed a cover of Arroyo's song "En Barranquilla Me Quedo" at the
Mandalay Bay Events Center The Michelob Ultra Arena, formerly the Mandalay Bay Events Center, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts Int ...
as a tribute to the singer when she was honoured as
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians for their "artistic achievements in the Latin music ...
.


Events

In addition to the Carnival of Barranquilla and related activities, some of the most important cultural events in the city are: Barranquijazz, jazz festival which brings together major international figures of jazz, held in September at the Amira de la Rosa Theatre, among other places, Carnaval de las Artes, a cultural event uniting intellectuals, writers, filmmakers, musicians and artists of national and international reputation, Feria Artesanal y Folclórica (Craft and Folk Fair) on the eastern side of the stadium, Feria del Juguete (Toy Fair), a great sale of toys during the month of December in the grounds of the Universal cemetery, Festival Internacional de Cuenteros ''El Caribe Cuenta'' with humor and stories which is held annually in August, Plataforma K. Evento, an annual fashion event organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Barranquilla held in March at the Universidad del Norte, Salón de Artistas Costeños, an art festival organised annually by the Chamber of Commerce of Barranquilla, and the Miche Rock Festival, supported by the District Department of Culture of Barranquilla and the Departmental Secretariat of Culture.


Gastronomy

Barranquilla serves a wide variety of cuisine to match its cosmopolitan population and tourists. Restaurants can be enjoyed from Creole cuisine to some of the most important international cuisines, such as Syrian-Lebanese (due to the significant presence of descendants of immigrants from the Middle East), Chinese, Japanese, Brazilian, Peruvian, French, Italian, Thai, Spanish etc. The typical dish of the city is plain rice, which is served with
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 ...
buns. Very characteristic of the local cuisine is a pigeon pea stew called
sancocho Sancocho (from the Spanish verb ''sancochar'', "to parboil") is a traditional stew in several Caribbean and Latin American cuisines. Latin variations represent popular national dishes in Dominican Republic, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Pana ...
de guandú (or guandul), with salted meat (which even has its own annual festival), butifarras soledeñas,
suero Suero, also referred to as suero costeño or suero atollabuey, is a fermented-milk-based condiment from Colombia's Caribbean coastal region. It is somewhat similar to yogurt or sour cream. It is served as an accompaniment for various dishes and ...
,
queso costeño Queso (Spanish for "cheese") may refer to: * Chile con queso, a cheesy sauce * Queso Records * Queso blanco, a white cheese * Queso Chihuahua In Mexico, queso Chihuahua is commonly recognized as a soft white cheese available in braids, balls or ...
, fried
arepa ''Arepa'' () is a type of flatbread made of ground maize dough stuffed with a filling, eaten in northern parts of South America since pre-Columbian times, and notable primarily in the cuisine of Colombia and Venezuela, but also present in Bolivi ...
s,
carimañola A carimañola is a Central and South American meat-pie in a torpedo-shaped yuca fritter, stuffed with cheese, seasoned ground meat or shredded chicken and fried. It is found in Colombia and Panama. References See also * Colombian cuisine ...
s,
empanada An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover (food), turnover consisting of pastry and stuffing, filling, common in Culture of Spain, Spain, other Southern European countries, North African countries, South Asian countries, Latin American c ...
s,
cupcake A cupcake ( AmE, CanE), fairy cake ( BrE), or bun ( IrE) is a small cake designed to serve one person, which may be baked in a small thin paper or aluminum cup. As with larger cakes, frosting, icing and various other cake decorations such as ...
s,
patacones Tostones (, from the Spanish verb ''tostar'' which means "to :wikt:toast, toast") are twice-fried Plantain (cooking), plantain slices commonly found in Latin American cuisine and Caribbean cuisine. Most commonly known as ''tostones'' in Puerto R ...
, black bean rice, chipichipi and cucayo; noodles, drinks like raspao, boli, sugar water,
tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...
o, zapote and
níspero Níspero, nipero, nêspera and mespel are terms referring to certain fruit-bearing trees, or to their fruit in particular: * Common medlar (''Mespilus germanica''), the origin of the term (called ''Mispel'' in many Germanic languages, ''mispeli'' ...
, coconut candies and Easter candy, cake, fish, shrimp and oysters, beef, chicken, pork and chicken dishes and pork rinds. Cazuela de mariscos, a seafood stew, is also a typical dish found in Barranquilla. Chuzo desgranado, a fast food dish, is also from the region.


Education

Education in the city is regulated by the Ministry of Education and the District Mayor. The city offers the national education system in their levels of primary and secondary education and university, and multiple technical and technological institutions. In recent decades, Barranquilla received a number of students, who could not pursue higher education studies in the absence of institutions in their places of origin. This had tended to decrease in recent years due to increased educational opportunities has been achieved in these regions. Some of the personalities who have contributed to the educational development of the city have been Manuel María Salgado, a pioneer of high school in Barranquilla, founder of the Instituto de Barranquilla in 1849, the German educator Karl Meisel, founder of the Colegio Ribón in 1881 which became the Colegio de Barranquilla in 1908, Julio Enrique Blanco, founder of Universidad del Atlántico, Ramón Renowitzky, Secretary of Education in the mid-twentieth century and Turkish educator and translator Alberto Assa. According to the census conducted by DANE in 2005, 66.5% of the population of 3 to 5 years, 89.2% of the population aged 6 to 10 years and 83.7% of the population aged 11 to 17 years attend a formal educational institution. 12.8% have reached the professional level and 1.4% have specialized degrees, master or doctorate. The resident population without any education is 6.2%. 94.1% of the population 5 years and over are literate.


Universities

Barranquilla is home to several universities with high academic standards and research, including Universidad del Norte, Universidad del Atlántico, Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Universidad Metropolitana, Corporación Universitaria de la Costa, Universidad Antonio Nariño, and Fundación Universitaria San Martín. At the undergraduate level, courses offered by different universities include engineering (systems, civil, mechanical, electronic, industrial, chemical, electrical and environmental), the health sciences (medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, bacteriology, nutrition, optometry, dentistry, social work, occupational therapy, speech therapy, surgical instrumentation and microbiology), economic and administrative sciences (business administration, economics, accounting, finance, international business), basic sciences (mathematics, physics, microbiology, chemistry, biology), education (social, natural, physical education, preschool, math, Spanish, foreign languages), the social sciences (philosophy,history, sociology, psychology, social communication, international relations), fine arts (music, visual arts, performing arts, architecture), and legal sciences (law, political science), among others. In terms of graduate studies, Universidad del Norte offers fifteen doctoral programs, including Social Science, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Psychology, and Universidad del Atlántico offers a doctorate in Science Education. Universidad del Norte offers a significant number of master's degrees in various branches of learning such as engineering, health sciences, education, environment, and administration. Other universities offering master's studies are Atlántico, Simón Bolívar, and Universidad Autónoma del Caribe.


Secondary and technical institutions

The city also has secondary education institutions, public and private high school, several of which rate high in the country, according to studies conducted by ICFES. The State National Training Service has an important work in the technical and technological training. In Barranquilla there are 4 SENA centres: the Centre for Trade and Services, Aviation and Industry, the Colombo-German National Centre and the Cedagro Centre for Agroecology Development and Agribusiness. Since 2009, the city has Instituto Tecnológico de Soledad Atlántico (ITSA) which offers courses in technical subjects such as electromechanical maintenance,electronics, telecommunications, computing, industrial processes, agro-industrial production, foreign trade and international business, business management etc. ITSA has around 9,600 students from low income strata 1 and 2.


Educational expansion

Since 2008, the city has embarked upon an ambitious plan to reduce the deficit in school places by building educational parks in the neighborhoods of Las Américas, Lipaya, 7 de abril and Rebolo through property integration. These parks will have community services such as library, auditorium, computer rooms, sports facilities and classrooms. Similarly, for 2010 is 4 modern colleges with a total capacity for 5,760 students, two in Las Cayenas, one in Ciudadela Veinte de Julio and one in Lipaya, each with a capacity of 1440 students. In February 2009, the college ''Pies Descalzos'' was opened in La Playa, built by
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
, and endowed by the District through community resources, with a capacity for 1,800 students.


Science and research

Science and research are mainly in the universities at the request of state policies defined by the National Science and Technology, the National Innovation System and Colciencias. Universidad del Atlántico is the institution with research groups such as Colciencias which recognized and registered with the International Network for Information and Knowledge Sources for Sciences, Technology and Innovation. The universities are engaged in scientific research in various fields such as medicine, chemistry, geophysics, biology, physics, microbiology, law, history, philosophy, Caribbean culture, telecommunications and the various branches of engineering. Among the public libraries in the city include the Barranquilla Departmental Library, the Biblioteca Piloto del Caribe and Julio Hoenigsberg. Also notable are the libraries of universities, especially Atlántico and Norte universities.


Transport

Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport () is an international airport serving the area of Barranquilla, the capital city of the Atlántico department in Colombia. The airport is located in the suburban municipality of Soledad. It owes its ...
was built in Barranquilla in 1919, becoming South America's first. The city is served by domestic and international flights. Pumarejo Bridge over the Magdalena River is one of the most prominent civil engineering works in the city, and the longest in Colombia at just over . The traffic in the city and its metropolitan area is governed from 2009 by the Ministry for Mobility. In 2001, the district administration started developing TransMetro metropolitan mass transit system. This transport system uses articulated buses traveling on exclusive lanes and stations where passengers board on. In 2015 the system was used by about 110000 people daily. A
light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
line is currently in the planning stages. In 2010, the taxis operate a minimum charge of COP 4300 (US$2.17) for a distance of up to . To cover distance races over the minimum, the fee is negotiated directly with the driver and can reach up to COP 20,000 (US$11.4) depending on the distance covered. Taxi service can also be contracted by the hour, COP 15,000 (US$7.58). Several private companies provide taxi service in the city, which can be ordered by telephone for safety. In 2015,
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. is an American multinational transportation company that provides Ridesharing company, ride-hailing services, courier services, food delivery, and freight transport. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, a ...
began operating in the city. Bus and minibus fares vary depending on model and amenities such as air conditioning. Prices are visible in the windshield of the vehicle and range from COP 1,300 to COP 1,500. Bus transportation is very common among locals. In the municipality of Soledad, south of the city, is the Metropolitan Transportation Terminal in Barranquilla, from which one can travel by land to major domestic destinations and Venezuela. Barranquilla has a major sea and river port, third largest by cargo volume in the country. The waterborne terminal is managed, operated and marketed by the private Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla. Traffic through the port of Barranquilla is regulated by the Captain of the Port of Barranquilla, which is responsible for the direction, coordination and control of maritime activities such as arrivals, departures, status of ships, safety, licensing, advertisements, among others.


Barranquilla Public Transportation Statistics

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Barranquilla, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 77 min. 17% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 15 min, while 20% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 5.9 km, while 5% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.


Sports

Sports in Barranquilla are promoted at the governmental level by the Ministry of Sports and Deportes de la Alcaldía Distrital. Since the early twentieth century, the most important sports have been
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
,
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
and
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
. Also practiced are basketball, athletics,
swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...
,
chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
, cycling,
skating Skating involves any sports or recreational activity which consists of traveling on surfaces or on ice using skates, and may refer to: Ice skating *Ice skating, moving on ice by using ice skates **Figure skating, a sport in which individuals, ...
,
bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...
, tennis, golf, shooting,
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
,
taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...
,
paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...
,
BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the ea ...
,
go-karts Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...
,
motor sports Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific terms ''automobile ...
, fishing, squash,
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
,
weightlifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...
and
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
. Barranquilla has hosted the
Colombia national football team The Colombia national football team (), nicknamed ''Los Cafeteros,'' represents Colombia in men's international Association football, football and is managed by the Colombian Football Federation, Federación Colombiana de Fútbol (), the govern ...
during
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
qualifiers for Italy (1990), USA (1994), France (1998), Germany (2006), Brazil (2014), Russia (2018), and Qatar (2022). It was home of the XIV National Games in 1992, co-host of the
Central American and Caribbean Games The Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC or CACGs) are a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennial (once every four years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The games are for 32 countries and ...
in 2006 and was the host the 23 edition of the Games in 2018; host of the 5th Central American and Caribbean Games in 1946, home of the Bolivarian Games IV in 1961 and hosted the games in Group A in the
Copa América 2001 Copa or COPA may refer to: COPA COPA may refer to: * Child Online Protection Act, a former U.S. law to protect minors from certain material on the internet * Canadian Owners and Pilots Association * Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association * Parlia ...
. In 2011, it hosted the opening match of the U20 World Cup to be held in Colombia from July 29 to August 20.


Stadiums and venues

The city has a developed sports infrastructure, which has enabled it to host international events, such as the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1946, the Bolivarian Games of 1961 among others and the 2018 version of the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, commonly known as Estadio Metropolitano, or colloquially, El Metro, is a multi-use All-seater stadium, all-seater association football, football stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia. It is the home stadium o ...
opened on May 11, 1986, with capacity for 49,612 spectators. It has a football field, running track for distance running, long jump and javelin and hammer. It was the headquarters of the Colombia national football team during World Cup qualifiers for 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2006.
Estadio Romelio Martínez es:Estadio is the spanish language word for Stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered s ...
was built in 1935 for the III National Olympic Games, capacity for 20,000 people. In 2018 was renewed to host the Central American and Caribbean Games. The former Estadio Tomás Arrieta was built in 1946 for the V Central American and Caribbean Games and rebuilt in 2018 to host the Central American and Caribbean Games. It is now called the
Estadio Édgar Rentería Estadio Édgar Rentería is a baseball stadium located in Barranquilla, Colombia, and the current home of the Caimanes de Barranquilla. It has a capacity of 12,000 and opened in 2018. The ballpark opened in 2018 with an international friendly t ...
to honor the emblematic big leaguer from Barranquilla. The new stadium has a capacity for 12,000 attendees. Estadio de Baloncesto Elías Chegwin opened in 1992 and also renewed in 2018 to host the Central America and the Caribbean Games. It has 3,000 seats available and it is the only sports arena in Colombia with air conditioning. Velódromo Metropolitano Rafael Vásquez also opened in 1992 as part of the XIV National Games. The Olympic Pool Complex is a modern site that was also rebuilt in 2018 to host the Central America and Caribbean Games. It has 2,130 seats available. The city also has a shooting and skating rink, "Rafael Naranjo Pertuz" (1992) which has inside a roller hockey court, tennis courts, a BMX track, bowling alley, and sports centres in the neighborhoods Lipaya, La Magdalena and San Felipe, among others. In August 2024, Barranquilla co-hosted the 2024 U-15 Baseball World Cup with Cartagena.


Teams

The city has hosted several teams that have played professional football in Colombia, Club Deportivo Popular Junior F.C. competes in the first division, and Barranquilla F.C. in the second division. Universidad Autónoma del Caribe Fútbol Club has its administrative headquarters in Barranquilla, playing at the Marcos Henríquez de Sabanalarga Other professional teams that were based Barranquilla was the Juventud Junior (promoted to the first category in 1929 and renamed Atlético Junior in 1936), Deportivo Barranquilla (f. 1949), Sporting (f. 1950), Libertad (f. 1956) and Unicosta (f. 1995). As for baseball, Caimanes de Barranquilla is the city team in the
Colombian Professional Baseball League The Colombian Professional Baseball League ( or LPB), is a professional baseball league based in Colombia. It is a five-team winter league that plays during the Major League Baseball offseason. In the past, the league's champion has taken part in ...
. Barranquilla had the basketball team Caimanes, Colombian professional tournament champion three times, 1995, 1997 and 1998.


Formula One

On October 31, 2022, the mayor of Barranquilla, Jaime Pumarejo, received Formula One CEO
Stefano Domenicali Stefano Domenicali (born 11 May 1965) is an Italian motorsport executive and the current CEO of Formula One Group since 2021. Early life Domenicali was born in Imola, the son of a banker. As a child, he used to go to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino F ...
, the manager of the Mexico City Grand Prix and manager to
Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
Luis García Abad, and some other promoters of the Mexico City Grand Prix in Barranquilla to discuss a possible Formula One race to be hosted in the city, which would be called the Caribbean Grand Prix. According to Pumarejo, two different plans for semi-street circuits have been approved by local authorities, both within the metropolitan area of Barranquilla, and one of them running partially alongside 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, ...
. If the plan were to become reality, an inaugural grand prix in either 2024 or 2025 would be targeted with, "hopefully", a 10-year contract. Then-Colombian president
Iván Duque Iván Duque Márquez (; born 1 August 1976) is a Colombian politician and lawyer who served as the president of Colombia from 2018 to 2022. He was elected as the candidate from the Democratic Centre Party in the 2018 Colombian presidential ...
announced the state's support for the project, highlighting, as well as Pumarejo, the financial and touristic benefits it would bring to the city, region, and country.


Healthcare

Health in Colombia is governed by legislation (Act 100 of 1993) and is regulated by the Ministry of Social Protection. At the local level, it is in charge of two state institutions, the Ministry of Health and the State Social Enterprise Caprecom as administrator of the hospital administrative units (four hospitals, 6 Maternal Units and Child Health Centres) to replace the Public Hospital Network (Redehospital), in liquidation. Other institutions include the Colombian Red Cross, the Colombian Civil Defense, in charge of emergencies, calamities and natural disasters, and the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), responsible for the comprehensive protection of the family and children. Some of the notable public hospitals of the city are Hospital General de Barranquilla, Hospital Pediátrico de Barranquilla, Hospital Nazareth, Hospital La Manga, Hospital Universitario Metropolitano. Hospital Universitario Cari E.S.E, Hospital de la Universidad del Norte, Hospital Niño Jesús and Hospital del Seguro Social and the 6 maternal-child units of Santa María, La Playa, La Chinita, Las Flores, La Alboraya and Juan Mina. The city also contains 19 health centres and 28 health posts. At each location of the city, a center or health post. These institutions can provide services to primary and secondary care, with the exception of the Pediatric Hospital, which serves partial third level. In addition, the city operates a large number of private clinics that serve high levels of complexity (3 and 4) and multiple medical specialities.


Media


Television

From 1986, the Colombian Caribbean Coast has the
Telecaribe Telecaribe is a regional television network for the Caribbean region of Colombia. History The station was set up in the early 1980s in Valledupar, Colombia and was created by a local entrepreneur named Jose Jorge Dangond. It started as an unlic ...
regional television, which has its operational headquarters in the city. In addition, Barranquilla operate local television channels TB3 (cable) Channel 23 at the Autonomous University of the Caribbean (''open signal'') and the five national television channels (
RCN TV RCN may refer to: * '' Radio Cadena Nacional (disambiguation)'', a broadcast network in Colombia ** RCN Radio ** RCN TV * RCN Corporation (formerly Residential Communications Network), a cable television, telephone, and Internet service provider ...
,
Caracol TV Caracol is a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District of Belize. It is situated approximately south of Xunantunich, and the town of San Ignacio, and from the Macal River. It rests on the Vaca Platea ...
,
Canal Uno Canal 1 (; pronounced "Canal Uno" () is a Colombian state-owned television channel. It is owned by the Government of Colombia and managed by Phoenix Media, a private company. From 1957 to 2017, the channel was administered by private programming ...
, Señal Colombia and
Institutional An institution is a humanly devised structure of rules and norms that shape and constrain social behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions and ...
). The Canal Universitario Nacional Jerusalem TV (Channel LUZ) is also transmitted from Barranquilla.


Radio

Barranquilla transmits various AM and FM stations, both local and national, which keep the public informed and provide a varied musical program. Of particular note is Radio Libertad.


Press

The city's two main newspapers are '' El Heraldo'' and ''La Libertad''. Other dailies include newspapers of nationwide distribution, such as
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
's '' El Tiempo''.


Music

Barranquilla is mentioned in the Hank Snow song ''
I've Been Everywhere Ive or IVE may refer to: Music * Ive (group), a South Korean girl group * I've Sound (aka "I've"), a Japanese musical group People * Ive (given name), a Croatian and Slovenian given name * Bert Ive (1875–1939), British-born Australian cinema ...
'', most famously covered by
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...
. Also, it has been several times addressed by
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
in her songs ''
Hips Don't Lie "Hips Don't Lie" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released by Epic Records in November 27th, 2005. The single is a reworking of Jean's 2004 track "Dance Like This", therefore it features addi ...
'' and ''
La Bicicleta "La Bicicleta" (transl. "The Bicycle") is a song by Colombian singer-songwriters Carlos Vives and Shakira. The track was released on May 27, 2016, as the lead single from Vives' fifteenth studio album ''Vives'' (2017). It was also included as a ...
''.


Notable people

*
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
*
Sofía Vergara Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara (; born July 10, 1972) is a Colombian and American actress and television personality who received five nominations each at the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. She is one of the highest-paid a ...
* Esther Forero *
Carmen Villalobos Carmen Villalobos (born Yorley del Carmen Villalobos Barrios on July 13, 1983) is a Colombian actress and model. Career She is best known for her character Catalina Santana in the telenovela '' Sin senos no hay paraíso'' based on the book by G ...
* Andrés Cabas * Alvaro Cepeda Samudio * Salomón Hakim * Julio Mario Santo Domingo *
Nina García Ninotchka "Nina" García (; born May 3, 1965) is a Colombian-American fashion journalist, the editor-in-chief of ''Elle'', author, and a judge on the Bravo/Lifetime reality television program ''Project Runway'' since its first season. Early li ...
*
Teófilo Gutiérrez Teófilo Antonio "Teo" Gutiérrez Roncancio (; born 17 May 1985) is a Colombian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Atlético Junior . He was a Colombia national football team ...
*
Maía Mónica Andrea Vives Orozco, more commonly known as Maía (born 1981 in Barranquilla, Colombia) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. History Mónica Vives Orozco (Maía) is the only child of Rafael Vives and Mónica Orozco. She grew up in Prado ...
* Edgar Perea *
Édgar Rentería Édgar Enrique Rentería Herazo (; born August 7, 1975), nicknamed "the Barranquilla Baby", is a Colombian former professional baseball shortstop. He threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Florida Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston ...
*
Sofia Carson Sofia Lauren Daccarett Char (born April 10, 1993), known professionally as Sofia Carson, is an American actress and singer. Her first appearance on television was as a guest star on the Disney Channel series ''Austin & Ally'' (2014). In 2015, ...
*
Maritza Rodríguez Sarah Maritza Mintz (formerly Maritza Rodríguez Gómez , September 1, 1975) is a retired Colombian telenovela actress and model. Career She is best known for her roles as Bárbara Santana in Telemundo’s telenovela '' Amantes del desierto'' (2 ...
* Amira de la Rosa * Valerie Domínguez * Isabella Santo Domingo * Donovan Solano (born 1987), Colombian baseball second baseman for the Minnesota Twins * Jhonatan Solano *
Silvia Tcherassi Silvia Tcherassi (born 21 August 1964) is a Miami-based, fashion designer, born in Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia. Personal life and education Silvia Tcherassi was born on August 21, 1965, in Barranquilla, Colombia. She started her artistic ...
* Daniella Álvarez * Paulina Vega Dieppa, Miss Colombia 2013 and
Miss Universe 2014 Miss Universe 2014 was the 63rd Miss Universe pageant, held at the FIU Arena in Miami, Florida, United States on 25 January 2015. This was the first time in the history of the competition that the pageant was not held during the year the title ...
*
Ariadna Gutiérrez Ariadna Gutiérrez Arévalo (; born 25 December 1993) is a Colombian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Colombia 2014. She represented Colombia at the Miss Universe 2015 competition on 20 December 2015 and place ...
, Miss Colombia 2014 and first runner-up at
Miss Universe 2015 Miss Universe 2015 was the 64th Miss Universe pageant, held at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on December 20, 2015. This was the first edition of the pageant to be held under the ownership of WME/ IMG, which purchased the Miss U ...
* Aníbal Velásquez * Roberto McCausland Dieppa Composer and conductor of Sinfonia Latina *
Natasha Klauss Natasha Alexandra Rastapkavičius Arrondo (; born 25 June 1975), professionally known as Natasha Klauss, is a Colombian actress and businesswoman of Uruguayan and Lithuanian descent, best known for her roles in Telemundo telenovelas '' La Ven ...
*
Mario Miranda Mário João Carlos do Rosário de Brito Miranda (2 May 1926 – 11 December 2011), also known as Mario de Miranda, was an Indian cartoonist and painter based in Loutolim, Goa. He had been a regular with ''The Times of India'' and other news ...
, professional boxer and world title challenger * Rory Enrique Conde


Sister cities

* Tula, Russia *
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, Argentina *
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...
, Taiwan *
Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...
, People's Republic of China *
Brownsville, Texas Brownsville ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Cameron County, Texas, Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border, border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas ...
, United StatesBarranquilla signs sister city agreement with Brownsville, Texas
- El Heraldo
*
Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
, United States *
Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, United States *
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
, Scotland


In popular culture

*Barranquilla is mentioned in the
Hank Snow Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian country music guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' country charts betw ...
adaptation of the Geoff Mack song "
I've Been Everywhere Ive or IVE may refer to: Music * Ive (group), a South Korean girl group * I've Sound (aka "I've"), a Japanese musical group People * Ive (given name), a Croatian and Slovenian given name * Bert Ive (1875–1939), British-born Australian cinema ...
", which was later covered by more than 130 artists including
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...
. *Shakira mentions her hometown Barranquilla in the hit song
Hips Don't Lie "Hips Don't Lie" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released by Epic Records in November 27th, 2005. The single is a reworking of Jean's 2004 track "Dance Like This", therefore it features addi ...
, with the line ''"En Barranquilla se baila asi"'' (translated as: "In Barranquilla they dance like this")


See also

* Shakira statue


References


External links

* *
Hola Barranquilla
Foro para compartir ideas, temas, fotos, y mucho mas con todos los Barranquilleros que se encuentran por todo el mundo {{Authority control Populated places on the Magdalena River Port cities in Colombia Municipalities of Atlántico Department Capitals of Colombian departments Populated places established in 1813 Port cities in the Caribbean 1813 establishments in South America