Wayuu
The Wayuu (also Wayu, Wayúu, Guajiro, Wahiro) are an Amerindian ethnic group of the Guajira Peninsula in northernmost part of Colombia and northwest Venezuela. The Wayuu language is part of the Maipuran (Arawak) language family.
Geography
...
: ) is a city in the
Riohacha Municipality
Riohacha Municipality () is located on the Caribbean region of Colombia of La Guajira Department, Colombia. It extends over 3,120 km2 and has an urban part divided into 10 Communes, 14 Corregimientos and 8 Resguardos Indígenas (7 of them ...
in the northern
Caribbean Region
The Caribbean region of Colombia or Caribbean coast region is in the north of Colombia and is mainly composed of 8 departments located contiguous to the Caribbean.Colombia by the mouth of the
Ranchería River
The Ranchería River ( es, Río Ranchería) is a river located in northern La Guajira Department, Colombia. Born in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta southern steps flows south, abruptly turns northeast and then north where it finally flows into th ...
and the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. It is the capital city of the
La Guajira Department
La Guajira () is a department of Colombia. It occupies most of the Guajira Peninsula in the northeast region of the country, on the Caribbean Sea and bordering Venezuela, at the northernmost tip of South America. The capital city of the departm ...
. It has a sandy beach waterfront.
Founded by conquistador
Nikolaus Federmann
Nikolaus Federmann ( es, link=no, Nicolás Féderman, ) (c. 1505, Ulm – February 1542, Valladolid) was a German adventurer and conquistador in what is modern-day Venezuela and Colombia. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Vened ...
in 1535, Riohacha was named after a local legend, "The legend of the Axe". Because of the powerful rain shadow of the
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: ''Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha'') is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of ...
, the area is mostly desertic. It is inhabited primarily by
Amerindians
The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples.
Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...
, predominantly the
Wayuu
The Wayuu (also Wayu, Wayúu, Guajiro, Wahiro) are an Amerindian ethnic group of the Guajira Peninsula in northernmost part of Colombia and northwest Venezuela. The Wayuu language is part of the Maipuran (Arawak) language family.
Geography
...
ethnic group. During colonial times, Riohacha was a very important port, as divers could retrieve vast numbers of
pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
s from the harbor.
In the second half of the 20th century, the city developed as one of Colombia's medium important, maritime commercial ports. It is also a multicultural center for La Guajira Department. The city is mentioned several times in novels written by Colombian writer
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...
Love in the Time of Cholera
''Love in the Time of Cholera'' ( es, El amor en los tiempos del cólera) is a novel written in Spanish by Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez and published in 1985. Edith Grossman's English translation was published by ...
'', and ''
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
''Chronicle of a Death Foretold'' ( es, Crónica de una muerte anunciada) is a novella by Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1981. It tells, in the form of a pseudo-journalistic reconstruction, the story of the murder of Santiago Nasar by ...
''.
Place Name
The place name Riohacha has existed since the same period of the Spanish land conquest and colonization in La Guajira (1526-1536). There are three different hypotheses about its origin, all of them related to the exploration of the area of the mouth of a river in the middle part of the La Guajira Peninsula. The first hypothesis recounts the rescue that a young indigenous man makes of a lost and thirsty Spanish battalion, guiding them towards the encounter with the river; as a reward, the captain gives the native an axe and baptizes the place as El Río de La Hacha. The second hypothesis speaks of the same Spanish battalion whose Captain loses his emblematic axe when crossing said river; as a consolation he baptizes it Río de La Hacha. The third hypothesis documents the discovery of a beautiful axe buried on the river bank by a battalion of European explorers, who until now believed they were the first to arrive at that place. In this way, they called it Río de la Hacha.
The word Süchiimma means, in the Wayuunaiki language, Land of the River: Süchii (river) and Mma (land). The city is also known as Portal de Perlas (alluding to its pearl origin), the Capital of the Magical Arreboles (the most beautiful sunsets in the Colombian Caribbean) and the Mestiza del Nordeste (for its rich multiculturalism and the Trade Winds of the Northeast).
History
The Riohacha area was long inhabited by American Indians of the
Wayuu
The Wayuu (also Wayu, Wayúu, Guajiro, Wahiro) are an Amerindian ethnic group of the Guajira Peninsula in northernmost part of Colombia and northwest Venezuela. The Wayuu language is part of the Maipuran (Arawak) language family.
Geography
...
culture, part of the larger
Arawak
The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Great ...
group. The first European to visit the area was the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
sailor
Alonso de Ojeda
Alonso de Ojeda (; c. 1466 – c. 1515) was a Spanish explorer, governor and conquistador. He travelled through modern-day Guyana, Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago, Curaçao, Aruba and Colombia. He navigated with Amerigo Vespucci who is famou ...
in 1498, though he never landed. A short time later,
Juan de la Cosa
Juan de la Cosa (c. 1450 – 28 February 1510) was a Castilian navigator and cartographer, known for designing the earliest European world map which incorporated the territories of the Americas discovered in the 15th century.
De la Cosa was th ...
, another Spanish explorer, landed on what is today called
Cabo de la Vela
Cabo de la Vela (Spanish for "cape of sails") is a headland in the Guajira Peninsula in Colombia with an adjacent small fishing village. It is a popular ecotourism destination of the Caribbean region of Colombia
History
Spanish explorer Juan ...
(Cape of the Sail, so called because of its shape). In 1535, the German explorer
Nikolaus Federmann
Nikolaus Federmann ( es, link=no, Nicolás Féderman, ) (c. 1505, Ulm – February 1542, Valladolid) was a German adventurer and conquistador in what is modern-day Venezuela and Colombia. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Vened ...
founded a city with the name ''Nuestra Señora Santa Maria de los Remedios del Cabo de la Vela'' (Our Lady Saint Mary of the Remedies of the Cape of the Sail) at the place where de la Cosa had landed.
The Spanish discovered a vast amount of
pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
s in the city's area. This treasure frequently attracted raids by
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
s. After the city was destroyed by a pirate raid, the city government relocated the city to the mouth of the
Ranchería River
The Ranchería River ( es, Río Ranchería) is a river located in northern La Guajira Department, Colombia. Born in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta southern steps flows south, abruptly turns northeast and then north where it finally flows into th ...
, in order to confuse the pirates, and to give the city time to rebuild before the next attack. The new city, named ''Nuestra Señora de los Remedios del Río de la Hacha'' (Our Lady of the Remedies), expanded peacefully for a short time in its new location. Pirate attacks soon resumed. The next major attack, led by the famous English privateer Francis Drake, took place in 1569, when Drake pillaged the city searching for
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
and pearls.
In the 18th century, Riohacha was incorporated to the
Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada ( es, Virreinato de Nueva Granada, links=no ) also called Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada or Viceroyalty of Santafé was the name given on 27 May 1717, to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in norther ...
as part of the province of Santa Marta. During the battles for independence from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, the port of Riohacha served many vessels fighting for Colombian and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
n independence. Many Riohachans also served in the revolutionary navy, most notably Admiral
José Prudencio Padilla
Admiral José Prudencio Padilla López (19 March 1784, in Riohacha, – 2 October 1828) was a Neogranadine military leader who fought in the Spanish American wars of independence. He is best known for his victory in the Battle of Lake Mara ...
, who would come to be considered a hero in the revolutions of Colombia and Venezuela.
In 1954, Riohacha City acquired municipality status, and in 1964 was declared capital of the new
La Guajira Department
La Guajira () is a department of Colombia. It occupies most of the Guajira Peninsula in the northeast region of the country, on the Caribbean Sea and bordering Venezuela, at the northernmost tip of South America. The capital city of the departm ...
.
Image:Plaza Almirante Padilla.JPG, The Almirante Padilla Plaza in downtown Riohacha.
Image:Riohacha.JPG, Riohacha Beach.
Culture
*The National Festival of the Dividivi is celebrated every year from June 29 to July 1. The last day celebrates the creation of the Department of La Guajira.
Transportation
Riohacha has one
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...
, the
Almirante Padilla Airport
Almirante Padilla Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Almirante Padilla) is an airport serving the Caribbean coastal city of Riohacha in the Guajira Department of Colombia. It is served by Avianca and Viva Air Colombia, and formerly by Tiara Air. The airp ...
. It serves airlines covering the route to and from the Colombian capital city Bogotá, the near cities of
Valledupar
Valledupar () is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Caesar Department. Its name, ''Valle de Upar'' (Valley of Upar), was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; ''Cacique Upar''. T ...
and Santa Marta, and the Caribbean resort island of Aruba. In September 2016 the low-cost carrier Easy Fly initiated service between Riohacha and Barranquilla.
Climate
Riohacha, owing to the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, has a
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''BSh''), which owing to the extremely torrid temperatures is not that far above an
arid climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in deser ...
despite receiving as much as of rainfall per year. This rain falls almost exclusively in May and between August and November, and for the rest of the year there are a mere thirteen wet days out of 212 in an average year. Despite the lack of rainfall, humidity is high year round and adds to the uncomfortable heat.
Afro-Colombian
Afro-Colombians or African-Colombians ( es, afrocolombianos, links=no) are Colombians of full or partial sub-Saharan African descent ( Blacks, Mulattoes, Pardos, and Zambos).
History
Africans were enslaved in the early 16th Century in Colomb ...
lawyer and politician.
Gallery
File:Riohachacity.jpg, View of the beachfront
File:Colombia-riohacha001.JPG, Malecon Beach
File:Colombie-riohacha003.jpg, Typical building
File:Colombie-riohacha004.jpg, Colombian Wayuu craft on Avenida Primera (1st Ave.)
File:Colombie-riohacha005.jpg, Riohacha's Touristic Dock
File:Riohacha.jpg, Riohacha's Sunrise at a house roof
File:Ranchería River Mouth in Riohacha.jpg, Ranchería River empties into Riohacha
File:Convento de los padres capuchinos, Riohacha Colombia.png, Cañones Park
File:Riohacha Carrera 6.jpg, One of the areas of the historic center of the city
File:Riohacha artesania.JPG, ''Identidad'' Monument, erected in 2010
File:Centro Cultural Riohacha (Visto desde la playa) - panoramio.jpg, Departmental Cultural Center seen from the beach
File:Antigua Aduana y Actual Secretaría de Cultura de Riohacha.jpg, Late Nineteen Century Building in Riohacha
File:Casa Márquez Iguarán en Riohacha.jpg, House where Gabriel García Márquez was conceived, according to his autobiography ''
Living to Tell the Tale
''Living to Tell the Tale'' (original Spanish language title: ''Vivir para contarla'') is the first volume of the autobiography of Gabriel García Márquez.
The book was originally published in Spanish in 2002, with an English translation by Edit ...
'' (2002)
File:Interior de la Universidad de La Guajira.jpg, La Guajira University, located in Riohacha
File:Alijuna y Wayú.jpg, Fishing between Alijuna and Wayú Caribbean coast, Riohacha